Pajama pants in public...why not?

I recently read an article that stated a parish commissioner in Louisiana wanted to ban wearing pajama pants in public.

My first reaction was to laugh at the ridiculous notion as to regulate the clothing we wear when we run our daily errands.

He was reported as saying, "Because it's pajama pants today, next it will be underwear tomorrow."

This statement made me laugh even harder because he is obviously being dramatic.

Pajama pants are my favorite choice of clothing, and I'll admit I sometimes wear them out in public. If I'm sitting around the house and I realize I need a gallon of milk for a bowl of cereal, I'm not going to put on a nice pair of jeans and get dressed up to go to the store.

When I was in college I would work until 1 a.m. then have to commute to Vincennes for class at 9 a.m. During that particular semester, pajama pants were part of my daily attire.

Most days I was so exhausted from trying to squeeze homework in sometime during the night I would just jump up at the last minute and run out the door.

Plus, could you imagine a police officer coming up to you on campus or at the store and citing you for inappropriate daytime attire?

I posted the article on my Facebook page with my opinion, and the responses I received were vastly different depending on the person.

Two females, around my age, agreed with me about the idea being ridiculous. They also said they remain in their pajamas to run errands.

A former co-worker of mine, an older gentleman who is also a pastor, disagreed with us. He noted all too often he sees young men and women wearing pajamas to church or court, and at other inappropriate settings.

"It is one thing to wear something because you have not. I truly believe in dress codes to help those with no common sense make a decision," my former co-worker explained of his opinion.

Maybe the younger generations just aren't putting as much emphasis on how we look when we are just running around.

I have seen much worse clothing choices than pajama pants while doing my monthly grocery shopping, and in my opinion pajamas shouldn't be our first concern.

What about spandex some women wear for pants? That should be citation-worthy.

Then, there are the shorts so short they aren't visible under the shirt the person is wearing. I think a ban on that would be appropriate if we are going to start telling people what they can and can't wear.

How about that gentleman who looks like he may spend his days working as a plumber? That is slightly more disturbing than someone wearing comfortable pants.

That being said, I will continue to make trips to buy my milk in pajamas, un-combed hair and no make up if I feel like it. Hopefully I don't scare the kids.

Sabrina is a staff writer for the Greene County Daily World. She can be reached by email at swestfall@gcdailyworld.com or by telephone at 847-4487.