Nudists scare beach kids

[NudieDaniel]

Despite the misleading headline, it's actually not naturist bashing and it's balanced, which the Herald doesn't usually do

Residents and visitors have had enough of sex antics at Ladies Bay

By John Weekes

Locals near a popular hangout for naked sunlovers are relieved summer is coming to a close.

One disgusted resident said promises from authorities to crack down on miscreants at Ladies Bay, near the wealthy Auckland suburb of St Heliers, had made little difference.

Swinger websites and forums, such as Swing Lifestyle, listed Ladies Bay as an ideal location for casual sex in public.

St Heliers resident Rose, who asked that her surname be withheld to avoid reprisals, said Ladies Bay was often the scene for lewd gestures and public sex acts rather than nudists minding their own business.

She said disgusting incidents marred her recent trips to the beach.

"There was a group of kids down there who wanted to do fishing and who turned up at the same time as us."

But the children left because of the unacceptable behaviour of a group of four men.

Rose also said that last year two naked men followed a woman walking with a young boy. The mother took her child to the next beach, Gentlemens Bay, and two men followed.

The beach is within a few hundred metres of a children's playground and Rose said she was concerned for kids exploring the rocks and beaches.

The beach even has a bad reputation with some naturists.

The online nudist beach guide Free Beaches says: "Of great concern to genuine naturists is the serious reputation for bad behaviour there, due to the combination of an aggressive local person promoting the place as 'adult' and inadequate policing of this person's activity over the last few years."

Another resident said she knew of no obscene incidents at Ladies Bay lately but she avoided the beach anyway.

On Friday last week an angry, naked, swearing man confronted Rose and the Herald on Sunday, but on Wednesday only clothed sunbathers and a man with a metal detector were there.

Naturist Rick Dowling said offensive behaviour was more common at isolated beaches. "If you go to places like Oretiti and Bream Bay, which is very popular with naturists, inappropriate behaviour is much less likely."

Dowling said an overseas solution was to have two people — one naturist and one police officer — patrol beaches.

Orakei Local Board chair Desley Simpson was unaware of any recent obscene behaviour at Ladies Bay and advised concerned locals to contact police or the council if they witnessed lewd activity.

In 2008, police promised to "reclaim the beach" after residents, naturists and other beachgoers reported regular run-ins with perverts. 

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11224533

[Northman]

Dowling said an overseas solution was to have two people — one naturist and one police officer — patrol beaches.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11224533

Shouldn't they build a permanent lifeguard post or something that can oversee the whole beach and monitor this kind of stuff? I mean the mere presence alone should scare the perverts out of sight and bring more proper people around because of it. 

But the police officers and naturists patrolling the beach sounds good too.

[NudieDaniel]

Dowling said an overseas solution was to have two people — one naturist and one police officer — patrol beaches.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11224533

Shouldn't they build a permanent lifeguard post or something that can oversee the whole beach and monitor this kind of stuff? I mean the mere presence alone should scare the perverts out of sight and bring more proper people around because of it. 

But the police officers and naturists patrolling the beach sounds good too.

They need to set up a local surf life saving club and that's up to the locals not the council so the latter option is the best we got at these beaches

[Northman]

Dowling said an overseas solution was to have two people — one naturist and one police officer — patrol beaches.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11224533

Shouldn't they build a permanent lifeguard post or something that can oversee the whole beach and monitor this kind of stuff? I mean the mere presence alone should scare the perverts out of sight and bring more proper people around because of it. 

But the police officers and naturists patrolling the beach sounds good too.

They need to set up a local surf life saving club and that's up to the locals not the council so the latter option is the best we got at these beaches

How does one establish a surf life saving club?

[NudieDaniel]

Dowling said an overseas solution was to have two people — one naturist and one police officer — patrol beaches.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11224533

Shouldn't they build a permanent lifeguard post or something that can oversee the whole beach and monitor this kind of stuff? I mean the mere presence alone should scare the perverts out of sight and bring more proper people around because of it. 

But the police officers and naturists patrolling the beach sounds good too.

They need to set up a local surf life saving club and that's up to the locals not the council so the latter option is the best we got at these beaches

How does one establish a surf life saving club?

The same way you set up a naturist club by the looks of it. I did check the surf life saving website they do patrol beaches in addition to beaches with clubs but these are popular beaches and they patrol the beaches at busiest times during summer Ladies Bay just doesn't fall under that category, life guards are there mostly for water safety as we all know not keeping perves under control. That what naturists who take no shit and call the police on the perves are for.

[fsjm2112]

Well I'm not surprised the beach is closed. People like this put a terrible name on naturism.

[NudieDaniel]

Well I'm not surprised the beach is closed. People like this put a terrible name on naturism.

I don't where you got the idea for the first statement since it's a public beach therefore a public space most beaches form apart of a park or reserve including this one tucked away at the bottom of local streets. I read an older article on this it seems drinking was or is a problem too and also the police where using the Summary Offences Act against Naturists (which proves cops don't read the law they enforce since they added a section that doesn't exist) as well as the perves (the people the law is actually aimed at) but now they are working together to get rid of the perves which is good. The problem with urban nude beaches was that naturists weren't keeping a lid on perves when it first started and then it's gets out of control and the cops then take a blanket porch and throw every nude off the beach. Freedom (nudity) requires eternal vigilance (dopping in perves for being perves) we're lucky no government has been tempted to change the law and take the legal status of naturism backwards.

Hopefully that clears everything up

[Danee]

I like the system they use in some areas in France of the double-watch by Naturists and a cop.  It worked last year when an idiot with a camera was taking photographs of a family without permission.

[nitram]

It's not naturist clubs' job to patrol. It's police's job. Naturists can't be responsible for inappropriate behavior of everybody.


In France, some clubs are however eager to help the cops to boost relations with local authorities.

Federation members volunteer to keep good relations with lawmakers so this kind of fragile and sparse set up scheme doesn't menace too much naturist's rights.

But it's not always easy as mayors have lots of power regarding naturism in beaches in France.

[NudieDaniel]

Martin mate, what are trying to say? We naturists shouldn't look out for perves and report them?

There's been talk getting a beach ambassador for Ladies Bay

http://www.freebeaches.org.nz/fbgamanl.pdf

I'm meeting Rick Dowling next week, so I'll see if we end up talking about that.

[nitram]

Yes, we should. As any citizen. I just wanted to stress it's cops' job, not ours, however. We shouldn't be indebted if we don't patrol.