The summer fool: an annoying but temporary fixture of vacation season
Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
At a glance
Analysis
Sources not specified
Context piece
- The author describes the "summer fool" as an annoying presence, particularly during outdoor activities, and identifies various types of inconsiderate people.
- Specific examples include noisy jet ski riders, overly territorial beachgoers, and condescending tourists who offer unsolicited advice to locals.
- Ultimately, these "fools" disappear by late August, and their absence makes the summer feel shorter, suggesting they are a tolerable, albeit irritating, part of the season.
The "summer fool" is presented as a particularly irritating character, more bothersome during the warmer months due to increased outdoor activities. The author observes that on hot days, these individuals can seem to form a majority, though it's acknowledged they are simply consistently foolish while others are only foolish part-time.
The summer fool is more annoying than the winter one. Since summer is a time for outdoor activities, it is inevitable to run into him more than necessary.
Several archetypes of the summer fool are detailed. On the water, the jet ski rider who disregards basic navigation and courtesy rules is singled out. On land, their equivalent is someone who disrupts a quiet restaurant or a movie theater. The author suggests that instead of a boating license, these individuals should be tested for intelligence, implying the sea would fall silent if they were kept off it.
The king of the simpletons on the coast is the one who rides a jet ski as if driving a car with an Andorran license plate.
Another type is the "picky short-tempered" person who tries to dictate beach etiquette, prohibiting children's toys, smokers, or even people whose towels are too close. This individual's obsession with perceived territorial rights is portrayed as a pathology requiring a significant financial outlay to purchase their own beach.
But of all of them, the most dazzling boor is the grown-up summer visitor.
However, the most prominent fool is the "grown-up summer visitor." This person arrives in a small town believing their urban background makes them a superior being, offering unsolicited advice on how things should be run. Locals reportedly avoid them, and they often earn a mocking nickname. The author notes that these characters vanish by the end of August, and their departure makes the summer feel shorter, implying their annoying presence is a bearable, albeit unpleasant, part of the season.
They disappear at the end of August. So, deep down, they are just a soft toll that can be endured with patience.
DistantNews Editorial
Originally published by La Vanguardia in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.
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