Posted on 06/19/2008 11:42:18 AM PDT by Glacier Honey
BOULDER (KWGN) -- Some residents of Boulder are upset over how the Police Department handled the city's naked bike ride Saturday. Being naked in public is illegal in Boulder, yet police did nothing about it.
The story is being compared to the Catholic priest who was just convicted last week of jogging naked in public in Frederick, Colorado. Robert Whipkey was convicted by a Weld County jury of indecent exposure for jogging naked in the middle of the night around a high school track. Yet ,last Saturday in Boulder, more than 60 men and women, many of them stark naked, rode their bikes in broad daylight along a busy street and none of them were arrested or issued a ticket.
It was an event, that, no doubt, left little to the imagination. 60 bicyclists showed up in Boulder Saturday for the World Naked Bike Race to draw attention to oil dependency. Some wore very little and some wore nothing at all. One bicyclist told said, "It's an expression of nudity."
But while many supported the naked riders, there were also many who didn't, like Charlie Danaher, a Boulder resident who says he was appalled by what he saw. "Where's the test that we would have that would say, would I like my 10 year old daughter or son to be exposed to this? And i would conclude, no," he said. Danaher said he couldn't believe Boulder police did nothing about it. "Turning a blind eye is in effect sanctioning, endorsing or supporting this type of behavior."
Being naked in Boulder is illegal and is considered indecent exposure. Whipkey was arrested and convicted of jogging naked and now has to register as a sex offender. So we asked the Boulder police chief why his officers didn't crack down.
"It's not a matter of enforcing the law, it's a matter of making good sound decisions on what you're going to enforce and when you're going to enforce it," said Chief Mark Beckner. He admits his department has "better things to do than enforce a law in which no harm was being done."
He went on to say, "In a situation where it's a mass event like this, I just don't think it's to the communities benefit to spend the money and resources it would take to try to stop a group of 60 people riding bikes naked. It would be like herding cats anyway and that's just the position that we've taken."
But Danaher disagrees. He says Boulder Police had a responsibility to uphold the law and dropped the ball. "that's a cop out. It totally is. I think they fell down on their duty to serve the public in not enforcing the law."
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
/johnny
You said hang around on a naked thread he he he.
Yes - It is getting worse here in Colorado. Libs are moving in and our Demwit Gov is destroying our state
FR threads re Father Bob Whipkey, the naked jogging priest:
Naked truth: Priest jogs in birthday suit
Colo. priest charged for jogging naked
Priest faced prior nudity allegations
Jogging in (less than) brief
Jury will decide priests guilt [naked jogging priest case goes to trial]
Priest caught naked pleads not guilty to indecent exposure
Priests pre-trial hearing delayed [Father Bob Whipkey, the naked jogging priest]
Judge suppresses priests statement [Father Bob Whipkey, the naked jogging priest]
Frederick priest may consider plea in nude jogging case [Fr. Bob Whipkey, the naked jogging priest]
Trial For Suspected Naked Jogging Priest Begins
Witnesses: Priest often in the nude [Fr. Bob Whipkey, the naked jogging priest, on trial]
Priest found guilty of indecent exposure [Fr. Bob Whipkey, the naked jogging priest]
Archdiocese: Priest still on leave [Only Vatican can defrock Fr Whipkey, the naked jogging priest]
Maybe that's the real reason for the 88 pepperball guns Denver PD is buying...
Thanks for the info - Have you heard anything about this group doing this in Denver? - I’m thinking paintball guns might be kind of fun, but of course, I would be arrested for that.
In other news, Ask Heloise reports some 50+ inquiries asking how to get excrement off bicycle seats.
So... How bad is it really up in Colorado? I always thought with the exception of Denver and Boulder the people there were conservative and pro American.
I moved here 16 years ago from Texas and I work with a lot of young Obama worshipers. They know nothing of how the government is run but sure can quote the evening news stories where they get their beliefs. Colorado is still a great state but there are more and more libs moving in
Not that I support this kind of thing, but what's the point of the law in the first place?
You might want to ask the Mods to fix your headline - Naked biker riders might be even worse than naked bike riders. 8~)
same deal in MPLS,but not naked(yet)with “Critical Mass” bike protestors.
as long as you’re “being green”, you can’t be arrested.
just left this page. Foosh. Talk about some BAD visual images...
Yes, There is a world Nude cycling day that is around the start of Summer. Most of the bicyclists are naturists (nudists) but some come to protest and other to oogle the ladies.
Yes, There is a world Nude cycling day that is around the start of Summer. Most of the bicyclists are naturists (nudists) but some come to protest and others to oogle the ladies.
Bike chains, gears, and naked. Which one of these things does not belong... and for a very good reason (ouch!).
I know. We read here on FR so many times, it’s asked, ‘don’t the police have better things to do?’
You could always quote the Police Chief from Boulder as an excuse: "Chief Mark Beckner...admits his department has "better things to do than enforce a law in which no harm was being done."
I’d say the counter protest could be everyone show up to “sweep the streets” with a broom. You know...the kind with handles that fit between the spokes...
Yeah, I’m not seeing how parking your uncovered crotch on a bike seat for several miles in the heat can possibly be healthy. Hopefully they have special (washable) seat covers.
Just be certain they seats are on.
Please don't just blame the new folks moving in. Slide some blame on over to the people who are elected and/or are in charge.
I have never lived in a place with less responsive elected officials than Colorado, and frankly, it would behoove them to at least pretend to represent the interests of the people that voted for them once in a darned while.
Where is the public health department? Until self-sanitizing bike seats (surely the Japanese can come up with one as the US has clearly not the imagination)are required for bicycles ridden by nude riders, this will continue as a potential or actual epidemiological nightmare.
I sent that to her for comment.
Don't hold your breath, but if I hear their explanation...I'll pass it on.
Barney has better things to do, such as harass schoolkids or little old ladies in McDonald’s drive thrus.
Ah, Boulder. Fruits and now nuts on display!
If someone stood nude in front of the 10 year old girl, they’d be persecuted for sex crimes.
If some guy came strolling up to me in a park naked, he’d be arrested.
But they all bike around naked in front of all sorts of people, and no penalty.
I guess as long as your crime occurs within a large group, you’re ok. We should just have a “no solo crimes” law.
She's behind the Chief's decision 100%!!!
Furthermore, she informed me that they are "nude bodies" not porn flicks and if people don't want their kids to see it....they can just turn the other direction!
She concluded by saying, "It's Boulder!"
I concluded by telling her she's CRAZY!
heh heh!
ping
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