 Worried about an excess of flesh visible on the banks of the River Seine, Paris city hall has banned thong bikinis, topless sunbathing and nudity at the summer sand-in-the-city event known as Paris Beaches, reported Le Parisien newspaper on Saturday.
| Alright. Now they've gone too far... |
Violators will be fined $48, said the report. Thongs and "monokinis" - or bottom-only bikinis - are common sights on France's Mediterrannean and Atlantic shores. Paris was pushed to forbid "indecent attire" because it could "provoke temptation and dangerous behaviour along the bank of a river," said Pascal Cherki, mayoral aide in charge of sports.
| There's nothing indecent about skin. How it's displayed can be indecent, we'll admit. I've been on a few beaches with some fairly magnificent titties on display and never noticed any "dangerous behavior." But then, there weren't any Muslims around that I knew of. Among most of the rest of us there's a difference between sweet tempatation and forcible indulgence... |
City officials responsible for Paris Beaches could not be reached for comment on Saturday.
| Something about fleeing from an angry mob of Frenchmen, complete with pitchforks and tumbrels... |
| | ... it could "provoke temptation and dangerous behaviour along the bank of a river..." |
It was unclear why the ban was only imposed this year, the fifth year of the event.
| Done a turban count lately? |
Mayor Bertand Delanoe inaugurated Paris Plages in 2002, filling sections of the left and right banks of the Seine with sand and installing spray misters, hammocks, parasols and other beach-style accoutrements. The month-long event attracted 3.8 million people last year, and this year has pulled in many seeking relief from record heat. |
