In This Issue

SOMETIMES THE COMPLAINTS are even better than the story. Last week's cover photo, of some naked people playing croquet, and the story in our Summer Guide about public nudity brought in a few special calls and letters (although not all that many, really, which ought to give naked people in the greater Bay Area cause to celebrate).

Oddly, the greatest level of concern seems to be in Palo Alto, home of the legendary Stanford University, which has apparently fallen far, far behind its rival UC Berkeley in the Department of Naked Fun. A call from a Stanford student to the Palo Alto Department of Public Works generated a complaint that led the department's code enforcement officer, Phil Plymale, to announce that the Bay Guardian was in violation of the city's news rack law and to demand that all the papers be removed from the streets.

Plymale sent us a copy of the law, which bars publications from displaying on the cover a long and fascinating list of body parts and sexual acts – but only when "such picture or illustration ... has as its purpose or effect sexual arousal, gratification or affront." I informed Mr. Plymale we intended nothing of the sort – in fact, the story made clear there's "nothing lewd about being nude." But alas, he had no sense of such subtlety: naked photos are unacceptable in Palo Alto, and that's just how it is. If you think that's silly, you can call the mayor, Bern Beecham; he's at (650) 324-1692.

And if you're wondering, as I am, what the hell is wrong with Stanford students these days (don't they have homework to think about?), all I can say is, go Bears.

Someone named Tortuga Bi LIBERTY of Senior Unlimited Nudes sent us a letter (see page 8) saying that it is, in fact, illegal to be naked in San Francisco parks, which is also silly. Tortuga points to a Web site, www.tera.ca, supporting the right of women to go topless in public; I checked it out, and interestingly, the top two folks in the organization, the coordinator and the treasurer, are both men.

And Paul Ingraham wrote to complain about my suggestion last week (In This Issue) that perhaps bicycle riding might be one summer activity best not done unclothed. There is, he notes, a World Naked Bike Ride Day coming up June 12.

Uh, go team.

Tim Redmond