Interesting thread I posted with some 'interesting' and humorous comments . . .
Thong-clad biker has some eyes sore -
San Antonio man get complaints, says he has rights
Excerpt:Thong-clad biker has some eyes sore
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By Jesse Bogan San Antonio Express-News Web Posted : 05/05/2003 12:00 AM Though he appears nearly naked from time to time, Joseph Gottschalk is legally covered.
Joseph Gottschalk causes controversy by choosing to wear the minimum amount of clothing required by law while bicycling. The thong-clad Gottschalk was riding in his neighborhood near Southside Lions Park on Saturday.
Bob Owen/Express-NewsReact
"Don't they call that a thong? I think it's disgusting," said Norm Sutton, 66, of the undressed man who rides his bike around Southside Lions Park.
San Antonio Park Police have received several complaints over the past month about a man who cruises on a bicycle wearing only shoes and a thong — a swimsuit or undergarment that doesn't cover the buttocks.
"This is unique, let me tell you. Normal general public doesn't do that," said Park Police Capt. Raymond Castro. "But he's within his civil rights and legal rights to wear his thong."
According to state law, no offense is committed if the man has "his anus and genitals" covered, Castro said. Which the thong does, if nothing else.
Gottschalk, 52, an unemployed truck driver who dabbles in carpentry, is aware of his rights and compares riding nearly naked to driving the maximum legal speed limit.
"It doesn't take much clothing to take care of the requirement," he said. "I call it exhibitionism.
"We all claim to believe in the value of personal liberty, but we don't," he said. "No one person has the right to outrank the law and tell me what to wear."
Ed Mitchell, 63, a retired Bexar County deputy who frequents the park, shook his head at the fine line that keeps Gottschalk from going to jail for indecent exposure or disorderly conduct.
"That little bit he's got on, a fig leaf would probably cover more than that," he said.
