Too much skin - arbitrary rules from the '60s

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In responding to Sebbie's thread about "Swimming Upstream", I recalled a totally arbitrary and capricious rule from my high school gym class: to obtain a school issued swim suit, you had to appear at the locker room checkout window totally naked. You couldn't just grab a suit on your way into class, then change at your locker.

This was just one of the authoritarian rules of the time that never made any sense to me. An amazing number of these had something to do with swimming.

Self esteem was specifically not part of '60s education theory. In gym class, if you were a big hulking football player, you got an automatic A. If you were a skinny wimpy kid who was also 11 months younger, you got a C. (guess which category I fit into) My sports, cross-country and swimming weren't considered "real" by the other coaches and their players because no balls were passed or caught.

My college had no requirement of English proficiency (or any other academic discipline). Somehow though, the PE department had pushed through a university-wide rule that all incoming freshmen had to pass a swimming test. The ancient pool on campus was buried in the basement of the gym, and they claimed that swimsuit lint would clog the filtration system, so required all students to do the test naked. They did allow nylon Speedos for those of us fortunate enough to own one. Many guys lined up in their jock straps, but weren't allowed into the pool wearing it. It was a total freak show!

There was a "fun center" nearby that offered bowling, billiards, pinball and a cool 50 yard swimming pool. Their dress code was pretty restrictive (at least you could wear a swimsuit!), but the friction started when long hair became the fashion. They would actually measure your hair while standing in line to pay for the pool! Not sure what length was considered appropriate, but it was clearly a political statement by the owners that they didn't want any of us "damned hippies" around. Of course, once again they claimed the filters would get clogged.

Times have changed, mostly for the better. Rules like those would no longer fly, generating harassment claims and lawsuits. Of course there are also casualties of the new thinking. PE used to be a daily HS requirement, now many schools have sacrificed it in favor of longer academic days. Kids who do go to gym class don't shower afterwards because somebody might see something. Life...