In the Sixties, my father lobbied to make it illegal for men to have 'long' (over the ears or collar) hair, wear bell bottomed slacks, or wear the colors red, white, and blue at the same time.

My dad was a serious nut case ;)

hero? They're making laws based on personal preference now? Good use of the legal system there UK!
Would a supporter of these types of ordinances please explain who is actually harmed by someone wearing baggy, sagging pants?

submitter: "They're better off taking the pants off and just wearing a dress," explains mayor

I hope he also added: `And turn down that G'dam hippity-hop noise in your ricers as well!!'

queezyweezel: Good use of the legal system there UK!

Louisiana is no longer part of the United Kingdom. I think it was granted to the United States a couple of weeks ago or something - I remember seeing some stories about it.

man up!

queezyweezel: Good use of the legal system there UK!

You did notice that this is taking place in Louisiana, right? As in the US?

Louisiana is no longer part of the United Kingdom. I think it was granted to the United States a couple of weeks ago or something - I remember seeing some stories about it.

I wonder why they're still using the British Pound for currency when assessing fines. Damn Southerners, and their cockney accents.

submitter: "They're better off taking the pants off and just wearing a dress," explains mayor

But only if they have purdy mouths...

Hello Mr. Mayor. Have you met the First Amendment? No? Well, you'll be hearing all about it in court in 3...2...

the "Obscene" declaration is a clever move, but this law still would NEVER pass constitutional muster with the courts.

It's been long established that you have every constitutional right under the first amendment to dress like a dumbass.

It probably won't happen, but proper justice in this situation would be a stupid cop "enforcing" the law on some kid who knows his rights AND has the money to sue (or maybe call the ACLU.)

As a result, the small town ends up having to raise property taxes to pay for the legal bills racked up by this dumbass law. The city council gets run out of town on a rail and the people of the town learn an expensive lesson about farking with people's constitutional rights.

A friend of mine is a cop. He says the baggy pants/unlaced Timberlands fad has reduced the number of foot chases substantially.

Perps start to run, the boots come flying off, the pants drop and jailarity ensues.

Well, it's a stupid law, but you have to admit that people who wear their pants like that look like complete morons.

How is banning baggy clothing any different than banning the use of clothing with "gang colors" at schools?

This is one of the differences:

The indecent exposure ordinance carries penalties of up to six months in jail and a £250 fine...

Reading into it a bit more...This is a STATE WIDE law?!!! Holy shiat thats ridiculous. I didn't realize that Louisiana was still so backwards. Is it still illegal to buy a dildo down there, or have they finally overturned that crap?

...And then they came for me and my Hypercolor T-shirt,
and there was no one left to speak out for me.

SpinStopper: my father lobbied to make it illegal for men to have 'long' (over the ears or collar) hair

Our principal took them to the barber, who had an agreement with the school to cut the hair free if he got to cut it his way - which was 1/4" long

Here's a little more detailed piece from the local rag:

Sagging bagged by town
Tuesday, June 12, 2007 10:24 AM CDT
By Jeff Moore THE DAILY IBERIAN

The Delcambre Board of Aldermen outlawed indecent exposure in the form of sagging pants Monday, but not before several residents voiced their objections.

The board voted unanimously to make it illegal for anyone to wear clothing that exposes them or reveals their underwear in public.

About a dozen residents spoke out against the ordinance at a public hearing prior to the board's regular meeting, arguing it was racially motivated and indistinguishable from the state obscenity law. "Indecent exposure is already on the books," said Delcambre resident Sylvester Harris. "We shouldn't be here trying to make another law when we got one already."

Town attorney Ted Ayo said the ordinance expands upon the obscenity law by adding underwear to the list of body parts that cannot be exposed.

"This is a new ordinance that deals specifically with sagging pants," Ayo said. "It's about showing off your underwear in public."

Harris and several others said the ordinance unfairly targets black residents.

"It's just going to be harassment," said Delcambre resident Adam George. "People that don't like me are going to call and complain on me and say I've got saggy pants. I'm going to have to pay to bond out, even if I'm right."

Delcambre Mayor Carol Broussard said the ordinance would apply to all residents, regardless of race.

"I have nothing against the black man," he said.

The ordinance states, "It shall be unlawful for any person in any public place or in view of the public to be found in a state of nudity, or partial nudity, or in dress not becoming to his or her sex, or in any indecent exposure of his or her person or undergarments, or be guilty of any indecent or lewd behavior."

It is punishable by up to a $500 fine or up to six months in jail, or both.

Delcambre Police Chief James Broussard said violators can be arrested if officers spot them while on patrol, or if another resident files a complaint.

But he said the resident must be willing to swear they witnessed the offense before charges can be pursued.

"They're going to have to sign an affidavit," he said.

Several residents discussed their frustrations with the ordinance with Broussard following the public hearing.

Broussard said he didn't have a problem with George's pants, which hung below his waist, but were concealed by a long T-shirt.

"It's not like I'm showing my privates or anything like that," George said. "It's my boxers."

The ordinance will go into effect once it is published in The Daily Iberian, the official journal of the town, a process that usually takes about 10 days.

I bet the plumber's union lobbied hard against this law.

If I'd posted 7 seconds sooner it would have been really cool.

Although Delcambre Councilman Albert Roy introduced the ordinance, he said a £250 fine is outrageous: "I think it should be something like £12"

OK, I know Louisiana is backwards. I know change comes slowly there, and sometimes not at all. I know their legal system is based on French civil law rather than English common law, like the other 49 states, so they obviously march to the sound of their own Cajun drummer. But it's simply absurd that they haven't yet switched over to the dollar yet--I mean, shiat, Louisiana wasn't even part of the United States yet when we got our independence from England. Maybe nobody has told them about what happened in 1776 yet.

Could I have possibly used the word "yet" even more in the post above? I doubt it.

40below: Here's a little more detailed piece from the local rag: . . . Delcambre Mayor Carol Broussard said the ordinance would apply to all residents, regardless of race. "I have nothing against the black man," he said.

I think it's a pretty safe assumption that anybody who collectively describes an entire group of humans as "the black man" (or using any other singular form, such as "the Negro" or "the Jew") is in reality pretty unlikely to be a big fan of said group. Or maybe "the black man" he's talking about a particular black man that he has nothing against--maybe Reggie Bush, or Colin Powell, or one of the guys who works at the local car wash or someone, and it's the other black men he doesn't care for.

sepuku2, ksdanj

Actually, you bring up a really good point here. Will this law be enforced equally for all people, or is the crazy old lady in the trailer park, and the beer-gut plumber both going to get a free pass on this? If I were someone in the "targeted" demographic for this insane law, I'd be calling the cops on *EVERY* instance that they see someone's tighty-whities, and if they don't enforce the law equally introduce them to their nice civil-rights attorney.

Just when you think you have legislated all fo your problems away Paul Prudhomme shows up in a nude body stocking.