And shouldn't widow Jones be told to keep her window shades all pulled completely down?
By adamg - 3/18/13 - 4:31 pm
A little bit of the old Harper Valley PTA is erupting in Brookline, where Wicked Local reports a woman called police after one of her neighbors sent her a letter asking that "she close the blinds to several windows in her home." The resident informed police she found the letter insulting.
Comments
Offense of Modesty
When I lived in Singapore this was a frequent complaint since people live in close quarters. I believe they called it Offense of Modesty (or maybe that was for the reverse crime of peeping Toms or it didn't matter the direction of the offense?) and they passed some new laws requiring people to close their blinds if they could reasonably be seen by those from the outside after one particular couple was found to be frequent offenders.
Anyway - made for good watercooler talk about how we should avoid offending anyone's modesty lest we be caned, or in my case hung for being really offensive! :-)
Modesty - binoculars - circumstances
Do not know of circumstances in Brookline, however, I have knowledge of set of happenstances and events that occurred for a number of years, in which authorities had to intervene on 'events' taking place in a private residence in Brighton.
"Individuals(a family, sadly) involved in filming and displaying 'untoward and scandalous acts'. It happened over a period of years, when authorities were initially reluctant to intervene -- for what went on 'behind closed doors.' Doors may have been closed, but neighbors occasionally could see into several rooms of the house. The rooms with views revealed - lurid sex acts and then some.
Eventually authorities intervened when the family became extended and children 'may or may have not' had knowledge of these sad and unnerving filmings(pre-Internet). Don't believe young children were directly involved, yet, teenagers were! Shockingly, filming lights were used -- thus neighbors became aware of the unseemly events.
One can create a situation for 'some of the world to view' and actions will occur.
Let me guess. Their name was
Let me guess. Their name was "The Aristocrats".
This merits police involvement?
Good grief. So the letter was insulting. Why does this merit involving the police? Was it a threat? If not, it's not something the cops need to get in to.
Ad for blinds
Too funny. Does anybody else get the ad for window blinds on the right hand side of the page?
Worse than that
I'm getting ads for gym memberships and diet supplements.
Put down the binoculars
Perhaps she should advise her neighbor to stop looking in her windows?
indeed.
My opinion is that if you go looking in peoples' windows, you deserve whatever you get. That said, I realize that most people don't agree with me on this and keep my blinds drawn so as to avoid offending the neighbors' sensibilities.
Whether nudity in your own home that's visible from the street is illegal would appear to vary by jurisdiction. Erick Williamson was arrested in Springfield, Virginia, for being visible through an uncurtained window of his home while nude. He was initially convicted of indecent exposure but the conviction was overturned later, on appeal. That must have been a costly and difficult experience. I'm not sure whether he would have had to register as a sex offender had the conviction been upheld.
Go to Amsterdam, most homes don't even have curtains on the windows.
Miss Jeannie C. Reilly: Adam,
Miss Jeannie C. Reilly: Adam, off-topic, but what's the over/under on the number of UH readers who recognized the post's title as lyrics?
I'm guessing ..
Roughly, oh, two.
misspent youth
It brought to mind not just the song but the movie as well.
third
Well maybe half. I did not make the connection until I read the text. Then I realized the title was the song lyrics