WILDWOOD, N.J. – Mayor Ernest Troiano Jr. thinks he’s found a way to put one of this Jersey shore resort town’s problems behind it. Wildwood is ready to ban overly saggy pants, no ifs, ands or butts.
The city is set to pass a law today regulating how people dress on its boardwalk. It bans going shirtless, as well as walking on the boardwalk with bare feet.
But the provision that has gained widespread attention is a prohibition about pants that sag more than 3 inches below the hips, exposing either skin or underwear. Troiano said Wildwood has been inundated with complaints from tourists upon whose money the popular beach town depends for its survival.
“When you have good families who call you up and say, ‘I’ve been coming here 20 years, 30 years, 40 years and I’m not going to any longer because I’m not going to subject my children or my parents or grandparents to seeing some kid walk down the boardwalk with their butt hanging out,’ you have to do something,” he said.
Troiano said the city’s legal department has reviewed the proposed law and is confident it will withstand a court challenge.
, which he conceded will probably happen at some point. He promised police won’t be out with measuring tapes, relying instead on common sense when evaluating a person’s attire.
“They say it’s a fashion statement and this is America and they have the right to dress how they want,” Troiano said of those who wear their pants low. “Well, I have the right to decency. My right is not to have to look at your (rear end) if I don’t want to. I find that offensive. Go somewhere else and do it, and for every one person I lose, I’ll gain 10 more who will be glad.”
