Stewart, Florida police tell nosy neighbors that there is nothing they can do.

[Greenbare Woods]

Naked man does yard work and fixes car.  Police tell nosy neighbors that there is nothing they can do because he's not illegal.  This could become a trend. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------
From Stewart, Florida

People who live in a Stuart neighborhood say their neighbor does yard work and walks around his property naked. They say they’ve called the sheriff's office, but deputies say, there is nothing they can do.

"I came out Sunday night to put the trash out, and I look over and he is bent over, winding up his hose, and I'm like that is my view of the neighborhood,” says Melissa Ny, a neighbor.

Concerned neighbors want to crack down on this naked truth, the man who lives at the end of their street is a nudist.

"He works on his car, and he does it naked and everyone has called the police, he is just out there doing his yard work, whatever he needs to do outside, naked," says Ny.

Nude yard work? Neighbors can't bear it.

"Have some respect for the neighborhood kids. Kids catch the bus here. It’s wrong," says Charlie Estes, a neighbor.

Several people in the neighborhood have called the Martin County Sheriff's office, but say deputies tell them as long as he isn't touching himself inappropriately, there is nothing they can do since he is on his own property.

"I have seen these people stand on their front step, buck naked, both of them, and talk to a police officer, sheriff department. The sheriff's department told me to turn my head," says Estes.

We found one person who doesn’t have an issue with the neighbor stripped down to nothing.

"I am not one of those people who have concerns because it is their way of life, and it is on their property and I know it is legal," says Molly Merritt, neighbor.

We spoke with the man in question off camera. He said he was not interested in doing an interview because he and his family are private people.

"If they are private, why are your privates on display. That is not private at all, that is very public," says Ny.

https://www.wpbf.com/article/stuart-neighbors-upset-about-man-doing-yard-work-in-the-nude/23310164

[jbeegoode]

Its legal in this part of Florida? Good.

There are two interviews with neighbors opposed. I wonder if they are the only two that are upset.

Always, "what about the kids" with no intellectual, intelligent, educated opinion. Just assuming that a mindless more is the fact. They function well, but they stop thinking somewhere and call the police. Could it be that these people were raised to be that way by authoritative parents? Trained to function only within parameters? Or did they grow up in a safe restrictive environment and become what they know, their parents? I just keep watching these people and asking why. How can they be so far off track of their own humanity? It is rampant, in the culture, in society....

This shouldn't be such a big deal.
Jbee

[John P]

Hey Bob, how about some acknowledgement that in this case, the police are being less repressive than some of the people who employ them want them to be!

What I foresee now is a new town or county bylaw to make publicly visible nudity illegal. Then the rightful balance of the world will be restored.

[jbeegoode]

Who are these people that employ the the police to enforce the law?

It got on the news, they sold some video newspapers. Will the ignorant twerps that complained be enough to cause the local council to react and expose themselves to controversy. If the council is conservative, they are likely just wanting to do their service and work on the economy. They don't want controversy. They may be skinnydippers in Florida themselves. They said that they will attempt to work it out with the nudist, next. It is a personal matter, not a sexual exploitation matter, which the law pertains to. A man's home is his castle, just ask any conservative.

That happened in the BAy area twice, they made laws when it was public in your face. When it happened in conservative Kansas, it didn't go anywhere. The nudist stopped walking the streets and the new ordinance was tabled. There doesn't need to be a law.

I just hope that the neighbors who now are feeling more powerless, are more reasonable and feeling helpless, will be listening and the nudist is eloquent and tries to help them in their silly problem and fears. Like, I don't hang out nude at the bus stop, there is no danger to the children anyway. I'm minding my own business and I'm harmless.

I think that these cops are not making up their own laws, but just doing law enforcement, their job. The neighbors said, "They" were standing on the front porch nude as the cops interviewed them. "They" are probably a nice older couple. It isn't easy to arrest your parents for something that the police know is not illegal. "They" are probably easier to get along with that the hysterical neighbors. The simpleton on the motorbike and the woman, who take pictures of their neighbors, and spy. "Oh, I just happened to be standing here glancing in his direction with my camera ready." Or, " Yes, he was bent over like that for quite awhile with his bent over butt in my direction, so I pulled my phone out." She calls it privacy and then makes sure that nude photos of private acts of someone else are put on TV. Where's the boundaries, here? Those are not evidence for police, she is out to publicly mess wit the couple. There is a reason that he only gave an interview off camera. "They" wants to be left alone and are being harassed.
Jbee

[eyesup]

Every complaint from the woman was centered on her insistence that it’s wrong, even after finding out that it’s legal. Didn’t see a mention anywhere that anyone spoke to the people about the issue. Right or wrong, if it’s legal at least approach them for a discussion.

They all would rather have the police fix THEIR problem instead of putting forth the effort at any kind of dialog. The police have more important matters to attend to.

Duane

[Greenbare Woods]

Hey Bob, how about some acknowledgement that in this case, the police are being less repressive than some of the people who employ them want them to be!

What I foresee now is a new town or county bylaw to make publicly visible nudity illegal. Then the rightful balance of the world will be restored.

Well, John, one can always be pessimistic and advocate that nudists keep covered because some people are not used to seeing naked people and they will succeed in passing laws against nudity if someone dares to go naked outside.  The news crew also interviewed a neighbor who had no problem with the nudists being naked outside.  Advocacy of public nudity has to include legal and political activism as well as the courage just to be naked while washing one's car in the front yard.  If we nudists all assume the worst and continue to hide indoors or cover outdoors we have already lost the fight for nude freedom.

Every complaint from the woman was centered on her insistence that it’s wrong, even after finding out that it’s legal. Didn’t see a mention anywhere that anyone spoke to the people about the issue. Right or wrong, if it’s legal at least approach them for a discussion.

They all would rather have the police fix THEIR problem instead of putting forth the effort at any kind of dialog. The police have more important matters to attend to.
Duane

I saw the reporters interview one mother who had no problem seeing naked neighbors.   I also hear the "offended" woman say that the Sheriff deputies had gone and talked to the naked man and naked wife, and gone away because human beings are legal unless some sexual behavior is being done.

Now that its in the news it would be a good time for political and social advocates, nudist organizations even, to step up and applaud the nudist couple. 

By next year the neighbors will have gotten used to seeing human beings.  Its only disturbing because it never gets seen. 

Bob
 

[BlueTrain]

Not everything that is wrong is illegal and not everything that is right is legal. Some people do not wait for the police to enforce the law, whether or not the offence is actually against the law. It is entirely possible that everyone might get used to seeing nude people, however much they find the vision disturbing. After all, some people are not accustomed to seeing the truth, since they see it so rarely.

[eyesup]

Now that its in the news it would be a good time for political and social advocates, nudist organizations even, to step up and applaud the nudist couple.

By next year the neighbors will have gotten used to seeing human beings.

The police knew the law and told the neighbors that there was no problem. Most of us are ok with change as long as we aren’t asked to change too much at once. A little here and a little there and soon it ceases to be an issue for most.

Our experience in our neighborhood has been that some neighbors do not want to talk to the other neighbors. We found out about an issue a neighbor had with us only when we heard from an arbitrator. It was a surprise for us.

What’s wrong with talking with a neighbor? Too many people just want to be in their cocoon or safe zone. It breeds fear and distrust. Some just aren’t willing to change. The couple in the article carry on their life like everyone else but they do it naked. Hopefully the neighbors will stop worrying.

As long as they don’t break the law. They will get used to seeing it as harmless.

Duane

[John P]

When I said there might end up being a new law to prohibit nudity, I was actually thinking of a case in California that Bob Morton (head of the Naturist Action Committee) talked about at one of the Naturist Society gatherings some years back. No, it wasn't about Andrew Martinez, it was another guy who was just naked on his own property, but apparently he was quite visible and got the neighbors annoyed. I was able to track the story down:

https://www.ocregister.com/2007/07/16/huntington-beach-bans-nudity/

[jbeegoode]

The newspaper doesn't like my add blocker. Would you please, copy and paste the text of the article here. I have no interest in a subscription.
Jbee

[John P]

That's funny about the old newspaper article, because I have Adblock Plus and I didn't have any trouble with it. But here you are:

Huntington Beach bans nudity

By Annie Burris | Orange County Register
July 16, 2007 at 3:00 am

HUNTINGTON BEACH – The City Council unanimously voted to ban public nudity during its Monday meeting after a brief debate that resulted in striking portions of the proposed ordinance.

The council decided to limit the law to being nude where it is visible from a public area. They deleted regulations on a women breastfeeding an infant older than age 2, and restrictions on wearing a costume or device that simulated nudity.

“I just find it unusual that some of the naturists that are here would oppose what we are trying to do – protect our city and our kids,” said Councilman Joe Carchio.

Attending the meeting were 13 speakers, most of which were opposed to the ban and all were clothed. There were also 66 letters from around the world that were sent to the council urging members to vote against the ban.

“There is a lack of reference to a current or future threat to public safety,” said Allen Baylis, director of the Naturist Action Committee. “Such laws only serve to erode liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

Huntington Beach Police Chief Kenneth Small proposed the law because state and city law allowed police to arrest someone who was nude only if he or she was displaying behavior indicating sexual gratification.

“I have read the e-mails you (the council) have received and listened closely to the public comments tonight,” said Police Chief Kenneth Small. “It is my guess that the overwhelming majority of those people have absolutely no idea what the facts or circumstances were.”

Police said they want to be able to keep people from exposing themselves in public after a downtown resident, who is a naturist, frequently was seen naked at his home.

The police crafted the proposed ban based on public nudity ordinances in Newport Beach and Long Beach.

This type of ordinance is not new to cities in Orange County. More than half of the cities in the county have approved similar bans on public nudity, said Small.

The ordinance will have a second council reading Aug. 6 and go into effect 30 days after that, according to City Clerk Joan Flynn.

[jbeegoode]

"Letters from all over the world." Seems that the police chief and Councilman Joe Carchio have an intellectual deficit. They just couldn't get past the notion that there is nothing to protect people AND AGAIN "THE KIDS" from. Their minds are apparently frozen and consequently deaf to what people are saying to them.

This foolishness is okay because other jurisdictions in Orange County did it, too? I wonder what the penalties are for nor allowing others to mind your own business and imposing their dress code? Orange County is famous for conservative pockets of dinosaurs. It is like Disneyland has cast a magical shadow over certain areas.

El Heffay also states that less than half of the jurisdictions have imposed this crap on people and makes it sound like that means that the whole county is for it. Typical conformist thinking that the Bill of Rights was created to protect us from. A majority messing with the minority, or individual's rights to liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Jbee

[Greenbare Woods]

Political action needs to be led by organized groups.  Political action has to be raising donations at election time, and it has to be a voting block that candidates know about. 

Its not enough just to complain when city council has  wild hair.