Dan Rattiner unscientifically breaks down some numbers to discover the state of summer 2009 in the Hamptons. The result: things were down, but not dire. Using East Hampton as the model, the newspaperman unleashes a smattering of facts and figures to illustrate that people were here but not spending. His finest analysis to follow...
1) People Still Park: Around 355,000 2-hour parking passes were handed out this year and last.
2) The Chamber Weighs In: The Chamber of Commerce thinks business was off 20%.
3)The Hampton Jitney is Cashing In: Literally. Record numbers of riders and buses were out this summer, and the cash flowed in.
4) The Police were Bored: Crime was down about 5% from last summer. 'Fewer calls for service, fewer felonies, fewer cases that needed investigation, fewer accidents.'
5) Nobody Died on the Road: Car accidents claimed zero East Hamptonite lives this summer, but 'two last year'.
6) Towing Companies were Happy: The number of cars towed was up 20%.
7) The Sky Was Quiet, the Sea Was Not: Plane charters were down, as well as helicopters. Marinas had fewer summer-long stays, but overnighters and daytrippers were way up.
8) Dan's Final Tally: 'If this community's economy has been 60% wealthy, 20% local and 20% weekender in the summertime, then I dare say this past summer it probably was 50% wealthy, 15% local and 35% weekender.'
· The People Were Here. Where was the Money? [Dan's Papers]
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