“God, lighten up. Who gives a toss?”

StG, do you really think that blatant contradictions in what is written in law and what we are told is the go by police and government…and what is practiced, policed and accepted by the authorities and community, are acceptable at any time, anywhere, in any context….. or are so trivial that we shouldn’t worry about them or debate them on OLO?

This slackness in government is a very important aspect of our law and liberties. Isn’t it?

BTW, lots of guys give a toss on nude beaches, sometimes very blatantly so. If they get reported to the cops, should they be busted?

The poor old police…what are they supposed to do? If someone gets reported for nudity on an unofficial nude beach, are they obligated to act? Or is it alright for them to tell the complainant to go get a life and stop being a prude…and laugh them out of the police station? If someone reports a bloke for massaging his erection while lying in a non-threatening pose on an unofficial nude beach, are they obligated to act? If someone complains about one person, are they supposed to go down to the beach and arrest every poor bare-bummed sod who is just lying around harmlessly… and who has been doing so every weekend for yonks with no problem?

If they allow one brazen illegal activity, then how can they police anything else that might occur on a nude beach?

What the hell is acceptable and what isn’t?

I agree that the shortage of police is a big issue. But that is no excuse for the government not tightening up some of the glaring duplicities between the law and condoned activities. In fact, it is another major short-coming of the government. The shortage of police and the consequent erosion of law enforcement and respect for the law is just one of several major ways in which our illustrious state and federal governments have failed terribly to keep basic services up to a rapidly growing population, despite excellent economic times.

Most people will now know from reading my posts that I am a Born Again Christian, and a nudist. I'm not going to justify being both here, because I have already done that.

In the church I have heard a lot of myths about the nudist movement, mostly from people who know nothing about it.

When a number of beaches were formally made legal for nude bathing in 1997, One of Fred Nile's main concerns were that families could no longer use these beaches and any body who was on one of these beaches wearing clothes would be told to leave. This is not true (Fred Nile has obviously never been to a nude beach). Everywhere in NSW where there is a nude beach, there is an alternative beach available for non nudists. Nude beaches are generally difficult to access, and a long distance from car parking facilities. It's hardly likely that a non nudist family would want to go to one of those beaches anyway. As far as people wearing clothes on nude beaches, many nudists have family members who don't wish to go nude, especially with women and teenage children. These people are welcome to wear swimming costumes. The only clothed people who would be asked to leave a nude beach are people causing problems, (ie harrassing nudists).

It's down to the discretion of the officers. If someone comes in complaining about how offensive some nudity on a beach is to them they'll prioritise depending on the day they're having. IF they're FLATOUT like most days with criminal activity involving threat to life they'll slot your nudity down the list.

If someone is masturbating in the sand dunes over a family with young nude daughters they'll obviously do something with that and while they're there they'll advise the family about the law regarding nudity on public beaches.

I get the feeling you guys have NO IDEA how chocked up the courts are...

“It's hardly likely that a non nudist family would want to go to one of those beaches anyway.”

This appears to be true most of the time, Steel Mann. But it certainly isn’t at Balding Bay, Magnetic Island.

I was there yesterday and I’ve been there a number of times this year. There were many clothed family groups, women, children and adolescent girls, along with a host of naked men and a few naked women. I didn’t see the slightest sign of any problem, or any thrill factor or pervert mentality. They all just coexisted in beautiful harmony. Just an interesting observation, that’s all.

"It's hardly likely that a non nudist family would want to go to one of those beaches anyway.”

Ludwig, I mightn't have made myself clear. I was referring to nude beaches in Sydney, and suggesting that if these beaches were not nude beaches, families probably wouldn't go to them anyway as they are difficult to access. They are a long way from car parking facilities, and there are other beaches nearby which are much easier to get to.

I'm not familiar with Balding Bay on Magnetic Island.

It's important to have legal nude beaches, as if this makes it easier for nudists to report inappropriate behaviour to the police. At beaches where nude bathing is is not officially approved, but tolerated, it is difficult for nudists to complain about inappropriate behaviour as technically, they too are breaking the law.

Perverted behaviour at nude beaches is rare, as the nudists generally make these people uncomfortable by staring at them, and they soon leave.

Nude beaches are generally cleaner and safer. Nudists tend to be honest. I can leave my clothing with my wallet containing cash, and have never had any problems with anything being stolen. This cannot be said for normal beaches. I have never seen discarded syringes on nude beaches and there is not a lot of rubbish, despite the fact that very few nude beaches have bins.

Dear Steel Mann,

I'm curious.

What's it like to swim in the ocean nude?

A friend told me the water felt like velvet.

Is it true?