Hot Topic (7/10) Can the local govt ban what you wear?
(The Sun) US authorities have launched a "crackdown" on women who bare too much flesh by wearing thongs.
Women caught showing off what officials calls "cleavage of the buttocks" face being fined up to $750 and thrown in jail under new laws passed by a US city.
Officials in the city of Yakima in Washington state passed a law that made it a crime for women to be seen wearing see-through dresses and G-strings in public.
The change in the city's indecent exposure laws is aimed at stopping what local authority lawyers describe as "cleavage of the buttocks" offending the public.
Yakima's Mayor Dave Elder proposed the new law in response to an explosion in coffee shops featuring scantily-clad women.
At least three coffee shops in the city have recently opened and use attractive "baristas" who serve customers wearing bikinis or skimpy clothing exposing their thongs.
Critics have dubbed the craze sweeping the US as "sexpresso" and say the businesses are using sex to sell coffee.
Council official yesterday voted by five to two to make it a crime for women to be caught in public exposing a thong or G-string undies.
Although the law is aimed at the businesses, it will also affect other women.
Many women in Yakima complained that the city's mayor should be more focussed on other things rather than women's underwear.
One woman said Mr Elder was trying to impose Taliban like conditions on the city.
"For those who do not have horse's blinders on, it's the society that prohibits that ends up being like the Taliban," said one woman in a posting to the local newspaper.
Another wrote: "A thong or G-string - regardless of whether they are working at a coffee stand - could be prosecuted.
"That is ridiculous! Why doesn't the city decide what kind of haircuts are acceptable?"
But Mr Elder, who is also a church pastor, defended his stand.
He said he did not intend the laws to affect women other than those who wear skimpy clothing while working in coffee shops.
"If you want to create an environment where crime can happen," Edler said. "You turn a blind eye to adult businesses. And that's why this is important to me."
Under the new city laws women caught exposing too much flesh face up to 90 days in jail and a $750 fine.
That punishment increases if the person exposes themselves to a child under 14 with up to a year in jail and $3,000 fine.
What are your thoughts?
Why does this law not apply to men as well? Men show crack all the time, and it is repulsive. Women show crack some guy gets a woody. That is likely to be the reason women have to pay a fine and go to jail. Because men can't control their sexual urges?? BS!
In my town it all falls under indecent exposure.
Its a shame and embrassing to me that a woman has to be told by a man to cover her behind...She should know to do this without needing him to tell her to do so...Like the men running around with their butts showing this woman has been telling men several times now to pull their damn pants up or put on a belt....damn people just cover your ass some people don't care to see it and the ones that do can ask...simple as that.....GOOD LAW ,Mr. Elder can you please work on something for those nasty mouths......covering boobs also
Quoting texanmommy:
Why does this law not apply to men as well? Men show crack all the time, and it is repulsive. Women show crack some guy gets a woody. That is likely to be the reason women have to pay a fine and go to jail. Because men can't control their sexual urges?? BS!
I am wondering if they are going to fine men who walk around with their pants down at their knees and their underwear hanging out. Come on equality here.
I live close to Yakima. They have bigger issues that they need to be tackling instead of this.
...now, they better not be talking about this.
Awww...(cute)
Let people dress the way they want and stop being so uptight
topfreedom!
Ok I have a rule if it looks like this it is not indecent:
Gee, there's a reason it's called Under-wear....it's supposed to be Under something. I don't live in Yakima but I do get tired of seeing women deliberatly dress in a way that shows off their underwear. I don't care how many little charms they attach to it, it's just not attractive.
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on Jul. 10, 2009 at 12:00 AM