Overly saggy pants are obscene, the town council of Delcambre, Louisiana, declared in an ordinance passed unanimously this week.
The indecent-exposure ordinance carries penalties of up to six months in jail and a $500 fine for being caught in pants that show underwear or, as mayor Carol Broussard put it, ”private parts”.
Broussard said he would sign the ordinance.
Low-hanging, baggy pants have become a fashion trend, mostly for young men in the hip-hop culture. Broussard denied the ordinance is racially motivated.
”White people wear sagging pants, too,” he said. ”Anybody who wears these pants should be held responsible.”
He added: ”If you walk up and your pants drop, you get a fine. They’re better off taking the pants off and just wearing a dress.”
Although Delcambre councillor Albert Roy introduced the ordinance, he said a $500 fine is outrageous. ”I think it should be something like $25.” — Sapa-AP