What, Davie, were there a few of in the river ponds?

Why, Davie, did you manage only a 'fair amount of naked walking'?  I'm a bit confused by the mixed messages on this forum about the need to cover up....

If it's legally ok to go about naked in public, but we don't want to get any hassle from textiles, mis-informed as they're likely to be, why isn't it enough to cup your hand around your genitals as you pass, and thereby show them consideration, but otherwise stay naked?

I can't believe that naked buttocks are likely to offend.  Genitalia, maybe.  I would want us to be assertive in our rights but considerate nonetheless, and it seems to me futile to grab a cover-up, and tantamount to an admission of guilt...

Do these quick cover-ups deceive the textile into believing that we were always clothed????  Does our bare chest not give the game away?!!!  Aren't we positively kooky in the extreme, in the eyes of the textile,  whatever we do????

I say these things as I prepare for more naked rambling and anticipate chance encounters.  Aren't we making a rod for our own back by covering up?

There are indeed a few deep pools in this river and I took advantage of one of them.

Simple nudity is not illegal but I believe that care needs to be exercised especially when there are kids about as there were. Let me ask you, how many naked walkers have you come across during your life? If you are like me - none. Whilst I understand your point of view putting your hands across your gentiles seems you are agreeing that exposure is wrong. I would love to feel comfortable walking naked but when there are a lot of people about including children and knowing how some might react I don't. Sorry. I have little doubt that if walking in a group its likely you would feel more assertive with the strength of a group as the Singles Outdoor Club demonstrate.

With that in mind once away from the crowds I will walk naked and I enjoy it. That's why I choose fairly remote country but even these areas have their walk in paths.  To be honest I just don't want to face any hassle.

There are indeed mixed messages causerie we all have different perceptions and background.

Davie  8)
   

I am listening and learning, Davie...

A hand cupped in front of your genitals does not mean that exposure is wrong, but that others may not wish to see them, and that we respect that..

The point you make about how few naked ramblers there are is a powerful one.  So much of a culture shock is it to textiles that we go out of our way to 'spare' them the shock.

In so doing we re-inforce their view and fail to project ours.  We are cowed by their prevailing view.  Nothing was ever, ever gained by being cowed....

Yes, we have  different opinions.  As individuals we are no more than the influences and experiences acting upon us.  So it is opinion varies.  So it is we are divided.  United we're not.  There is no consensus.  Politically we are a rag-bag of kooky individuals.  So it is we make no progress with the textile majority.  We stand still.  Cowed into submission.

Yes, we have  different opinions.  As individuals we are no more than the influences and experiences acting upon us.  So it is opinion varies.  So it is we are divided.  United we're not.  There is no consensus.  Politically we are a rag-bag of kooky individuals.  So it is we make no progress with the textile majority.  We stand still.  Cowed into submission.

That's fine being cowed into submission - until you are the one having a visit from some prejudiced Police Officer. Yes we are all different, you are right there isn't consensus except to say that we all want better acceptance. I don't accept we are seen by all as a bag of kooky individuals. That has not been my experience when speaking about a naturist issue to my MP or when I've approached local authorities and commercial businesses in relation to naturist activities. You say that covering your gentiles is a mark of respect to others, putting on a light pair of shorts was my method of showing respect, especially as I said with children about. It's one thing being naked in front of adults, but those same adults may be rather more unpredicable with kids about. Pity but that's the reality.

I really didn't think a short report about a walk would develop into a debate, but debate is what we do need from time to time and I take no offence from my views being challenged. It's good to have your own views tested.

Davie  8)

Sorry I agree with Davie, while we may enjoy being without unnecessary clothing when conditions are suitable, we are and always will be in the minority and and although it may not be illegal to be without clothes, we will most likely cause offense to most people, especially those with children.

Stopping to put on shorts but not hiding as if you were doing something wrong then possibly passing the time of day with other walkers would show respect for their views and may even generate a constructive conversation about our piont of view about naturism.

The attitude of Sod you I will do what I want  because it is questionably legal does nothing to help.

Well said Ray and Davie. If you go walking naked where you are likely to meet people who don,t agree with you at least have a pair of shorts handy to cover up with if you need to. 🙂

No offence to growler but you do seem to have the same attitude as the naked rambler and look where that got him.

Realistically there should be no problem walking free and not covering up, but the reality is even though its not illegal you are likely to have hassle either from the people seeing you and calling you a pervert, reporting you to the police (there have been incidents where the police have waited and arrested lone nude walkers), or potentially physical reaction from some people or as was the case last week your picture ending up in the local news paper and poste over the net as a pervert.

I for one just don't want the hassle and hence I am in favour of official nudist trails (I say nudist rather than naturist to avoid confusion) as Germany has. 

There do appear to be some misunderstandings between the points being made, and particularly any suggestion that my views may be likened to the Naked Rambler's...

There is no "Sod You" attitude coming from me.  Au contraire, I would not dream of not shielding my genitalia from view.  Avoiding any hassle is also my wish - but I simply question whether you can achieve that if you bump into someone unexpectedly by donning shorts, when it is clear to that person you are naked.  Different if you see them before they see you....

Short-donners of the world, we are cowed, as well as being pragmatic....

I would tend to conceal my genitalia with whatever I was carrying - on the Thames bank I used the barbecue which I was getting out for the evening meal.

I take your point about donning shorts if you  unexpectedlycome across someone. It's probably too late by then! Just to clarify.

There was no unexpected bumping into anyone on yesterday's walk. Where I knew it would be busy I put shorts on before reaching that point. (around Three shires head and part of the path leading to it) Further on if I saw someone in the distance I again covered up.

My mantra is - if you can't see what they are wearing they cannot see what you are not. Perhaps some are naturists and we've both covered up. Maybe that's why we don't see naked walkers about. Now there's a thought.

Davie  8)

Thanks for those additions, Davie.

what I've learned today is that playing it safe where the likelihood of encounter is greatest is common sense but the chance of a surprise encounter will never go away.

Particularly how we handle surprise encounters is down to more individual attitudes.  I'm trying to get past worrying about surprise encounters by dismissing the possibility from my mind - I would be donning shorts every time I went round a blind corner if I let it prey on my mind....

I do agree - I probably did miss understand, if someone has already seen you naked then trying to hide looks like you are doing something weird so its best not to hide (even with a hand) to show there is no 'sexual excitement' and you are just walking nude.

Grower,

I walk naked on a very regular basis but generally choose locations and times that give me a high expectation of not seeing anybody else. However, on occasion I see another walker. if they have not seen me I tend to either melt away and stay out of sight or cover up. My preference is always to stay naked and unseen.

On a few occasions, I have been caught out unexpectedly by people who have clearly already seen I am naked by the time I see them. in such cases I will cover up if it is a lone female or there are any children around. This is a simple act of courtesy, it is not an admission of guilt and I go out of my way to cover up without looking as though I am hurrying. Rushing to dress will almost certainly take longer than being relaxed about it and sends a very strong signal guilty message, which is always better avoided. if the other person is male I tend not to dress once caught out at close quarters, instead I will simply greet them with a cheerful "hello" and continue past. (Naturally, should their body language indicate discomfort, I will dress for the single male too).

If they are very close and engage me in conversation (it has happened!) I may ask whether they would be more comfortable if I dress. So far, no one I've asked has ever asked me to dress. I am more likely to get a "too late!" response or a shrug of the shoulders.

In my experience, being obviously respectful and courteous and not pretending I was not naked, has produced reasonable reactions from the people I've met. Only once have I had any hostility and that came from a woman on horseback who complained I was on private land (I was, but it was a public footpath across the land). My nudity was not an issue as I had dressed before she got close enough to speak to me. She did note that I had been naked but my reply of "sure, why not on a day like today?" resulted in her humphing and sticking her nose in the air as she rode away. Her arrogance really p155ed me off, but no real harm was done to either of us.

Have fun,

Ian.

PS A hand covering genitals may be misconstrued as a "handful of plaything"; coppers and courts do not always hear the story the way we would like them to...

With apologies to Davie for hijacking the thread I would like to thank everyone for their input.

milfmog, all of the issues, and all of their nuances seem to be captured in your post - it's a great post.  It's brought me to the simple expedient of covering up if ever I meet someone, or see someone, then abandoning the ramble for that day.

For me the spell would be broken.  Only perhaps after a much longer career like yours could I pass it off and continue that day.

From what started out as a wish not to be cowed concludes with a personal preference to knock it on the head that day.  You see, everyone, thinking
and talking it through takes you to places you wouldn't otherwise go.

thanks.