Tar on Your Feet

The first tar balls have arrived:

GALVESTON — About a dozen tar balls that washed ashore on Crystal Beach were identified Monday as oil from the BP well blowout in the Gulf of Mexico, the first evidence that oil from the spill has reached the Texas coastline.

I'm not saying it won't get worse, but keep in mind: tar has often been present on Texas beaches. Mostly it has come from natural seepage.

And btw, it won't kill you, despite what weeping hippies on the beach tell you. When I was a boy we would vacation on the Gulf Coast and tar on your feet was a common occurrence. My dad, always prepared, had a simple solution: he would bring a small container of lighter fluid and if any of the kids complained about tar on their feet, he would threaten to set them on fire. Problem solved.

No, just kidding. A little lighter fluid on a rag would easily remove the tar.

Of course, it may get much worse. I hope for as little damage as possible but I suspect that within five years the worst legacy of the spill will be the requirement to bring a container of lighter fluid with you to the beach. You know, to threaten the kids with.