Words About Things

The Mayor of a town in the south of Italy has taken the idea of ‘fashion police’ to a new level by banning women from wearing miniskirts that are ‘too short’. Mayor Luigi Bobbio feels that short skirts and exposed cleavage will harm the reputation of Castellammare di Stabia a resort town on the south coast. The new law was put to the vote and passed, women wearing skirts which law enforcement officers deem to be too short will be handed a €300 fine.

too short?

The ban comes as part of Bobbio’s move to enforce matters of ‘public decorum’ including swearing and playing football in the street. Opponents to the new law say that it is chauvinist and treats women like public objects:

“By equating women’s clothing with urban decorum, this measure implies women are no more than benches or hedges. This turns the clock back years for women and undermines all our victories.” – Councillor Angela Cortese.

The decision on what will be considered too much cleavage or too short a skirt will be left to police officers. On the spot fines will also be given to those who wear swimming costumes anywhere public apart from the beach. Female members of the opposition Democratic Party held a “Mini-skirt Day” rally in protest of the new law.

Interestingly the power to create local laws was handed to mayors by Italy’s Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi who is famous for having an eye for the ladies.

A railway station in Hyogo prefecture, Japan has appointed two new Station Masters in an effort to revive its struggling finances. It is hoped that the new Station Managers will attract more customers to the Hojo-cho station which has seen less travelers in recent years. So who have they employed (as if the post title hasn’t given it away) a celebrity? Girls dressed in short skirts? Nope, monkeys!

The monkeys are called Nehime and Rakan and belong to a local resident who put them forward for the job. Apparently the local population have welcomed the addition of simian railway staff:

The monkeys, aged seven months and three months, were dressed in blue uniforms made from traditional local fabrics complete with mini hats before being formally appointed station masters and “special city residents” by the local mayor.

The Hojo-cho railway line is the first in Japan to run a biodiesel fuel train. It may well be the location of a few more firsts if the new monkey overlords get their way. Unconfirmed reports have stated that staff will now be paid in bananas and will be required to undergo compulsory flea checks each morning. When asked how he felt about his new position of Station Manager Rakan replied “OO-OO-OOO-AAA-AAA-AAA” and picked his nose.

More and more people are booking in last-minute holiday breaks at an increased paced compared to last year. Consumer confidence and competitive pricing is tempting more holidaymakers back into travel, particularly in the U.K. and Germany. Figures show that up to 14% of holidays booked in June 2010 were booked only four weeks or less before the departure date, an increase from June 2009.

Holiday Booking Agencies are not the only ones set to benefit from the rise. Hotels and local business in the popular holiday areas as well as short term transportation like car rental and van rental, or leasing agencies are also ready to service eager holiday makers.

In the U.K. holidaymakers are eager to take advantage of the rising Pound value against the weakening Euro, with the prospect of travelling to mainland Europe being a more affordable choice than usual. Meanwhile in Germany, unemployment figures have continued to fall as the economy stabilizes, giving consumers a renewed confidence to make spontaneous purchases and investments.

The ash plume from Iceland’s Eyjafjallajökull volcano as well as riots in Greece and Thailand also put some vacationers off making bookings earlier in the year. “People are anxious early in the year whether they will still have their job in summer to pay for a holiday trip,” said Klaus Kraenzle, an analyst at GSC Research in Dusseldorf.

The increase of online booking is also making it easier, faster, and cheaper to find the holiday best suited for consumers. Price comparison websites make it even easier to search for the best deals. “To get the best deal, consumers are spending more time online and that’s reducing the time between booking and travel,” said Caroline Bremner, global travel and tourism manager at Euromonitor International in London.

“People are booking later than ever before,” said Nina Meyer, a spokeswoman for L’TUR Tourismus AG, Europe’s largest last-minute-travel organizer. L’TUR’s package-tour sales are ahead of last year and the company aims to sell 1 million journeys for the year, up from 2009’s record 832,000, which produced revenue of 360 million euros ($464 million), she said.