Generally speaking, I don’t let other people’s opinions bother me - or at least I don’t let them influence my decision making. For example, I carry a purse. I don’t cover it up by calling it a murse, or man bag, or European carry-all. It’s a purse. It’s convenient, and I hate having crap in my pockets. Carrying a purse is practical, and I don’t care that it makes me look like a confused cross-dresser on stilts.

I applaud anyone who does something they feel is practical despite what others might think of it. That said, I think people at State Fairs and other local festivals should maybe care a little bit more about what others think. What is it about people that make them wear less clothing the bigger they expect the crowd to be? Really, as if being in a crowd isn’t bad enough, do we need some fat, sweaty, shirtless dude rubbing up against us while we’re there?

Honestly, just because you’re a dude doesn’t mean you shouldn’t put a damn shirt on. Unless by accident, I almost never leave the house without a shirt. Not only does it keep me from getting melanoma, it also keeps people from realizing that I am a skinny, pale Dutch guy. Personally, I like to keep people guessing.

My point is that while technically it’s legal and potentially it’s comfortable, is it really so bad to consider what other people might be experiencing as a direct result of your actions?

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank tourist season at the Seattle Center (where the Space Needle is) for providing the motivation for this post.