Nuisance Laws

The bar and club owners in one of the cities in which I worked, found a “loop hole” in the city ordinance concerning dancers in their establishments. I do not remember the ordinance verbatim, but it stated that the nipple areas must be covered and the groin area must be covered. The owners startied interpreting the ordinance that “covered” could be by something that was transparent. It didn’t specify in the ordinance that the cover must be opaque.

For a few weeks until the City Commission could revise the ordinance, we patrolled the bars and clubs making sure the dancers were at least wearing their transparent covers.  Because the owners were taking advantage of this new found “loop hole” we were instructed to maintain a police presence to continually check their coverings, which the dancers and owners found annoying.

Being the only female on the police department, I was instructed to get up close to the dancers and verify they did indeed have something pasted on their nipples and their groin area.  I was very glad when the ordinance was modified and I didn’t need to examine the dancer’s bodies closely.

I think maybe we have too many laws that govern petty victimless crimes that people are constantly trying to find a way to get around. The ordinance discussed above was an example. Why couldn’t the girls dance naked? If people did not wish to view nudity they did not need to go to those clubs. The consumption laws are similar. One day a person is too young to consume alcohol, the next day they are old enough. What changed overnight? Did they gain more responsibility? Before people are old enough to consume they can die in military combat, enter into contracts, get married, and have children. All of the afore mentioned activities take a lot of responsibility, don’t they?

What are some laws you think are nuisance laws? People spend time trying to get around them and police spend time trying to enforce them? Do we need these types of laws? Do our police and courts need to focus on other violations of the law?

Until later,

Sally S