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St. Louis police to watch out for naked bike riders

Police have issued a warning to organizers of Saturday night's St. Louis World Naked Bike Ride that cyclists who bare it all risk the possibility of being arrested.

KTVI-TV, Channel 2, reported Thursday that it's against the law to show private parts in public. Co-organizer Mariah Pittman says organizers will warn cyclists of the possibility they'll be subject to arrest, but that they will be encouraged to ride as "bare as they dare."

Not surprisingly, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch covered the story in more depth on a story posted Friday morning. It also published a preview of the event Thursday. Somehow, I'm not surprised a story about the World Naked Bike Ride is the top e-mailed story at the Post-Dispatch's Web site, stltoday.com.

Mariah pushed the ride's agenda of protesting oil dependency and promoting a comfortable body image during her interview. The segment also includes interviews with a couple of locals, including one who finds the ride "offensive, very offensive" because of the families who frequent Tower Grove Park, where the ride begins.

Speaking of which, the ride is slated to begin at 9 p.m. at Tower Grove Park's pool pavilion. Body painting will take place starting at 7 p.m. at a more discrete section of the park, according to the organizer's blog. The route will tour parts of South St. Louis and downtown before heading to the Atomic Cowboy club at 4140 Manchester Ave. in St. Louis.

There's no doubt that organizers and participants hope they won't get a raw deal from St. Louis police.

Labels: advocacy, bicycle rides, St. Louis

Roger 0 comments 11:53 PM