Atlanta Considers Banning Baggy Pants"epidemic" that is becoming a "major concern" around the USA

[kpete]

Atlanta Considers Banning Baggy Pants
From Associated Press
August 23, 2007 8:39 AM EDT

ATLANTA - Baggy pants that show boxer shorts or thongs would be illegal under a proposed amendment to Atlanta's indecency laws.

The amendment, sponsored by city councilman C.T. Martin, states that sagging pants are an "epidemic" that is becoming a "major concern" around the country.

"Little children see it and want to adopt it, thinking it's the in thing," Martin said Wednesday. "I don't want young people thinking that half-dressing is the way to go. I want them to think about their future."

The proposed ordinance would also bar women from showing the strap of a thong beneath their pants. They would also be prohibited from wearing jogging bras in public or show a bra strap, said Debbie Seagraves, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia.

more at:
http://my.earthlink.net/article/top?guid=20070823/46cd0640_3ca6_1552620070823323050350

[mikelgb]

1. this bullshit needs no comment

all I have to say is bikini

[LiberalEsto]

2. A new "crack" epidemic?

:evilgrin:

[Donnachaidh]

6. only with the girls

:rofl:

That butt floss sure does NOTHING for them. And the guys with the ripped up FUGLY underwear -- ewwwww.

[LiberalEsto]

7. I'm talking cheek crack.... nt

[knitter4democracy]

Ummmmm . . .

Ooohhkaaay.

Yeah, the pants are the problem. :eyes:

[HereSince1628]

3. Nice to know Amerika is safe and there's time to worry about this

I'm sure looking forward to more UFO abductions in the papers at the checkout counters.

[RedStateShame]

4. And what's this "rap" music the kids today are listening to?

These kids today with their high-fallutin' AM radios and roller skates and sock hops and drive-in movie theaters. Really, fellow Southerners, if we don't want the world to continue to view us as behind the times, we're going to have to speed through the 80s to try to catch up.

[Ikonoklast]

16. Just take it slowly, don't rush into it or you'll hurt yourself

May I suggest standing on the porch and yelling "You damn kids get off my lawn!" for starters.
It works for me when I'm feeling especially cranky.

And what's with wearing a baseball cap sideways? Is that legal? There should be a law about that.

I guess some people just need a sense of perspective.

[Donnachaidh]

44. my kid goes to a Georgia school

NO hats -- period. He made himself a kind of cap, like an skull cap, which blended in with his hair and wore it to school, even after I reminded him of the rule. Of course, they grabbed it, and it conveniently got *lost* when he went at the end of the day to get it back.

The high school he's in now is extreme about dress code. They threaten to make the kids wear lab coats (the ugly white ones) if they wear the baggy pants. It's kind of frightening to walk through the hallways with all these perfect little preppies. The occasional goth kid floats by - but I'm sure the school gives them grief whenever possible.

All part of the brainwashing. They don't want individuality in these schools. It's sad, so very sad.

[treestar]

5. Oh those terrorists

What will they think of next?

:sarcasm: :rofl:

[alphafemale]

8. Oh, for gawds sake....

I hate that sloppy falling off pants look too.

But a BAN?

And arrested for showing a bra strap?

Don't let these nanny prudes anywhere a public pool or beach.

What next?

We stone women for showing an ankle?

[TechBear_Seattle]

9. They once said the same about bloomers

And women who wore pants or two-piece bathing costumes, and adult men wearing shorts, and ... and....

[donsu]

10. Councilman Martin's own pants must be too tight causing loss of sanity

nt

[liberal N proud]

11. So are tight pants that show boxers of thongs OK?

The "IN THING" There is always going to be an In Thing for kids to emulate to.

[maxsolomon]

12. the best way to get them to stop is to leave it alone, let the fad pass

putting ?% or the black male population in prison where belts are banned doesn't help discrouage fashion trends either.

i could see banning it at school, though. but i'm a hijab banning proponent, so what do i know?

[elias7]

22. I've heard alternate theories than the "no belt" one

Getting prisons to issue pants with 28"-32" waistlines doesn't seem like it would be too hard. The sagging bit, I have read may mean a) you are spoken for, as in having a "boyfriend", rendering yourself more accessible to them, or b) you are available, also rendering yourself more accessible. I just find it hard to believe that the difference between your pants being at your waist or on the floor is the presence or absence of a belt.

[Alacrat]

32. Heard the same

From an ex-con, His words "If those kids only knew what that meant"

[NYC Liberal]

47. I thought so too, but...

http://www.snopes.com/risque/homosex/sagging.asp

Snopes to the rescue again :)

[Captain Hilts]

28. true. Patience is probably the best strategy here. nt

[Iris]

30. I agree, but I taught high school in rural GA more than a decade ago...

I'm still waiting for this trend to pass.

[Captain Hilts]

33. It's taken longer than my tastes would prefer. But outlawing it would probably increase its appeal.

[Iris]

39. right again! Besides, I live in Atlanta and if they do it, I'll be sportin' my sexy middle aged bra

strap in a heartbeat!

[Delphinus]

36. Fad?

My son is now 31 - this was "in style" when he was 15 - 16 years ago! This is beyond a fad.

That being said, as much as I would love to see this go away, making it illegal is not the way to do it.

[krispos42]

13. "Little children see it and want to adopt it, thinking it's the in thing,"

Ummmmmm.....

Councilman Martin, let's you and I have a little chat, okay?

Now, listen, the people, the adults that are doing this now? They were raised, as children, by people that DIDN'T have their pants baggy and low. They DIDN'T adopt it becasue they saw their parents and neighbors doing it.

They are doing it now because it's the current fad. When these children are older, ten, fifteen years from now, it will be something different, but most likely NOT saggy pants showing butt cleavage.

Now, why don't go stop trying to make work for yourself and maybe go fix some of the traffic problems in the city, what say?

[napi21]

14. This will never make it out of committee, but please tell me something?

If you wear those baggy pants, do you REALLY like the look?

[RB TexLa]

15. First they came for the plumbers ...

[Iris]

31. hee! hee! n/t

[Coyote_Bandit]

17. Didn't Dallas try this a few years back?

Not sure how that worked out. Probably not too well. Haven't heard anything about it in some time.....

[Katherine Brengle]

18. As distasteful as certain manners of dress can be, this is

over the line imo. If the concern were weapon-concealing under baggy pants/clothes (which I know a lot of schools have and have adopted policies to decrease) then I could at least understand on a survival level, but this is just about appearance.

Legislating what private citizens can wear? Um, not okay. Methinks, not okay.

[VP505]

51. I believe the Supremes

ruled "Legislating what private citizens can wear" or something similar back in the 60's was not alright. I could be wrong, but somewhere behind all the cobwebs in the old memory banks it seems I remember, there was a ruling about that.

[FSogol]

19. This is all Cantinflas' fault. n/t

[RebelOne]

20. Well, I am sick of seeing women wearing skimpy

tops with the bra straps showing. It is definitely in poor taste. I live in the Atlanta area and I would love to see this ban.

[Captain Hilts]

27. That's just so tacky. And high beams on display. Ugh! nt

[slackmaster]

21. They should have banned bell-bottoms in the '70s

:argh:

[northernsoul]

23. They should've banned Zubaz in the 80's

along with mullets and mesh shirts that expose beer bellies. Yeeesh!

[Orsino]

24. Decency crusades are *always* efforts to avoid hard work.

Always.

[marions ghost]

25. hilarious

:rofl: just more fiddling in other people's business while Rome burns.

The nation survived: women in pants, mini-skirts, no bras, long hair, no hair, tattoos, rings, cleavage, and it will somehow survive thongs and big pants. Some of it is distracting in schools, but dress codes exist there. And business attire shouldn't be peekaboo, I think we'd all agree. Beyond that it's just body art & the kind of fashion bonding that will happen no matter what you do :shrug:

I guess they can't get any meaningful laws through so they're going with this.

[kestrel91316]

26. When I went to get lunch yesterday, the young man at the counter ahead

of me had very baggy pants that were belted so low, they were almost around his thighs. His boxer shorts, of course, were up to his waist and sticking out like a sore thumb.

I suspect he thought he looked "hip" but I consider it moronic and disgusting. I'm sorry. I don't want to see anybody's underpants.

I'm not sure what's worse, seeing 3/4 of somebody's underpants exposed, or seeing the crack in their a--.

[Donnachaidh]

46. when I was in school wearing oversized clothes was a sign of poverty

You were basically wearing hand me downs, from an older sibling. It was NOT cool.

That being said, every generation has it's uniform. We had platform shoes, dusters, and jeans so tight you'd need grease and a running start at the top of a slide to get into them. But you didn't show your waist, and you didn't have rolls of skin hanging over the tops of your pants.

Big to do over nothing. An argument can be put forth about hiding weapons in the baggy clothes, but that's the only valid reason.

Perhaps these people should address the REAL problem -- Georgia's CRAPPY scholastic levels? IIRC, this state is at the bottom of the list. I would think that would be something that should be changed.

[Wilber_Stool]

29. Well, either you're closing your eyes to a situation you do now wish to acknowledge

Or you are not aware of the caliber of disaster indicated
By the presence of a pool table in your community.
Ya got trouble, my friend, right here,
I say, trouble right here in River City.
Why sure I'm a billiard player,
Certainly mighty proud I say
I'm always mighty proud to say it.
I consider that the hours I spend
With a cue in my hand are golden.
Help you cultivate horse sense
And a cool head and a keen eye.
Never take and try to give
An iron-clad leave to yourself
From a three-reail billiard shot?
But just as I say,
It takes judgement, brains, and maturity to score
In a balkline game,
I say that any boob kin take
And shove a ball in a pocket.
And they call that sloth.
The first big step on the road
To the depths of deg-ra-Day--
I say, first, medicinal wine from a teaspoon,
Then beer from a bottle.
An' the next thing ya know,
Your son is playin' for money
In a pinch-back suit.
And list'nin to some big out-a-town Jasper
Hearin' him tell about horse-race gamblin'.
Not a wholesome trottin' race, no!
But a race where they set down right on the horse!
Like to see some stuck-up jockey'boy
Sittin' on Dan Patch? Make your blood boil?
Well, I should say.
Friends, lemme tell you what I mean.
Ya got one, two, three, four, five, six pockets in a table.
Pockets that mark the diff'rence
Between a gentlemen and a bum,
With a capital "B,"
And that rhymes with "P" and that stands for pool!
And all week long your River City
Youth'll be frittern away,
I say your young men'll be frittern!
Frittern away their noontime, suppertime, choretime too!
Get the ball in the pocket,
Never mind gittin' Dandelions pulled
Or the screen door patched or the beefsteak pounded.
Never mind pumpin' any water
'Til your parents are caught with the Cistern empty
On a Saturday night and that's trouble,
Oh, yes we got lots and lots a' trouble.
I'm thinkin' of the kids in the knickerbockers,
Shirt-tail young ones, peekin' in the pool
Hall window after school, look, folks!
Right here in River City.
Trouble with a capital "T"
And that rhymes with "P" and that stands for pool!
Now, I know all you folks are the right kinda parents.
I'm gonna be perfectly frank.
Would ya like to know what kinda conversation goes
On while they're loafin' around that Hall?
They're tryin' out Bevo, tryin' out cubebs,
Tryin' out Tailor Mades like Cigarette Feends!
And braggin' all about
How they're gonna cover up a tell-tale breath with Sen-Sen.
One fine night, they leave the pool hall,
Headin' for the dance at the Arm'ry!
Libertine men and Scarlet women!
And Rag-time, shameless music
That'll grab your son and your daughter
With the arms of a jungle animal instink!
Mass-staria!
Friends, the idle brain is the devil's playground!

People:
Trouble, oh we got trouble,
Right here in River City!
With a capital "T"
That rhymes with "P"
And that stands for Pool,
That stands for pool.
We've surely got trouble!
Right here in River City,
Right here!
Gotta figger out a way
To keep the young ones moral after school!
Trouble, trouble, trouble, trouble, trouble...

Harold:
Mothers of River City!
Heed the warning before it's too late!
Watch for the tell-tale sign of corruption!
The moment your son leaves the house,
Does he rebuckle his knickerbockers below the knee?
Is there a nicotine stain on his index finger?
A dime novel hidden in the corn crib?
Is he starting to memorize jokes from Capt.
Billy's Whiz Bang?
Are certain words creeping into his conversation?
Words like 'swell?"
And 'so's your old man?"
Well, if so my friends,
Ya got trouble,
Right here in River city!
With a capital "T"
And that rhymes with "P"
And that stands for Pool.
We've surely got trouble!
Right here in River City!
Remember the Maine, Plymouth Rock and the Golden Rule!
Oh, we've got trouble.
We're in terrible, terrible trouble.
That game with the fifteen numbered balls is a devil's tool!
Oh yes we got trouble, trouble, trouble!
With a "T"! Gotta rhyme it with "P"!

And that stands for Pool!!!

[maxsolomon]

48. thank you for posting that!

ah, the memories of high school musicals...

[LeftHander]

34. Conservative "War on Underwear" - last great battle

for moral decency....they can't do anything else right....

[tomreedtoon]

35. They want to end Baggy Pants Comedy?

Red Skelton and Jackie Gleason would throw up on them.

[Solly Mack]

37. I'm from Georgia ... and I say ban butt crack

the thongs and boxers I can live with...but that butt crack? DAMN

and bra straps have a mind of their own...so good luck with that ignorance

[BlackVelvet04]

38. Oh good Lord,

what the hell is wrong with people. What a bunch of puritanical morons.

[kineneb]

40. easy answer, pull on pants...

pants drop down to ankles, wearer can't move (or can at best waddle)... run away quickly...
:evilgrin:

...this is not a new style, been in SF Bay Area almost 10 yrs...

...told Godson if I caught him wearing such clothing I would be happy to give them a jerk and pull them down... threat of embarrassment seem to have worked, never saw him in such pants...

[KansDem]

41. Fashion slaves...

I work in a public setting and see several baggy-pants kids a day. Many of these customers want me to help them. I do and am constantly amused out how much trouble these kids go through to maintain the "image." Generally, one hand is all they can use during our transactions since the other one is busy holding up their pants.
:rofl:

I don't see a ban is necessary: you can't legislate common sense.

But I also don't see them as any different from other slaves of fashion...

[npincus]

42. and must I see my plumber's ass crack every time he

fixes my kitchen sink? For God's sake!

[HughBeaumont]

43. Listen, when you took away my opera capes and fishing hats, I said NOTHING!

This is the sort of thing Dumberica worries about. Not wealth inequality, not the MIC, not our whiskey throttle fascists running our country into the shitter. Baggy pants on kids.

:silly: :think:

[JHB]

45. Banning, no.

A sharp, downward yank, yes.

[Jed Dilligan]

49. About 15 years ago, when kids first started wearing these

it really pissed me off. I had gotten all the way through h.s. being made fun of because my pants fit like that. "Hey Jed, ever heard of an ass? What happened to your ass? Didja forget it this morning?" They just didn't make pants that were long and narrow enough for my teenage self. Then, to have it turn cool just as soon as being cool didn't particularly matter anymore to me--maddening.

One thing that always made me wonder, why do criminals adopt a style that makes it hard to run away?

[Zookeeper]

50. Hasn't this been an "epidemic" for at least ten years now?

Has it just reached Atlanta, or has this councilcritter just noticed?

:shrug: