The Barber Shop

The barber shop is staffed by two Sailors, one male and one female. Male Sailors are supposed to have their hair cut every two weeks, clean back of the neck. Female Sailors can have hair down to their shoulders but if it’s longer, it must be worn up. To accommodate they schedule 20 appointments for each barber every day, at 20 minute intervals.

Hawks brought us in and wherever he is conversation flows easily and there are lots of jokes. We were mostly listening to the two barbers explain things when I asked about other services. There were perplexed looks.

“Hair coloring?” was greeted with laughter.

“Oh, now see I was this close” I held my forefinger millimeters from my thumb “to enlisting. I figured after troop berthing there was nothing I couldn’t deal with. But no hair coloring every 4 weeks? No manicures? No pedicures???”

The female barber piped up and said some female Sailors bring their kits aboard and do manicures and pedicures.

A little underground economy.