If you’re looking for a vacation spot, I’d recommend you consider Kure Beach, N.C. Sure, they have sandy beaches and rolling waves, all the things that attract people to the seashore.
But most of all, Kure Beach – at least the people who live there – seem to have common sense.
Last month, the town, that the mayor describes as “Mayberry with a beach,” banned swimmers from wearing thong bathing suits. The ban includes revealing swimsuits for both men and women and is now part of the ordinance against nude swimming.
It seems Lamberth received an email from a person who was offended by the ultra-skimpy swimsuits they saw on the beach.
“We’re going to keep this as close to Mayberry with a beach as you can keep it,” Mayor Dean Lamberth said.
I’ve never been to Kure Beach but I do understand their concerns. There was a time years ago when I , too, wished there was some sort of ban on bad-taste bathing suits.
I was at a work conference (which, for some reason made it that much worse) and several of us were sitting around the swimming pool during a break. A lady wearing a drapey coverup walked out to the side of the pool, accompanied by her two young children. She got her youngsters situated in the children’s pool and then slipped off her coverup and walked to the other side of the pool. She was wearing a beige macrame thong bathing suit.
It was small and, as it was essentially the same color as her skin, it looked like she was wearing nothing.
She proceeded to go get drinks for her kids and then hop into the children’s pool to play.
You couldn’t help but stare.
“Well, that certainly makes a statement,” someone said.
I’m not sure what that statement is, other than a lack of modesty or a whole lot of self confidence.
This woman’s appearance was a distraction to just about everyone that was poolside that day and I still remember the overwhelming desire to ask her to cover up.
The residents of Kure Beach, NC won’t have to deal with that.
They have enough common sense to realize that other people don’t share the same trait and that sometimes, you do have to legislate morality. Or, in this case, modesty.