Reports from France are saying that French authorities have starting levying fines on tourists who traipse around in public without a shirt (link to full story at bottom). The stated reason of the cops and tourist town locals who support the fines: "They were sick of seeing Brits and other tourists displaying their 'hairy chest' in the streets."But it doesn't stop with the hairy dudes: Female tourists are also being fined for wearing bikinis in public without a shirt on top. Apparently, however, at least the ladies get a warning to cover up before receiving a fine. And France isn't alone in these types of measures, as similar reports out of Spain and Italy have cops in those countries detaining and harassing tourists wearing bikinis or walking around shirtless.
So circling back to my question at the top: Is this France Surrendering yet again, this time to mindless social conservative sentiments, or is this just your typical French snobbishness towards non-French peoples? I think it has to be largely chalked up to the latter, since apparently it's non-French tourists who are being singled out for the cop harassment.
In other words, there's no indication that Frenchmen and their French lady counterparts are facing the same restrictions (even despite how stench-filled their shirtless bodies might happen to be in some or many instances). I've actually never had any real desire to go out of my way to visit France, but if I ever do then one thing's for darn sure: They will get to see me shirtless in all of my lily white, George "The Animal" Steele glory! (And I generally don't even like going around without a shirt -- never have!)
http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpps/news/french-police-to-fine-tourists-for-taking-off-shirts-dpgonc-20100816-fc_9199313
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