“Bring it on!” I said to Steve, the tracksuited manager of Beach Bum Tanning on 23rd street. This was my second visit, on a mission to lay down a primer for my trip to Puerto Rico. Steve responded by putting me in the “medium strength” machine for 15 minutes. Fifteen minutes in the clamshell bed listening to Christina Aguilera resulted in a painful sunburn on my ass; I’ll take Steve and his machines more seriously from now on.