Wednesday 9 July 2008

What next, are we going back to morals squads armed with tape-measures?

Police warn opless face fines, jail (Courier Mail) (Yes, that was the spelling, at least when I read it).

Topless sunbathers (women, obviously, it's not considered such a big deal when you can see manly nipples) may be judged a "public nuisance".

Let's work through this for a few seconds:
  1. By lying around quietly doing nothing particularly active and displaying non-genital flesh, women may be judged a "public nuisance" and told to cover up, and maybe get taken to jail.
  2. Response 1: Spoilsports!
  3. Response 2: Any member of the public who is nuisanced by this public display needs to be fined for prudery. Or something.
  4. Response 3: We are in what century?
  5. Response 4: Cairns, apart from being very hot, tends to collect European backpackers. Who tend to be quite hot in the other sense of the word. And have fewer inhibitions. Refer to point 2.
  6. Response 5: Anybody who creates a public nuisance as a result of this, through behaviour that is protesting or offensive, needs to be cleared from our streets and let the rest of us get on with life. But I'm pretty sure that's not what they're referring to by "public nuisance".

I really can't get over the "public nuisance" part of this. I am boggled in mind by how this rule may be applied, and really can't come up with any decent explanation of it. I'm pretty sure there are rules about "public nudity". But how...

I give up.

Link to Courier Mail article

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