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 FRIDAY, MARCH 12, 2010 6:44 am |
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Local News 
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New laws for Snohomish County bikini baristas? Coffee-stand regulations are up for a County Council hearing Wednesday. EVERETT — Laws aimed at shielding the public from X-rated behavior by employees and customers at drive-through espresso stands are scheduled for a possible vote at a Snohomish County Council hearing this week.A licensing ordinance would brand businesses adult entertainment if baristas bare too much flesh. The county also is considering a tougher version of its criminal law on lewd conduct. The new rules would apply to all businesses, not just the ones peddling cups of Joe. “We are urging council members to vote for both of these ordinances, because we believe they address the totality of the situation, not just law enforcement,” said Shahram Hadian, who has organized local opposition to risque stands. “They are adult businesses. They are operating as such, and should be regulated as such.” The hearing is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at the county campus in Everett. Council Chairman Mike Cooper said he started receiving complaints by e-mail about espresso-hut employees in bathing suits and lingerie in mid-2008, soon after they proliferated on Highway 99 and other arterials throughout the region. County officials at the time determined the relatively new fashion trend didn't break any laws or health regulations. Within months, however, people were writing Cooper about baristas exposing breasts and wearing thongs. They also reported signs advertising “sexy baristas,” “flash Friday,” and “XXX nude girls,” among others. Enlarged windows at some stands left little to the imagination about goings-on inside. Explicit displays are what the new laws target, Cooper said, not provocative attire. “Cleavage is not going to be illegal, bikini bottoms are not going to be illegal,” he said. “People need to understand that.” His ordinance would force businesses with partially nude employees or sexually suggestive signs to get licensed. Employees would have to be at least 18 years old. Businesses that break the law could be declared public nuisances and ordered to shape up or be shut down. The other ordinance, from Councilman Dave Gossett, specifies types of lewd behaviors and clothing styles not spelled out in the existing law. To a list of public places where lewd conduct can be regulated, it adds, “structures from which customers can be served through a drive-up or walk-up window, door or other means.” Managers and business owners could be held accountable for employee conduct under the revamped lewd-conduct law, not just the employees who do it. The maximum penalty for committing lewd conduct also changes to a $1,000 fine and 90 days in jail from a $500 fine and six months imprisonment. Bill Wheeler, who owns Grab-N-Go stands throughout the county, said he would obey any new laws, but also would defend his employees' style of clothing as a valid form of expression. “They're trying to step on people's First Amendments rights,” he said. “I'm not going to roll over and play dead.” A few weeks ago, he changed the dress code at a stand on Murphy's Corner near Mill Creek to be, in his words, more “family friendly.” An online petition at www.take actionsnoco.info had gathered 150 signatures by last week urging city, state and county leaders to pass stricter laws regulating the stands. Noah Haglund: 425-339-3465, nhaglund@heraldnet.com. |
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COMMENTS
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I've been involved in a few signature gathering drives on various topics and have to say 150 is pretty pathetic. This is a county of over a half million.
Looks like very few people are concerned about this issue so why are we wasting the county's resources? If a statuate is overly restrictive the county could end up having to pay out money to these businesses if they decide to take court action.
Mark Stocker | Nov 30, 2009 6:52 am | 1 replies | Request removal
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This entire state needs an enema. Too many Democrats. These girls are just trying too make a buck. I was at the meeting, as a by-stander, and all that complained was a bunch of ugly women, who are scared that their husbands are out spending money at these places. Not only ugly, but fat as well. Boycott the graduation store, and try not too run out prosperious businesses in these hard times or else Everett will be another Detroit
David Williams | Dec 03, 2009 6:44 am | Request removal
I'll bet the people who complain about these baristas would have no problem bringing their young children into a gym locker room knowing darn well that that's where adults go to change. You folks need to stop dragging innocent people into the corruption of your children. Very strange and unwelcomed!
Caroline Tree | Dec 2, 2009 5:39 pm | 0 replies | Request removal
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that would be fair
or remove the link
or is Democracy not in the Heralds best interest?
brian smith | Dec 2, 2009 7:09 am | 0 replies | Request removal
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It's not us attempting to place out ultra radical beliefs on others. If all the stands are doing is selling coffee in bikinis, or even underwear, what harm are they doing? Seriously it's YOU and your conservative friends that have issues with this.
We also dont shoot doctors, conservative radicals do. Thats why I dont use my real name in this post.
Zif Nab | Dec 1, 2009 1:51 pm | 0 replies | Request removal
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Hey Jacques Klahaya
Why don't you stop shoving your religion down everyones throat and stop being so hateful! Don't you find it strange that people like you are always trying to shove your belief system down everyone else throat, and if those people don't abide by YOUR standard you ridicule them and spew hateful words and insinuating accusations!! I personally do not care how you live your life how about you worry about your own black heart. If you have a problem with these new laws get off your butt and go to the council meeting and let them know how you feel!! After all this is America!
Nog Dolan | Dec 1, 2009 5:58 am | 0 replies | Request removal
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As one of the 'lemon sucking prudes', I'd like to thank the sponsors of this proposed legislation for doing something to protect minors from exposure to lascivious elements in our society. According to the article, this law wouldn't make buying a coffee from a scantily clad beautiful woman illegal; it just classifies such businesses more accurately and holds them to the same standards as similar businesses. The loophole is closed. That seems fair to everyone.
S. Kelsey | Nov 30, 2009 4:30 pm | 0 replies | Request removal
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I say let the lemon-sucking moral minority prudes get in on the action. They could open up a nice competing chain of stands called the Kristian Koffee Klatch. It could be staffed by women over fifty years old with names like Mildred or Eunice, dressed like Amish housewives. Weekly specials could include the Moralistic Mocha, or Abstemious Americano.
Jacques Klahaya | Nov 30, 2009 1:43 pm | 0 replies | Request removal
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The other day, i wrote this about his very topic:
"For those of you who don’t live around here, or just don’t know, Bikini Barista stands have become huge both as an industry, and as a target of femi-nazis and religious wackos. Basically, you can now drive up to a coffee stand, and perv out on some hot chick in a bikini or lingerie, and leave shortly after with coffee (and maybe yourself) in-hand. For guys, this seems like a no-brainer. Though, to be honest, it’s not my thing, I can totally see the appeal and have visited one once before.
The problem is the same as it is with strip clubs and porn and everything else that appeals to men’s desires: Women get insecure about themselves, and have to try to banish the competition. These seem to be their main arguments:".....
Continued here, http://jessesucks.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/bikini-baristas-bad/
Jesse Pein | Nov 30, 2009 11:25 am | 0 replies | Request removal
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To the person complaining about health code enforcement. The health department already spends a lot of time looking at these stands. Go the Snohomish health department and take a look. People think they can call the health department and complain, well it does not work that way. These stands are at least as clean as Starbucks and Tullys and sometimes cleaner. Calling the health department and logging a complaint keeps the inspectors from looking into possible real issues, like the fast food chain where employees are sneezing on your food or bathing in the sinks.
THis is NOT a health issue it's a religious one. 16 year old girls in bikinis have been selling hot dogs and coffee at the beaches here since I was a kid. So far nobody has complained about that. If you worried about your hubby stopping in for a peek maybe you should say YES, NOW, DO IT more often and get your flabby hiney into the gym.
My gal knows I purchase coffee from these stands and has even went with me a few time. It's not that big of a deal.
Dumb *&# Snohomish county council wasting time on this. Glad to know the church in Clearview has that much clout with our council.
And yes, I have sent emails to most of the council telling them how I feel!
Zif Nab | Nov 30, 2009 11:01 am | 0 replies | Request removal
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Like his personality or not, I have to admire Bill Wheeler, owner of the Grab N Go chain. However, if he's stating that he's not going to roll over and play dead, then why did he change the attire of his Murphy's Corner location to "family friendly?" To me, this seems like he's capitualated to the blue nose proprietors located in the adjacent strip-mall. One thing to keep in mind that 150 signatures logged on someone's spiteful web-site does not necessarily mean that 150 bona-fide citizens actually complained. If you subtract out the duplicate and triplicate complaints, then toss out those from minors and people not residing in the county, then it's probably under 100. Are we really ready to let the disgruntled voices of an infinitely small percentage of the citizenry dictate what the rest of us can and should be able to legally see? Once they get their claws into our wishy-washy lawmakers, then there's no telling to where this fanaticism may lead.
Douglas Stevens | Nov 30, 2009 7:25 am | 0 replies | Request removal
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They should have gotten OSHA and health dept. involved. Burns from hot steam could be better prevented w/ proper aprons, touching of the body during the making of a coffee would a health violation. I say, if there are men who cannot simply buy a coffee, they most certainly are willing to pay girls to do more and more and yes, the women are apparently willing to do it for a bigger tip, so it is adult entertainment and those businesses should not be allowed near schools, daycares, residences.
CC At the Big B | Nov 30, 2009 6:25 am | 1 replies | Request removal
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Whether a t-shirt is worn or flesh is exposed, a burn is a burn. Just admit it, you hate letting individuals make their own decisions.
R N | Nov 30, 2009 7:00 am | Request removal