World Naked Bike Ride - London 2017

No, I didn't join in. However, for the first time since it's been running through London (according to Wikipedia it expanded to the UK in 2010 - so that would suggest this is the eighth time), I was witness to hundred of cyclists in various states of undress making their way across Waterloo Bridge.

As they passed, a few things came to my attention (insert Frankie Howerd exclamation).

First were the reactions from my fellow pedestrians. I didn't hear any cries of disgust, calls for them to "think about the children" (and there were children who were witness to it without any signs of incipient trauma), or any other morally-outraged responses. I did hear "only in London" a few times (which isn't , the bike ride has been held in other cities both in the UK and across the Globe (hence the World in World Naked Bike Ride - we're not the USA with the World Series here)).

 Secondly was how normal it all seemed. Maybe it's me getting older (although I should be getting more conservative as I age), but the sight of hundred of naked or semi-clad people on bikes didn't appear to be particularly unusual. Seeing naked women didn't make me crazed with lust - so I guess all those people who think women need to be clad from head-to-toe to prevent men from raping them might be a little misguided.

 Thirdly was the sheer variety of bodies on display. Old, young, fat, thin, male, female (although the gentlemen greatly outweighed the ladies). There's often this wrinkling the nose in disgust about the bodies some people have to show - it should only be the attractive people who get naked (which is all confused in the nudity is about sex/sexiness argument). I can't say I felt any particular disgust - at least no more so than I'd feel at any of the riders with their clothes on.

 Primarily, I think this drove home the fact with me that the problem with nudity isn't too much nudity - it's too little nudity. Unless the goal is to fetishise it, to reserve it for the strip club, in which case, keep making sure that everyone is covered up and make getting naked a shameful thing that only happens behind closed doors.