Another Shore Town to Ban Saggy Pants?

A week after one popular Jersey Shore town put out a proposal to ban a popular fashion trend, another popular beach resort is looking at a similar ban.

Seaside Heights is following Wildwood's lead and considering a ban on visitors wearing their pants too low on the boardwalk.

“Everyone is welcome in Seaside Heights but what you’re doing shouldn’t infringe on anyone else’s rights.”

That’s how Seaside Mayor Bill Akers describes a potential plan to make saggy pants illegal on the famous boardwalk of the town that hosted the show Jersey Shore.

The saggy pants measure requires the waist band of pants, shorts, swimsuits and skirts to be no lower than 3 inches below the waist to prevent the exposure of skin or underwear.

Wildwood is set to vote on a similar ban next week that uses police officers, code enforcement officers and boardwalk inspectors to enforce the ban with warnings given at first and fines up to $200 along with up to 40 hours of community service for repeat offenders.

Akers says he applauds Wildwood for considering the controversial dress code and Akers says his own town could have its own saggy clothing ban in place by mid-July.

“We have to raise our standards and this is part of the process,” Akers told NBC10 Philadelphia.

Seaside still needs to figure out details including how to enforce such a ban and if shirts will also be required -- like as in Wildwood’s proposal – before it can vote on putting the ban in place.

The proposal that seemingly targets fashion popular with young people has its supporters.

“If you bring a family down here I don’t think you’d want to see that,” said one beachgoer.

But it also has detractors.

“I think it’s dumb because the body is awesome, yeah, it looks stupid but if you want to show you butt who cares,” said Samantha Maxwell of Dover, Del.

As Seaside discusses the potential ban, one ban is already set to go into place. Smoking won’t be allowed on the Seaside beach and entire boardwalk starting June 30.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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