Seeing someones Underwear show is offensive to me. Why can't they make that the Law here in Janesville I don't like seeing people going around half naked they are only asking for trouble if they want to wear Clothes like that put them in the prison System. Grow up kids and pull those pants up.

Respeck.

It all started from gangbangers having their pants droop down from having handguns in their pockets.

Why even bother to wear pants if they are pulled down below the crotch? If you want to be cool, just walk around in your underwear and claim that they are short pants.

Nero...yes, the laws you spoke of may be antiquated, but the behaviors they were trying to suppress are common today. Corsets are a thing of the past and skirts barely reach the bottom of the butt cheeks. I for one, do not want to see pants down around the hips, knees or ankles a common sight and an expected way of dress in years to come. This is called desensitizing. "If it doesn't hurt me what do I care what someone else is doing", is the wrong way to think. Eventually it will become common place.

Just because a fad is frowned upon... doesn't mean that there should be a law prohibiting individuality. I don't like sagging pants myself, but I think it's ridiculous to go so far as to create an ordinance which one can be fined for. When pants sag, I still don't see anything inappropriate

When in doubt, consult snopes.com. The claim that the fad started in prison is....

http://www.snopes.com/risque/homosex/sag...

sethsgma--I have read about this. It did start in the prison system. How sad that all of the kids doing this think it's so cool but clearly have no idea that this is where it all started. All it takes is one person doing it, and they all follow.

So many people like to blame the hip hop industry for this baggy pants fad. They did not start it and if they knew the history many of them would probably quit wearing them that way. This fad was started a long time ago in the prison system. New inmates would wear their pants down like that to let the others know that they would give sex in exchange for protection. I have shared this bit of history with some of my kids friends and the idea of "prison pants" is not so fashionable anymore.

I think the look is annoying. As well as the thong look. And excessive cleavage. And mullets. Can we have an ordinance on all these things that some people find annoying? I'm sure that there are people out there that don't like my personal style, can they start an ordinance banning me? I don't like the style but I also think it's a right-no body parts are being exposed. On that point-is the thong sticking out of the waistband look included in the ordinance?

ridiculous that someone can/is tell someone else how to dress. this isnt russia, is this russia danny??;) if you want to put dress requirements why dont we start with the people who are 50-100 pounds overweight who think its ok to wear bikinis or skin tight shirts/shorts/sweats. blaaaaahhhh

Uniforms? I like that idea. Seriously. Imagine if all schools had uniforms. That would solve a lot of problems immediately!

Telling me not to look if I dont like what I see is similar to telling non-smokers not to inhale when someone is smoking near them. You can't always help what you see, smell or hear. While I agree that you should be able to wear your clothing comfortably, there is a difference between comfortable and indecent. 1/2 of these "saggy bottom boys" wear them so low you start to see pubic hair and butt crack. They can't be courteous enough to keep a shirt on to cover it all. Or it seems like even if they do have one on they have it hiked up over the hand they have tucked down the front of their pants. Either way it dosen't look very nice. Are they storing a gun, copping a feel, or do they just have a tummy ache? I feel the same way about belly shirts, low rise jeans and super low cut shirts. Wear them at home.

Perhaps we could build a $600K tunnel so that those with delicate senses could pass under the offensive site where these baggy pants scoundrels hang out? The world population in 1950 was 2.5 billion, 2010 projected is 6.8 billion, and in 2050 projected is 9.1 billion. How will we feed, cloth, and provide jobs for all these baggy pants people? Think of the astronomical cost to build all these tunnels!

What a joke, maybe we should all have to wear uniforms that will be next! If the kids think this looks classy then let it be it will fade away like everything else. Last time I checked the parents or kids buy the cloths they wear the city dont, so they shouldnt be able to tell someone what they can wear. I dont agree with the cloths but Im not wearing them. Kids need to be able to make some of their own choices to learn from, thats how they grow up!

Schools are already well within their rights to enect dress codes, as the Janesville schools have done (though I don't know if they have addressed the "baggy pants" issure specifically). The article above relates to public places. Two different things.

I can see maybe a school having this as a rule, but a law? Honestly I hate seeing it, but who is it hurting? I shake my head at the way people are dressed all the time, (I love going to the fair just to see how many people in Rock county don't own a mirror!) but as long they aren't showing their 'private parts' then I don't think it is really a police matter. If we are going to make a law outlawing this, there are so many other fashion trends that I personally find offensive. Who gets to decide what is legal and what isn't?
My son wears pants that fit him, but if the worst thing he ever does is wear pants that are to big for him, I think I'd be ok with that. I think as a parent and a society, we need to pick our battles, and is this battle really worth it?

Cardtrader: It would be so nice to think parents can really control what their kids do. It is always blame the parents. But you have to understand that these kids are with their friends a majority of the day and parents are not cool. My girfriends daughter used to hide a separate set of clothes in her back pack or in her friends car and change on the way to school or when they hangout. Wish we all had that kind of control. Like one post said, even threaten the teenager and Social Services is on your doorstep.

The problem here is that are kids are watching way to much BET, MTV,CRIBS, all that crap set in the hip hop life style of a few, quit blaming the kids tho where are the parents and why are they allowing there kids to dress like this. Wake up people you have to put your foot down at home.

WOW. I am glad to see this finally happening around the country too. Northfield MN just passed a dress code for their school. Skirts on girls cannot be shorter than the tips of their fingers with arms at their sides. No bare bellies or underwear showing. One comment was that woman wear bikinis and therefore it is okay to show underwear. I have not seen too many woman wearing bikinis in restaurants, school, stores, etc. There is a place for them. We had dress codes in school growing up and they were not too bad. Could not have sideburns below the opening of the ear, shirts tucked in, no blue jeans, etc. I turned out pretty good. Discrimination or not, someone walks into my business dressing like that, he or she won't even get an interview, period.

This fad has been around for 20yrs even longer.

In my opinion, this law is a waste of time, money and effort. In a couple of years this fad will have passed and this law will be looked upon as nothing more that a trivial piece of humor. It will be looked upon in the same manner that we look upon legislation regarding horse dropping and hitching post etiquette.
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If young people today want to wear their pants low, I saw let 'em do it. It seems every generation has it's own take on "rebellious" fashion. In 1908, women who chose not to wear a corset were considered "rebellious". In the 1950's a women wearing a skirt that came within an inch below her standing knee could cause an uproar. While these example may seem antiquated to us now, so to will the saggy pants in years to come.
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Laws are not created to stop criminals, laws are created to control the law abiding masses. A criminal is a person that breaks the law, and creating more laws will not stop criminals from being criminals -- it just puts more controls on the law-abiding citizens.

Give the tickets to the parents, they're the ones that let them dress that way. What ever happened to the saying that our parents used on us, "your actions reflect on us". Guess that doesn't apply anymore or they just don't care! Some parents are proud of their kids, others let them do whatever they want just so the kids don't bother them and their lifestyles. I could go on and on about todays youth and the 'fads', but I look back riding a bike with no helmet, no booster seat or seatbelts in cars and no violence in school and think what happened, today we have laws governing how to raise our kids and protect them but they're rebelling and running wild and know we can't punish them. A good spanking was all it took to make me listen but now you can't even threaten a spanking and social services is knocking!

It is when they curtail women from showing 90% of their breasts that I believe the ACLU will come in handy.

I don't think Janesville should have a law like this. With their pants at half-mast these punks can't out run the cops.

Just a thought: Do you think our grandparents, or great-grandparents would ever believe that someday it would be necessary to have a law banning people from walking around with their pants down? LOL. Personally, I never understood the appeal. It has to be so uncomfortable.

If you pass a law about men's butts hanging out what about women in in short shorts or tops with there belly showing & thongs hanging out the top of there pants, as I see it all should be fair.

I checked out the "extreme example" from the msnbc link posted by Zoom: sad to say it isn't so extreme if you work in our schools! I see MULTIPLE kids daily wearing pants this low and it is always an issue to deal with. While I do not support school uniforms, I would really like a well-enforced, specific dress code with clear cut consequences for not following. In my own neighborhood, I admit that I too hate to see it and automatically think "trouble is coming" (even though I do know some very "good" kids who do this), but I am torn over police spending time targeting a clothing issue, even one that is associated with a rather unwholesome lifestyle via pop culture and gang activity. When I can't get a cop in my neighborhood for 35 minutes (because "no one is available in your area")when I am actually witnessing an attempted break-in, I have difficulty waiting even another 5 minutes because an officer is writing out a pants infraction somewhere in town...

I swear, sometimes the Gazette posts such articles just to see how people will react.

Pull your pants up, no one wants to see your boxers. Its as simple as that. If showing your underwear is a fashion statement, I'm going to wear a paper bag.

I think it's disgusting when people dress like this, and I have seen girls do the same thing. When picking my daughter up from school, she pointed out a boy who had a crush on her, and his pants were down around his knees. I told her NOT IN THIS LIFE TIME. If the day ever comes when he wears his pants where they were intended to be worn, then I may take the time to find out if he is a nice boy.

Wow, what an analogy...killing and stealing equals baggy pants? Are you saying YOU would kill and steal if you were free to do so? Of course not. It's a fashion trend, nothing more. I'm guessing you don't like tattoos and pierced noses as well, and yell "stay off my lawn" at every passer by.

nutty (and the name fits you well), if we were all free to do whatever we wanted, people would be killing others like it's nothing because it would be our "freedom", people would be taking whatever they wanted without paying because it would be our "freedom," and so on. If no one enforces decency, we are no longer a society but rather a big pack of animals.

Obviously these ordinances have existed for a period of time in other communities. I'd be interested in seeing something regarding the economic boom those communities experienced after their passage.
Until I can see some cold hard numbers I remain skeptical. But if Lynwood wants to play fashion nazi I guess it's their business.

Axtually it is a good law and i hope other cities foolow it. In my home (I have 4 boys) and there is no sagging and no hats cocked by them or their friends!!One warning then they lose their hat in my home if they choose to continue to sag their friends arent welcome in my home and as my sons are adults ( well legal age)And they can move out. THEY ARE UNDERWEAR NOT OUTERWEAR...

Has a member of the ACLU walked the streets lately? Saggy pants are certainly not an issue limited to only people of color. This style is prominent in the hip hop community and hip hop/rap music is popular among young people. As a result, they follow the trends and styles they see their favorite artist wear. Although I’m not a fan of this style, because it is sloppy, I don’t believe government at any level should regulate style. On the other hand, if someone’s rear end is showing (nudity), I feel differently. If it is OK for people to wear skimpy bathing suits in public, then I don’t see a problem if someone’s boxers are showing. I believe the sooner we ignore this trend the quicker it will go away. People who dress like this want to gain attention and this type of ordinance does just that.

I think it's a great idea! Ever watch the people walk while their pants are half falling down? They look like they just got off of a horse. It's not just men of color, it's all "men" that think this looks cool. They just look like a bunch of slobs. It would be nice to see the rediculously big pants with chains to go next.

sorry, butt crack.

arnyof3,
The style isn't to show your but crack. The style is to wear your pants below the level of boxer shorts. We have laws against showing your *ss in public, hence this new law to legislate fashion.

For those of you new to this fad, here is an article that includes a photo of an extreme example. Makes me laugh.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15403683/

Here is an article with actual substance to it, instead of the Gazettes blatent attempt at increasing their hit count. What does this have to do with Janesville again?
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/natio...

This fad will eventually die, just like parachute pants, which I find almost equally offensive ;).

I'll show you my butt crack if you show me yours...

those sad individuals that chose to wear their pants that low should consider a career as a plumber... how is it infringing on personal style when the law is being broken??

jvldude,
Who are "these people"? Did you even read the article? Nobody in Linnwood is going to get arrested for wearing baggy pants.

Zoom sounds to me like you might be one of these people.

The "baggy-pants" law is ridiculous. While I personally think wearing your pants below your *ss makes you look like a three year old, who are we to judge style? What's the next thing to ban, wife-beater t-shirts? The thought of law enforcement acting as "fashion police" is laughable.

I am glad to see most people agree. Maybe we should all start donating our old belts to the police dept so when these type of folks are arrested the courts will order them to where them. who knows maybe they folks can't afford belts haha

sad that "we" need a law to help people dress. Obviously not everyone was born with common sense, decency and dignity.

ACLU= American Communist Lawyer's Union

There is NO form of filth that is too low for them to defend ............ an absolutely disgusting outfit.

I hope they don't consider non-violent civil disobedience and start walking around without the underwear. They might be mistaken for a plumber's convention.
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Unless the ordinance says "this law only applies to young men of color" or the cops are studiously ignoring Caucasian homies, the ACLU needs to get a life.
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Are we just talking green here? Orange? Purple? Since when is pale pasty white not a color?

A city in Michigan passed a similar ordinance this summer as well. What a joke the ACLU is.

This has nothing to do with race. White guys enjoy wearing their pants down to their knees as well.

It doesn't target the younger age group either. This is just a form of indecent exposure.

I like to ask the kids if they want to see my underwear. They think that is the most disgusting thing ever. Ha! Well, it's no picnic seeing yours either....

Just think Janesville could do away with property taxes if we had laws like this.

ITS ABOUT DAMN TIME. Now they (or we) need a law banning people from having their hats tilted sideways