Fines go up every time the pants go down, in two cities
in the United States
WASHINGTON Trousers that dangle way below the belt and expose
what the wearer has on or just has underneath have been banned
in two southern cities in Louisiana.
"We unanimously passed the legislation because we have had so many
complaints from citizens," said Alexandria city councillor Louis
Marshall.
"They don't want to see men with pants hanging so low, showing
their underwear and, in some cases, their posterior.
"The legislation is gender neutral: we wouldn't want to see young
ladies walking down the street showing their underwear either," Mr
Marshall said.
Councillors in another Louisiana city, Shreveport, passed similar
legislation, although not unanimously.
Said councillor Calvin Lester: "Some people are saying this is a
ban on freedom of expression but our concern was with
behaviour."
Councillors in Atlanta, Georgia, are also debating whether to ban
saggy pants, which is already against city law in Delcambre,
Louisiana, where offenders' cheek can earn them a fine of US$500
($760) or up to six months in jail.
In Alexandria, the punishment would be "a fine starting at US$25,
that goes up every time the pants go down," said Mr Marshall.
The trend of wearing oversized trousers that fall down and expose
one's rear derives from the US prison system, where inmates' belts
were taken away, causing their trousers to descend far below their
waists.
Opponents of saggy pants laws say they are a form of racial
discrimination, as the fashion is closely linked to the hip hop
culture and is very popular among young African-Americans.