World Naked Bike Ride Disrupted By ‘Horrible Sight’ — Police Intervene, But Is This Surprising?

The World Naked Bike Ride is a peaceful protest event that takes place in cities around the world at various dates throughout the year. The event, which is designed to raise awareness of environmental and other issues — such as body image and bicycle safety — and to protest worldwide consumption of crude oil, is pretty much as advertised: a bike ride in which the riders get naked before getting in their bikes.

Actually, full nudity is certainly not mandatory for World Naked Bike Ride participants. The event is classified as “clothing optional,” and organizers stress that riders should only remove as many garments as they are able to while still remaining comfortable.

But at the version of the Naked Bike Ride event that took place Saturday in Canterbury, England, one male participant apparently became a little bit too comfortable.

“Everyone was taking their clothes off to get ready for the ride. I heard gasps and I turned around — it was a horrible sight,” one participant told the Cambridge News. “It’s fair to say he was overexcited and got aroused. It looked like he was enjoying the event a bit too much.”

One of the ride organizers immediately took note and admonished the aroused man, who quickly pulled his jeans back on. Police then got involved, speaking to the man — who appeared “sheepish,” the witness reported — but whether any legal action was taken against the rider was not revealed.

The question of why the man removed his pants in the first place while still in the “overexcited” state was also not addressed.

World Naked Bike Ride organizers say that they are strict in taking action against “inappropriate” behavior at the all-nude events.

“We do not accept this behavior and he was dealt with and removed before the ride started,” said Barry Freeman, one of the leaders of the Canterbury Naked Bike Ride Saturday.

The World Naked Bike Ride website advertises the event as “a free, non-sexual, fun bike ride.” Participants often paint their bodies with slogans such as, “Less crude, more nude,” or simply in patterns resembling bikinis.

Only in Canterbury would you drive past a bunch of naked men riding bikes… Willies and all pic.twitter.com/zb6JayL75i

— Nicky Geraghty (@NickyG_) May 30, 2015

But police in England said that while there is nothing illegal about public nudity as long as “there is no intention to cause harassment, alarm and distress,” they nonetheless maintain a close watch on the World Naked Bike Ride event, as well as spectators who are monitored for excessive or inappropriate “looking” at the riders.

[Lead image via Shutterstock>]