11/01
After reading the previous reports about Ocean City, my wife and I decided to give it a shot. We picked a warm weekday in October and picked a spot well up the beach, somewhere around 50th street. Still, there were about two dozen people sunning or fishing. My wife was wearing a thong - which we've heard is a no-no at Ocean City - and started on her stomach. People glanced, but no one really seemed to mind. An older couple walked towards us without noticing how Katherine was laying out, and at first seemed startled and we were afraid we offended them, but a few minutes later they returned the same way and even stopped to chat for a few minutes. To talk, Katherine propped herself up on her elbows. It was fun and comfortable, and the other people on the beach seemed to fall right into step. Then Katherine looked at me and nodded, and turned over. She got some looks, but none seemed mean or offended. Mostly surprised and then amused and then unaffected. After about ten minutes she asked me what people were doing, so I looked around and found that none of the people were even looking our direction. It was hilarious. We were sure we were the center of attention, yet everybody had gone back to their business, men and women. Wives didn't smack their husbands, husbands didn't trip over themselves looking. Ten minutes more and Katherine said, "Well, I haven't been struck by lightning yet." She stayed topfree about a half an hour before it got too cold to continue. The person closest to us - a single man - smiled and nodded as we walked by to leave. Nobody else acted like they noticed at all. We acted like it was normal, and everybody went along with it. From my perspective, after a few nervous moments, it was just a fun relaxed visit to the beach. What's taken us so long to get here?
--James and Katherine, Princess
Anne, Maryland
9/01
Ocean City seems to be a place ready to accept topfreedom, provided enough women sun topfree discreetly at first to get the momentum going. I went to OC on a weekday last month, which is now the off-season, and saw about two dozen women sunbathing topfree on their stomachs. I didn't see any turn over, though I did place myself next to three young women who would sit up occasionally. I started on my stomach too, then turned over and waited for something to happen. Nothing did. I stayed topfree for about an hour, then got dressed and walked down the beach until I saw a beach patrolman. I asked him what the policy was in OC this year regarding topfreedom and he looked around to see if anyone was listening, then kind of shrugged. He said he had only seen a few women actually topfree, and that if it became an issue, a lifeguard or patrol officer would simply ask her to cover up. My thoughts: weekdays and off-season days give the patrol room to allow women their topfreedom. Busy days probably not yet. It gets so crowded that they will probably feel under more pressure to enforce their rules. Thus explaining my relaxed topfree experience there. Next season though, if we start early in the year before the big crowds come, OC may be ready to accept topfreedom. I suspect some families may balk, but if done discreetly for a while, people will get used to seeing it and not worry so much. We just need numbers now.
--Kate, Salisbury, Maryland
9/00
I read the report on Ocean City, MD. I also went topfree at OC this summer. Previously, I had only seen topfree there once before. The beach was uncrowded but not deserted. There were no gawkers, comments, or hassles of any kind. [I'm pretty flat chested; maybe people thought I was a boy :)] I was topless every day for a week. I also took my top off in the water but wore it to and from the surf. Overall a very positive experience.
--Kimberly, Arlington, Virginia
8/00
I was just on vacation in Ocean City, MD. While there I noticed several girls top free on the beach. I questioned the "beach police" to see if it were legal or not. They told me that as long as I stayed 30 feet from the nearest person, I could go top free. They also told me that if anyone complained, then I would have to put my top on and if I refused there was a $100 fine. They said that so far this summer they only had to warn a few girls about being top free, and that was because they were creating a disturbance. So I removed my top and laid down to tan, and for 4 hours no one complained. The next day I did it again, and the third day I did it again. There were a few people that looked, but no one complained. I did see two other girls top free on the beach when I was there, and they also had no complaints against them. According to the people I spoke with, top freedom is a very new concept at Ocean City, and they said they will continue to permit it, providing complaints are kept to a minimum.
--Pamela, Western Pennsylvania