New NJ bumper stickers spur anti-visitor nickname

BRIGANTINE, N.J.

Now there's another derogatory nickname for summer tourists who visit the Jersey shore: FOOTs.

It's an acronym for "Out Of Towners" preceded by an unsavory adjective. Bumper stickers with the slogan "I Ain't No FOOT" prompted memos reminding municipal workers about appropriate on-the-job behavior.

Many shore residents have long resented summer visitors, blaming them for noise, trash and traffic, while overlooking the added revenue they bring.

In northern shore towns, they're called Bennies (an acronym for "Bayonne, Elizabeth, Newark and New York" or variations thereof.) In the south, "Shoobies" refers to the days when New Yorkers and Philadelphians packed their lunch in shoe boxes for train trips to the shore.

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