Jaunted

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Hearty Parties Denied (Smartly)

Is Spring Break no longer the insane, alcohol-fueled phenomenon it once was? For Daytona Beach, the answer is yes. Daytona became popular for spring breakers after Fort Lauderdale and Palm Springs gave up on attracting the little ruffians in the 1980s. No one wants to play host to drunk co-eds teetering off the edges of balconies and brawling in the street for too long. Or, in Sonny Bono's case, play host to thongs. As Mayor of Palm Springs, he banned them (outside) in 1988. Does that mean Bikini Inspector was a real job for a time over there?

After crunching the numbers and realizing that students are poor, Daytona Beach hasn't advertised to the college set for several years now. They are looking to keep the place classy with their famed NASCAR race and the less-famed Biketokberfest. Students, for their part, are heading elsewhere for their fun; to Panama Beach and Miami's South Beach for partying, and on "Alternative Spring Breaks", like working at Habitat for Humanity. At least they'll be able to do that in a thong.

[Image via Week Kichards/Flickr]

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