Reflections On Gasparilla’s Centennial

The centennial edition of Gasparilla has come and gone wildly into the night. These follow-up thoughts:

1– A signature parade for the city — not the region — is still cool.

2– Out of Bamboleo came something better.

3– The hassle and cost is still worth the three-day, $20-million economic infusion and national, uh, exposure.

4– (Pirate) hats off to the city’s Krewe of Klean-Up. Once again they win best in show for working around the clock to remove 40 tons of garbage.

5– The line between acceptably bawdy and downright disgusting isn’t exactly razor thin.

6– Best line: “Hey, miss, please don’t do that in front of the children. But if you must, here’s my (plastic surgeon/breast augmentation) card.” Next best line: “Yo, lady, here’s some (beads) if you just put that back on.”

7– We’re all familiar with the orange, Home Depot wrap-around fencing many homeowners use to discourage parade revelers from using their property as urinals. Add another deterrent, this one observed near the intersection of Orleans and Bayshore. Call it the Tangerine Toss. Alas, most trespissers seemed more deterred by long Port-o-let lines than incoming citrus.

8– Teen-aged drunkenness is deplorable enough. But what, if anything, happens to these kids when they get home in a state that has all the telltale signs of boozing and vomiting? At best, their parents are unbelievably clueless; at worst, they are derelict. At any rate, they are at fault. Thanks for nothing.

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