Around the world, naked, on a bike - the first leg

by amyjudd | June 7, 2008 at 05:28 pm | 2485 views | 4 comments

Various cities in the western world took part in the naked bike ride today to campaign against cars and their damage to the environment.
This is the first leg in the campaign, and the rest of the cities will follow in the coming weeks.
I say, good for them, although I'm not sure I could take part.
I remember covering this event last year for a news station I was interning at, and as I was standing on the sidelines, a naked bike rider rode past, and yelled at me 'pervert! Thanks for staring at my naked body!' I ask you, why take part in a naked bike ride if that is your attitude? I had no comeback - needless to say!
Five hundred cyclists took to the streets in Brighton, UK.

The riders were campaigning against cars and their damage to the environment, many using their bodies a display for slogans.

Some just painted their bodies in colour while others featured wigs and hats.

Others stuck to underwear and many just kept to the theme as they cycled the streets, catching the attention of peasants.

Mexico City took part.

Hundreds of naked cyclists rode through the streets of Mexico's capital on Saturday to demand respect from drivers in a city choked with some 4 million vehicles.

More than 500 men and women, half of them nude, pedaled along Mexico City's historic Reforma Avenue to the vast Zocalo Square, chanting, "Save your planet, use a bicycle!"

Ottawa got in on the action.

About 75 cyclists gathered in an Ottawa park Saturday to protest what they call their "indecent exposure" to pollution - and many were wearing nothing but sunglasses and sunscreen to drive home the point.

The gathering was part of the fourth annual World Naked Bike Ride.

The nude cyclists were outnumbered two to one by tourists and passersby.

In Tuscon Arizona, some people could have been arrested if they rode naked.

A flier promoting the Tucson World Naked Bike Ride suggests you go "as bare as you dare," but lawyers warn that if you dare to bare it all, you may end up in jail. City Attorney Mike Rankin said Thursday that totally naked riders would be subject to Arizona's public-indecency statute, though he knew of no city plans to crack down. It was the first he'd heard of it.

For more information on the event, click here.

Flag this story

Upload

Make your good story a great story. Click here to add your photos & video to this story.

Crowd Power

Scan the web to add photos and videos to this story or add them from the NowPublic Archive.

JJWaller

at 21:22 on June 7th, 2008

A happy spirited event with a serious intent. Probably about four hundred participants in a carnival atmosphere toured the city, to the amazement and entertainment of tourists and locals alike. Well done to the police for sanctioning this full nudity demonstration.

JJWaller has contributed a photo to this story.