New Jersey kill-joy seeks ban on swim suits

It is already on the books in Asbury Park NJ that wearing a swim suit on the boardwalk is illegal. And Louise Murray, a former council woman for the sea shore city, wants the city to enforce the ordinance that was enacted more than four decades ago. Murray told the Star-Ledge newspaper of nearby Newark that she is concerned that allowing the patrons at boardwalk bars, restaurants, and other establishments will further degrade the Garden State's image. Murray says she believes bikinis and other revealing attire would harm Asbury Park's "classy" image.

The ordinance now in force declares, "No person clad in bathing attire shall be on the boardwalk or the public walks adjacent thereto." However, Asbury Park municipal manager Terence Reidy gave assurances to the Asbury Park Sun that there will be no strict enforcement in the foreseeable future. "For the time being, no one is going to get arrested for wearing a bathing suit on the boardwalk," Reidy added that the ordinance "clearly needs to be re-visited."

Murray leads local Republicans in Asbury Park. While the law may have been forgotten and ignored, city manager Reidy says Murray has the right to her opinion. Ordinances such as the bathing suit ban may also be addressed for review and/or abolition. In 2010, the city council shot down proposals to allow women to appear topless at the beach and boardwalk.