A visitor from Louisiana hates waste, so she created a Facebook page to facilitate the travel itinerary of four colorful beach chairs.
“I was just feeling the vibe of the Keys, I guess,” said Margaret Theriot. “And the beach chairs were brand new, used only a couple of times; one even still had the price tag on it!”
And so Theriot created a Facebook page — The Traveling Chairs. As of Aug. 18, the seats are on their third (maybe fourth?) temporary owner and having a blast.
Theriot’s family of seven visited the Keys in late July. They stayed at the Isla Bella Beach Resort in Marathon. It was the family’s second trip to the Keys.
“This time we really took it in — we went to Sombrero Lighthouse, Marvin Key and other spots,” she said. “I just wanted the chairs to be reused and have them passed on to the next person.”
The City of Marathon’s newest member of the Parks and Recreation team, Jennifer Ward, stepped up. “I’m storing them and arranging pickups and dropoffs on my personal time,” she said, adding that she has the blessing of her supervisors. The chairs are “reserved” on the Facebook page, @thetravelingchairs.
“This is brilliant,” Ward said of The Traveling Chairs. “I saw it on Facebook and took a screenshot. It’s the whole ‘pay it forward’ thing, minus having to pay for a stranger’s cup of coffee.”
Users are inscribing the chairs with a family name, visit and hometown. In time, there might be more free rentals, too — beach umbrellas, coolers, etc.
“I just want to keep this going as long as possible,” said Theriot.
So … pssst … pass it on.
