¶ The Guardian reports today that underpants exposed above low slung trousers are to be banned in the state of Virginia:
Earlier this week, Virginian politicians [passed] a bill that would levy a $50 (around £27) fine on anyone who “exposes his below-waist undergarments in an offensive manner”.
The bill still has to clear the state senate to become law, so the battle between good sense and good taste is yet to be resolved. For the sake of good law, my money’s on the pants. And you thought you lived in a Nanny State.
Comments
1
God bless America for making the world laugh. Even if it is a slightly nervous laugh!
2
I could handle the whole Iraq thing, but now the damn yanks have crossed the line.
3
Agreed John – it did raise a chuckle – and although this example in America is particularly trivial (and let’s face it, not law yet), let us Brits not ignore that we’re hardly immune from laws targetting certain segments of society.
Who can forget the somewhat scary ‘repetitive beat music’ clause 63 in the Criminal Justice Act which directly targets raves by attempting to outlawing the specific music played.
4
I am a denizen of the great state of Vriginia, and although I have never, and don’t plan to, expose my below-waist undergarments in an offensive manner, I hope that this does not become a law, making us the laughingstock of the country…
5
I’ve been reading the Pragmatic Programmer. In a footnote, it mentions an American legislative body that attempted to pass a law declaring that the value of pi was exactly three.
There’s little more to say on that, really.
Clause 63 in the CJA ‘94 doesn’t actually attempt to outlaw the specific music played: what it does, rather delightfully, is state that:
So, if a grown-up ever hears some of your Aphex Twin drifting down the hall and claims that it isn’t music, you can helpfully point out that, legally, they’re wrong. And all thanks to the Tory government.
6
I don’t get it. What’s with the yanks?
They try to export democracy into Iraq, then they try to import fundamentalism back. How f***ed up is that?
“exposes his below-waist undergarments in an offensive manner”
That’s a bit ambiguous isn’t it? What’s an “offensive manner”? Is there an non-offensive manner that can be employed when dislaying one’s “below-waist undergarments”?
7
Luckily the bill got shot down in the state senate… I ‘spose I can continue to show my ass in public n’ not worry ‘bout catchin shit from da popo.
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