Gangrey
Vol. I · No. 1Prolonging the Slow Death of NewspapersEst. 2026

The Bench of Debauchery

Tom Lake: PORT RICHEY — The salt springs run 320 feet deep. To the east is the movie theater, and to the west is the Gulf of Mexico, and all around are gray fox and manatee, and on the north trail by the still water there is a weathered wooden bench.
The county's vice commander calls it the Hot Bench, and he calls it the Action Bench, and there was at least one time Tuesday when he called it the Bench of Debauchery.
He calls it these names because, for one reason or another, this quiet corner of Werner-Boyce Salt Springs State Park has become one of the county's leading locations to engage in — or stumble upon — an open-air sexual encounter.

The county's vice commander calls it the Hot…

Keep reading with a membership

This story is for Gangrey members. Join to read it in full, unlock the archive, and support narrative nonfiction.

Become a Member

Keep Reading

People of diverse skin tones fist bumping in a circle.Essays

How to be a Diversity Hire

1 Min
An empty hospital bed sits in a dimly lit room.Micro-Memoir

Goodnight, Grandpa

1 Min
A group of people walking across a street.Micro-Memoir

Sonder

1 Min

Leave a comment