The idea that Gary might start policing people who wear sagging pants didn’t sit well with some residents Wednesday.
While acknowledging the idea might bring an air of “class and professionalism,” Stephen Moseley didn’t mince words when told of the proposed ordinance.
“That’s dumb,” Moseley said. “People should leave people be. You could have a phone, pack of cigarettes, keys and a wallet, and that the weight of the pants go down.”
And the notion that low pants has something to do with prison-rape culture is wrong, according to Moseley, who was with friends Wednesday afternoon at 45th Avenue and Connecticut Street.
“They’re worried about thugs and rappers, but it’s fashion, pure and simple,” he said.
Another man, who declined to give his name, said he could see the older generation not appreciating seeing someone’s buttocks hanging out of their pants. But he wondered whether the ordinance would work both ways.
More Top Picks Canon Color Imageclass Mf741cdw
“The other night, I saw a woman at the gas station with her pants way down here and her G-string hanging out,” he said. “Are they going to fine her, too? It’s a two-way, not a one-way.”
J.J. Armstrong joked that maybe everyone should wear suspenders if their pants are too big, but then wondered how the ordinance would be implemented.
“You see kids wearing their pants down low, and they don’t have any money to pay any fines,” Armstrong said. “They’ll just get a ticket and keep on doing it.”
A man who goes by the name Kayotic said simply that people should be allowed to wear what they want. His friend, who wore his pants low and who also declined to give his name, echoed the sentiment.
“I paid $200 for these pants and $300 for the belt. I can wear them like I want to,” he said. “You can’t see what I bought if I wear them pulled up, anyway.”
Michelle L. Quinn is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.