美国小镇禁穿低腰裤 违者罚款

美国新泽西州的一个海边小镇最近通过一项禁令，禁止人们在该镇的木板大道上穿着露臀7.6厘米以上的低腰裤；否则，初犯者将被罚款25到100美元不等，再犯者将面临200美元的罚款或40小时的社区服务。该镇镇长表示，很多经常来这里度假的家庭都写信说以后不会再来了，因为不想让家里的孩子或老人出门看到年轻人穿着露屁股的裤子在街上走来走去。此前，该镇已禁止人们穿着泳衣在木板大道出现，新奥尔良、芝加哥、亚特兰大、底特律及迈阿密等地的一些小镇也已经推出低腰裤禁令。低腰裤最早在美国监狱中兴起，因为美国监狱中不允许犯人系腰带；后来被hip-hop艺人效仿，并在年轻人中逐渐流行起来。

A beach town in the US state of New Jersey is passing a ban on the wearing of low-slung trousers, jeans or shorts on its boardwalk.

The sight of exposed skin or underwear has attracted complaints from tourists, says Wildwood Mayor Ernest Troiano.

He is introducing a dress code prohibiting trousers that hang more than 3in (7.6cm) below the hips.

Authorities in suburbs of New Orleans, Chicago, Atlanta, Detroit, Miami and Jacksonville, Fla., are among those who have passed laws banning low-slung trousers.

Under its plan, people would also be required to wear shoes and shirts on the boardwalk.

Mayor Troiano said: "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."

Anyone who breaks the rules would be fined $25-$100 the first time, and $200 for a repeat offence, or might have to complete 40 hours of community service.

Swimming costumes are already banned on Wildwood's boardwalk.

The fashion trend is believed to have originated in US prisons, where inmates are not allowed to wear belts.

But the look was taken up by hip-hop artists and is commonly worn by young people.