Naked Twister

Scott Hardie | December 8, 2007
This discussion is not a poll to ask how many people have tried to play this. I suspect the answer is very few if any, and that the so-called game is a lot less fun to play than the celebratory reverence afforded it, not that I wouldn't mind finding out.

Nah, instead I'm curious about your opinion on a news item out of Texas. An upscale suburb has banned sex clubs in residential areas after complaints about wild orgies every weekend at one house, attracting 100 people or more. (link) Their excuse is that it's a business collecting money, but what I found when I Googled the club for strictly academic purposes is that payment is voluntary and the board has said they can't prove it's a business.

So, on one hand, there's civil liberty, unfair law, and morality police. And on the other hand, there's your next-door neighbor having wild orgies with 100 guests every weekend. Tough call, but it seems to me they could have solved the problem by enforcing noise ordinances and maximum occupancy codes. What do you think?

Eric Wallhagen | December 8, 2007
Interesting case. I think you sum it up best in your last sentence. Personally, I don't see a morality issue in the thing. Let them do what they want to do, so long as it doesn't interfered with someone else's life. So ya, enforce the noise and maximum occupancy codes, and it should at least calm the problem down. Or tell them to find some place more private, like a farm in the middle of no where or something where there will be no neighbors to piss off. If this were next to me, you can be certain the noise and traffic would piss me off. If they were having a weekly BBQ that attracted that size crowd it would equally piss me off. 100 people on a weekly basis is just out of control, and the neighbors have a right to complain about the noise and traffic, though the nature of the gathering should be irrelevant.

Kelly Lee | December 8, 2007
I don't care what my neighbor does as long as it doesn't infringe upon what I'm doing. If it's loud, or they park on my yard, or my property is in danger of something or whatever, then that's an issue. But it's the neighbor's business, not mine.

Tony Peters | December 8, 2007
like others said 100 people invading my neighborhood on a weekly basis would be very annoying. Within a block or two I have a large Italian family that holds HUGE parties about 2-3 times a year and an equally large Irish familly who does the same (though oddly never on the same wekends). My neighbors are polite and both inform us of the event and invite us. But I think Scott's point is the way it should have been handled is to enfoce existing laws rather than make new laws. I tire of people's kneejerk reaction to something new and annoying being to pass a new law. As for what is going on at those event's....whatever I can't honestly understand the place in one's mind (nevermind your relationship with your significant other) that you have to be in to attend and participate in such an event (while I might be a freak I'm not that kind of freak).

Jackie Mason | December 9, 2007
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Allison Bair | December 10, 2007
I have no problem with cities passing zoning ordinances to protect home values, control traffic, etc, but I'm not sure I understand the benefit of this one. If it can't be proved that it's a business, then the ordinance does no good anyway. If it is a business, wouldn't the people in charge be guilty of operating a business without a license? And what are the chances that their home is zoned for commercial use anyway? The law strikes me as a really weird and useless way around the situation.