New Orleans police are calling for a cover-up - of Mardi Gras revelers' breasts, that is. Or, as one police poster reportedly says, ``Uniform and plain clothes officers will be vigilant in the French Quarter and WILL TAKE the appropriate action if the law is violated ... just ask the 360 people who were arrested last year for lewd conduct.''
They've sent a message to tourists primarily, Reuters says, saying by all means come have fun, "but keep your clothes on!", according to Officer Joe Narcisse.
This is something of an annual Mardi Gras effort to try to convince hard-drinking, bead-crazed party animals that bare breasts or genitalia are neither legal tender nor acceptable barter for greatly-desired strings of cheap plastic beads, Reuters says.
But New Orleans police are putting up don't-even-think-about-it posters in bars, hotels, and other spots around the French Quarter, the wire service continues, warning would-be exhibitionists that such currency will be worth fines up to $1,000 and potential jail time.
Narcisse tells Reuters it isn't just a question of morality. ``There are safety and crime issues involved, too," he says, "including the huge, packed crowds around flashers that are breeding places for pickpockets. And it can lead to assaults by drunken guys groping any woman they see. It's always been illegal to come here to bare your private parts, but with publicity like an article in Playboy we needed a little more emphasis this year.''
