美國小鎮禁穿低腰褲 違者罰款

美國新澤西州的一個海邊小鎮最近通過一項禁令，禁止人們在該鎮的木板大道上穿着露臀7.6釐米以上的低腰褲；否則，初犯者將被罰款25到100美元不等，再犯者將面臨200美元的罰款或40小時的社區服務。該鎮鎮長表示，很多經常來這裏度假的家庭都寫信說以後不會再來了，因爲不想讓家裏的孩子或老人出門看到年輕人穿着露屁股的褲子在街上走來走去。此前，該鎮已禁止人們穿着泳衣在木板大道出現，新奧爾良、芝加哥、亞特蘭大、底特律及邁阿密等地的一些小鎮也已經推出低腰褲禁令。低腰褲最早在美國監獄中興起，因爲美國監獄中不允許犯人繫腰帶；後來被hip-hop藝人效仿，並在年輕人中逐漸流行起來。

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.