It’s official. Residents and visitors of Wildwood, New Jersey will no longer be offended by “indecency” on the Boardwalk.
The Wildwood City Commission passed a law Wednesday night banning baggy pants on the Boardwalk, as reported by The Press of Atlantic City. The legislation also requires shirts to be worn between the hours of 8 p.m. and 5 a.m., and footwear to be worn at all times, for protection from nails and wood slivers.
Violators will first be asked to either change their apparel or leave the Boardwalk. Punishment for noncompliance with the law is a $25 fine, and subsequent violations could result in fines up to $200 and 40 hours of community service.
The law passed unanimously. Mayor Ernie Troiano Jr. told those at the public hearing that support for the measure was 98 percent. Several residents also spoke and expressed their strong support for the new law.
“I feel it is needed,” West Wildwood Avenue resident Dennis Flynn said at the meeting. “This is our city, and you have to respect it.”
Troiano said the American Civil Liberties Union has not yet challenged the constitutionality of the law, in regards to freedom of expression.
“People say you’re violating my rights,” Troiano said. “Well, what about my rights? We’re always concerned about one-sided rights. If you don’t want to respect yourself, at least respect the person behind you.”
Police and Boardwalk inspectors will be enforcing the dress code. The ordinance will go into enforcement sometime in July, the exact date coming 2o days after it is published in a newspaper. It’s expected to be published sometime next week, according to city officials.
Areas of New Orleans, Chicago, Atlanta, Detroit, Miami and Jacksonville, Fla., have previously passed similar laws banning baggy pants.
