No wonder Americans are getting fatter

wnbc.com - News - Judge Says Dancing Not Constitutional Right:
"City law department spokeswoman Kate Ahlers said the judge's ruling was 'a confirmation of the city's efforts to protect residential communities from disruptions attributed to some cabarets.'"

According to the article, the number of places where you can legally dance in NYC is now less than 300, less than a third as many as 40 years ago. Dancing is good exercise and raises the spirit - at least I always thought so. Ms. Ahlers informs us, however, that the sort of people who waltz, foxtrot, twist and hully-gully, or whatever they do today, are some sort of criminal element who terrorize neighborhoods in a way that mere drunks do not.

May I suggest that it is nosy bureacrats who pose the greatest threat to all of us.

I seem to recall a story from Britain a couple of years ago about inspectors looking for patrons swaying to the music in pubs not licensed for dancing. At the time, I didn't think things were that bad on our side of the pond. It seems I was wrong.

May I suggest to the folks fighting the good fight for wholesome exercise (and probably less drinking) in NYC cabarets that they take a leaf from Lloyd Thaxton who tried, with little success, to popularize the "sit down dance" on his TV show in the 60s. The idea was to sit at your table and dance using your arms and upper body. I know it's silly - but it would make an interesting protest.