Lynwood to Residents: Pull Up Your Damn Pants!

By Prescott Carlson in News on Jul 19, 2008 7:31PM

We haven't decided if this idea is racist or stupid. Probably a healthy mix of both.

South suburban Lynwood, in a move aimed at cleaning up their image to attract development, has passed an ordinance against baggy pants. That's right, you had better buy a belt because if you want to walk around town with your underwear hanging out, you're going to get slapped with a $25 fine. Huh, we didn't know our grandpa was on the Lynwood town board. Mayor Eugene Williams told the Trib that he "cannot attract major retailers when young men are parading around half-dressed."

"I know I'm going out on a limb by doing this," [Williams] said. "It's a hot topic right now—everyone wants to talk about it, but I really hope it does some good."

American Civil Liberties Union spokesman Edwin Yohnka is worried that the ordinance is targeted at one particular group:

"One of our concerns is that we know who wears baggy pants; it appears these are efforts to have more police interaction with young men of color," he said. "Let's see if they start pulling over plumbers for their pants."

Next up on the Lynwood agenda, an ordinance to keep those kids off the damn lawn.

[Trib, photo by mmmmarshall]