Nude sunbathing, g-strings banned on Paris beach

Reuters ^ | 07/29/2006 | Reuters

[Feldkurat_Katz]

PARIS (Reuters) - Parisian sunbathers will no longer be allowed to go nude or wear g-strings on the capital's artificial beaches and risk a fine if they are caught baring their breasts or buttocks.

City hall has issued a decree banning indecent clothing to preserve the tranquillity of the sandy beaches created on the banks of the River Seine every summer since 2001.

"People must behave according to good standards to maintain tranquillity, security and public order," the decree said, according to Saturday's edition of Le Parisien. "Notably indecent attire (nude sunbathing, g-strings and toplessness etc) is forbidden."

The city police will be enforcing the rules, and anyone caught baring too much flesh risks a 38 euro (26 pounds) fine.

Defending the decree, city hall sports official Pascal Cherki told Le Parisien that indecent clothing "could have led to temptations and dangerous behaviour on the banks of the river."

Topless sunbathing and g-strings are common on real beaches around France in the summer.

[ChadGore]

Useless without pictures

[MNJohnnie]

So the Islamization of France continues

[goldstategop]

Europeans are not that inhibited about sexuality. And the French will just ignore the latest official decree.

(Go Israel, Go! Slap 'Em Down Hezbullies.)

[rambo316]

Give it a few minutes..... Saturday Morning.... You know how it goes with some of these posters..

[Dallas59]

Something else the French Muslims will have to burn cars over.

[Feldkurat_Katz]

FYI

[pageonetoo]

So the Islamization of France continues

[vimto]

If there is one thing the French have on their side it is intransigence,

They will not obey this and no-one will enforce it.

Having said that I appreciate a degree of modesty, but that's a view I do not expect others to feel the same.

[Feldkurat_Katz]

Europeans are not that inhibited about sexuality

Hey, it works for them. Frankly, the American norm where two-year-old girls are forced to wear bras is silly and almost Islamic.

[Republicain]

[metmom]

So the Islamization of France continues

My thoughts exactly. I was just thinking that it was pressure from the muslimes, because the french didn't have any problem allowing it in the first place and people never seem to go back to being more conservative once they're crossed the line. I wonder how long it's going to be before they require all women to be covered and wear headscarves?

My daughter lifeguards at the local Y and said a muslime family came in. The men swam and the women sat there covered head to toe and talked on the side while the men enjoyed themselves. She couldn't believe it, especially considering how hot it is in those pool areas. God help us.

[A. Pole]

indecent clothing "could have led to temptations and dangerous behaviour on the banks of the river."

Nature abhors the vacuum. As decadent populations sink into the oblivion other peoples are replacing them.

[ChadGore]

Ewwww frech . . yuck . . I take it back

[metmom]

Frankly, the American norm where two-year-old girls are forced to wear bras is silly and almost Islamic.

Where in the US is that? I've NEVER seen it.

[metmom]

Ya know, if our decadent lifestyle bothers them so much, WHY DO THEY GO THERE?

[mewzilla]

So the Islamization of France continues

Oh, I don't know. I haven't been on a European beach in a number of years, but the last time I was there were a lot of very scantily clad eyesores...

[Graymatter]

What do they call it, Muzzyland? 'Ain al-Parisi?

No surfing, no skinny-dipping...last one out, please turn off the wind machine. :(

[MNJohnnie]

Oh yeah I agree with that Mew my point is that never stopped the French before so what has changed?

Well this statement seems to indicate what has changed.

"People must behave according to good standards to maintain tranquillity, security and public order"

[MNJohnnie]

Frankly, the American norm where two-year-old girls are forced to wear bras is silly and almost Islamic. You must not know anything about America if you can say this. Pretty profound statement of utter ignornace. Perhaps in the future you might actually try to learn some facts before commenting.

[Republicain]

My thoughts exactly. I was just thinking that it was pressure from the muslimes

This interdiction has absolutely nothing to do with pressures of the muslims. It's just a question of decency. Paris is not Saint-Tropez or the Cap d'Agde (famous for the nudist camps). For years, in some towns of the French Riviera, it's forbidden to do your shopping wearing bikinis, for istance. On the beach ok, downtown no, thanks.

[mewzilla]

We just got back from a quick vacation that included a visit to a New England beach. There wasn't a thong in sight. Lots of bikinis, and a few guys in Speedos, but nothing rude. Is that so much to ask? :)

[mewzilla]

Is that so much to ask? :)

I'm wondering if maybe that's what the French are thinking, too?

[MNJohnnie]

If so why did the Police offical say this? People must behave according to good standards to maintain tranquillity, security and public order"

Not a word about decency, did mention security and order.

[MNJohnnie]

Maybe you are right Mew. We can hope you are anyway. :-)

[Republicain]

"Notably indecent attire (nude sunbathing, g-strings and toplessness etc) is forbidden."

[pageonetoo]

Try posting the pics on FR and see how long they stay!

[mewzilla]

I just had a thought. This just applies to Paris's artificial beaches, right? The country isn't doing this on all their beaches? If not, then I'll bet the decision was made to avoid offending Muslims, since there's a greater concentration of them in the city than throughout the country at large. And if the decision was made to keep the Muslims happy, it'll be interested to see if this is enough to keep them happy.

[mewzilla]

interested=interesting

[tuffydoodle]

"Hey, it works for them. Frankly, the American norm where two-year-old girls are forced to wear bras is silly and almost Islamic."

what the heck??

[Republicain]

I'll bet the decision was made to avoid offending Muslims, since there's a greater concentration of them in the city than throughout the country at large.

There's not a great concentration of Muslims intra-muros, and not where the artificial beaches are. The Muslims are more concentrated in the suburbs of Paris, in the "département de la Seine-Saint-Denis", for instance.

[mewzilla]

There's not a great concentration of Muslims intra-muros...

But they're a lot closer than the coast.

[Diddle E. Squat]

So the Islamization of France continues

Stop threadjacking, idiot. Since when is a bikini acceptable in Sharia law? Rhetorical question, please spare us from spamming more of your knee-jerk nonsense.

[MikefromOhio]

So the Islamization of France continues

Not necessarily. Do you REALLY want to see FRENCH people nude? I don't!

[mewzilla]

Firstly, I don't think MNJ was threadjacking, and the use of the word idiot was uncalled for.

Secondly, if the authorities are doin this to avoid offending Muslims, then they'd probably start slow so as not to tick off everyone too greatly, and so that they can change as little as they feel they have to. If Muslim sensibilities decide that bikinis are okay after all, then no-one will be discussing bathing burkas. What'll be interesting to see is if, now that they're being pandered to, if Parisian Muslims will want more than what's on offer.

[Panzerlied]

"And if the decision was made to keep the Muslims happy, it'll be interested to see if this is enough to keep them happy."

Probably not unless they're allowed to cap a few "Jeufs" a la Seattle.

[MAD-AS-HELL]

[Katya]

I've never understood the draw of riverside sunbathing, particularly when the ocean is not that far away.

[MNJohnnie]

Try actually reading the post I was responding to. In the future it would be wise if you bothered to actually follow the conversation instead of leaping into the middle of it with an udderly childish completely meaningless rant.

Rather then having the arrogance to lecture OTHER Freepers I suggest you try living up to your OWN standard in the future.

[mewzilla]

...particularly when the ocean is not that far away.

Far is a relative term, especially for folks who are financially strapped, and/or without an auto.

[horse_doc]

Frankly, the American norm where two-year-old girls are forced to wear bras is silly and almost Islamic.

You must not know America very well. Both of my daughters got their first bras when they were ONE year old, not two.

I remember it like it was yesterday - it was right after I stoned them for the first time, for looking immodestly at an eighteen month-old, on the playground.

Ha ha - just kidding! I didn't stone them until they were 5! You've got to watch out for us crazy almost-Islamic Americans - there's no telling WHAT we'll do!

[MNJohnnie]

I still cannot get by the REASON for the rule. It did NOT said anything about Decency, it has to do with "maintaining public order".

I agree with the aesthetics. And not just for the French. MOST any nation has few members who look good naked.

[Diddle E. Squat]

Try actually reading the post I was responding to. In the future it would be wise if you bothered to actually follow the conversation instead of leaping into the middle of it with an udderly childish completely meaningless rant.

What conversation? (rhetorical question) You were responding in post 3 to the article, which doesn't mention Islam anywhere. So spare us from anymore spamming your cut and paste replies (and learn to use spell check.) I'm dropping it now to let the thread get back to its original subject, can you do the same, instead of your usual 3-dozen post spam of barking nonsense to every single thread on FR?

[Thermalseeker]

MOST any nation has few members who look good naked.

True, and spandex should be banned entirely, especially in the check out line of a Wal-Mart. However, there are many very attractive French women, that is until they raise their arms. Then, it looks like they've got Buckwheat in an headlock.....

[gingerky]

I live in eastern Kentucky, and I have seen families from more conservative churches come to pool events and the girls have to wear shorts and t-shirts to swim, while the boys get to wear regular swim trunks. Of course, the girls have to braid all their long hair to get it out of the way. I'm trying not judging how they worship, but I see these women and girls having to wear long skirts everyday, keeping their hair long, wearing no makeup, while their men just go around looking like everyone else. To me, it's a double standard. I told my husband, "the men should have to have some rule on how they look too." Something that makes them stick out.

[Leroy S. Mort]

"the men should have to have some rule on how they look too." Something that makes them stick out.

Speedos will do that, if the water temperature isn't too cool.

[driftdiver]

"Europeans are not that inhibited about sexuality."

Wearing a swimsuit does not make you inhibited or repressed or a bad person.

In fact most normal people look BETTER with some clothes on, in same cases the more the better.

But you're right about the French ignoring the decree, and we know their govt will retreat from any confrontation.

[Popman]

Frankly, the American norm where two-year-old girls are forced to wear bras is silly and almost Islamic.

That statement is wrong on so many levels it reveals that fact you must be a non-american.

If you are an American, please step away from the keyboard and count to ten, the DU tremors will pass and you can resume posting again

(DU tremors are like the DT "delirium tremens" when you are away from DU too long)

[driftdiver]

"Frankly, the American norm where two-year-old girls are forced to wear bras is silly and almost Islamic."

Two year olds in America do not normally wear bra's. They will wear a bikini top though. It also has nothing to do with being Islam.