Employees at a shrine in Thiruvananthapuram, India will no longer be forced to work in their underwear thanks to their local Human Rights Commission. The shrine workers collect donations of cash, precious metals and gems at a temple dedicated to Ayyappa, a local deity. But after a spate of thefts at the shrine five years ago, police officials and temple bigwigs began forcing the shrine staff to wear a uniform that consists of nothing but a cotton wrap around their waists.
Temple workers were also subjected to strip searches before going home each day to ensure that they weren't hiding cash in their underwear. Unsurprisingly, the staff found this treatment incredibly degrading and they complained to the local government.
After hearing the case, the Kerala State Human Rights Commission sided with a union representing the temple employees and ruled that they must be allowed to come to work fully clothed again. Officials at the shrine said they would agree to end strip searches and get rid of the skimpy theft-prevention "uniforms." Temple authorities are now thinking about installing surveillance cameras at the shrine--now that their staff will be wearing pants again.
Now you see 'em, now you don't. Australian authorities seem to get pretty mixed up about when it's alright to see women's breasts and when it's not. Just this summer Australia was searching for women (especially backpackers) to work at the nude car wash in Brisbane to encourage people to get their cars clean in a water-saving, Earth-friendly way.
Well, the drought that inspired the car wash hasn't exactly broken, but the topless women have headed south of Perth to Pinjarra. This week a barmaid at the Premier Hotel was fined A$1,000 (about $900) because she exposed her breasts twice to bar-goers; her colleague was fined half that for helping to hang spoons from her nipples. Seems like going to the pub in Australia just ain't as fun as going to the car wash.
Forget everything you've heard about European attitudes towards nudity: It isn't always okay -- especially when you're in the Pope's back yard. Remember the Trevi Fountain skinny dip? It is back, this time at Fontanella de Barcaccia. This past Sunday, a 22-year-old American was arrested in Rome for stripping down and bathing in a public fountain near the famed Spanish Steps. Apparently, he spotted the Fontanella de Barcaccia and -- other tourists be damned -- decided to take a quick dip in the 17th-century landmark.
Maybe the man had read the children's classic From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, in which two preteen runaways hide in New York's Metropolitan Museum and bathe in its fountains to find coins for the Automat. Or maybe he just downed a Red Bull spiked with Ecstasy. Either way, Jaunted can not endorse this hotel-shower-free method of traveling. Better to go dirty than face a public obscenity trial in Italy.
Looking for a holiday job in Australia? A car wash in Queensland capital Brisbane is advertising some vacant positions at the moment. They're looking for backpackers and travelers who want to earn some quick big bucks at this "small and exclusive car wash".
So what's the catch? Well, this is the Bubbles'n'Babes car wash and you've gotta be topless or nude to work there. It's a response to a drought-induced water shortage that's made it illegal for Brisbanites to wash their cars at home. Topless car washes start at $50, and full nudity (and a clean car) are $100.
A few locals have been complaining about the new business, but police and the local council say nothing illegal is going on: even the job ads makes it clear there's "no hustling and no touching".
The cops did ask for a screen on the street side of the car wash though:
We don't want any traffic accidents caused by people looking at the girls instead of looking at the road.
Safe driving then, and check it out if you want to make Aussie dollars fast.
Having too much fun in Venice's Saint Mark's Square just won't be tolerated anymore, as local officials have decided to posh up the area. Apparently too many hamburger wrappers and half-naked tourists taking naps puts the elite tourists off their extremely expensive macchiatos. The solution lies in installing a few new employees, as the deputy mayor describes:
Six stewards, men and women, will explain to tourists that it is not a good idea to eat, camp out, lay down or walk around the city bare-chested.
They must be taking evasive action before the nude swimmer at the Trevi Fountain moves north.
Long gone are the days when kids around the world dreamed of flying to America to visit Disneyland. With Disney parks now in Paris, Tokyo and China, you never really know where Main Street USA will turn up next. It's not all plain sailing though, as we reported last year with Chinese complaints about the new Hong Kong attraction.
Today Hong Kong's Disneyland turns one year old, but it's not all smiling Mickey Mouses over there. Problem one: long-standing local attraction Ocean Park is packing in more visitors. It's cheaper, better located and not enough Chinese care about Mickey, anyway. Second hiccup is a recent bit of bad publicity. Seems that four employees at Hong Kong Disneyland were fired after management got them on video, frolicking around in the changerooms naked. And that's not what we want to imagine Mickey Mouse doing after hours, is it?
Here's a Chinese trend we don't see catching on in the decadent West -- naked wedding photos. We hasten to add it's primarily the brides getting naked in "tasteful" poses.
The moms, they don't like is so much. Says one, "Some photo studios . . allow young women to have their photos taken in bikinis or with nothing on at all. I hope the authorities will do something." For at least one bride getting the cheesecake treatment, it's carpe diem all the way: "If we can record how nice we look when we are young by taking photos, why shouldn't we? People grow older, fatter and uglier."
Oh, Naked Rambler, you're always so naked, and now your ass is in jail. It all happened when Stephen Gough walked into Edinburgh Sheriff Court to deal with a couple of the many charges that occurred during his recent walks with his equally sky-clad girlfriend (no word on her charges, if any).
Of course, our N.R. went to court naked. When he did the same thing on the next day, the judge told him he was "offensive" and found him in contempt.
Here's a Chinese trend we don't see catching on in the decadent West -- naked wedding photos. We hasten to add it's primarily the brides getting naked in "tasteful" poses. 
Oh, Naked Rambler, you're always so naked, and now your ass is in jail. It all happened when Stephen Gough walked into Edinburgh Sheriff Court to deal with a couple of the many charges that occurred during his recent walks with his equally sky-clad girlfriend (no word on her charges, if any). 
