Pervy Nude Entry

Lets talk about nudity...

I'm planning to take part in the World Naked Bike Ride next June. I've probably mentioned this before. It has been in my mind for a while and friend Dickie expressed and interest in partaking earlier this year. Dickie has since whimped out due to some namby-pamby prior comittment, but I still want to do it. I really want to do it on the unicycle, but frankly 5 miles bareback on one wheel is not trivial. Anyway, the reason I'm putting this down here is to remind myself not to forget about it and let another year go by without doing it. I also accidentally got a young lady from my office interested in doing it as well, so I really don't have an excuse.

I discovered today that New Zealand stages a Great Naked Tunnel Race every year through the Homer Tunnel. The tunnel is apparently 1.2Km in length, unlit, and took nearly 20 years to complete. There doesn't appear to be any reason for the event. It would seem that 50 participants a year do it simply for kicks.

Australian police have been allegedly been caught running naked round a police vehicle stopped at traffic lights as it transported the men to a stag party. Sounds like it was probably a good party if you ask me. It seems some busy-body member of the public dobbed them in anyway and an investigation is now under-way.

This crazy Germans are planning to open the world's first naked ramblers' footpath. The 11 mile path in the Harz mountains has apparently already been "tested" by some hardcore naturists, and signs have been erected to warn people of potential nudity ahead. The plan is to open it officially next May.

Naked rambling is of course not something only those crazy Germans do. We have our own very famous British naked rambler, Stephen Gough. I imagine we have a few less flamboyant characters as well. Mr Gough is something of a self publicist and has successfully managed to hike naked from Lands End to John O'Groats, landing himself in jail several times on the way. He would appear to be mid way through another jail sentence currently.

Back in January it would appear that the Swiss government got very excited about the sudden proliferation of naked hikers. I'm not sure I believe this story. Switzerland, January, naked, outside - does that sound unlikely to anyone else?

Funny thing nudity isn't it. It's illegal, or nearly illegal, just about everywhere, but there are so many examples of nudity happening anyway, and it's often tolerated by the authorities. For instance, total nudity is permitted in the UK World Naked Bike Ride events. The police have now given up trying to get people to keep their clothes on while performing on the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square. PETA seem to launch a naked protest just about every week somewhere and no one gets arrested. Spencer Tunick has done his nude installations just about everywhere and I've never heard of any complaints about them.

There is no specific law that prohibits nudity in England and Wales. Indecent Exposure is an offence, but it's only an offence if the nudity is intended to upset or shock, and the complainant has to prove this. Nude people have also been charged with Public Order offences, but there you have to prove intentional harassment, harm, or distress. Exhibitionists can also be charged with "Outraging Public Decency" and I have no idea what constitutes an outrage. Read about it here anyway.