Topless Beaches and Pools
Off of the topic of writing for a second and onto another favorite subject…
USA Today has done an article on a beach/pool behavior survey that was released by TripAdvisor.
"In a beach etiquette survey of about 1,100 U.S. travelers by TripAdvisor, released this morning, 78% of respondents think toplessness is OK in destinations where it's culturally acceptable. That certainly goes against the stereotype of Americans as being prudish when it comes to public nudity.
The survey also found that 6% say 'European Sunbathing' is acceptable at any beach or pool."
I just wanted to add my two cents on the topic.
We are frequent visitors to locations, such as Negril, Jamaica, where topless sunbathing is common. While the initial shock to a country boy is pretty amazing, it passes very, very quickly and after a couple of days the sight of a topless woman isn't any more interesting than that of a woman in a bikini (which is to say that it is extremely interesting).
On the first trip to Mexico with the twins, they were six or seven or so at the time, their eyes bugged out for an hour, then they ignored it for the rest of the trip.
Many American families won't take their children to resorts that allow topless sunbathing, and while I certainly respect their right to make that choice for their children, those same kids miss out on more than just the sight of unfettered boobs. As a general rule, the topless women are either young or European, with the majority being European mothers. This means, of course, European children, who can help to expand American kids's horizons. It is interesting to watch children from American start to interact and play with kids from another country when there is a language barrier. Shy and timid at first they soon are playing the same games even though they may not be able to understand what each other is saying.
Going topless is only a big deal if you make it a big deal.
