To print this page, select "Print" from the File menu of your browser salon.com > Travel Jan. 24, 2000 URL: http://www.salon.com/travel/planet/2000/01/24/rio Rio cracks down on nude sunbathers Thong capital says: Floss is fine, but don't cross that line. - - - - - - - - - - - - By J.A. Getzlaff Naked butt cheeks are ubiquitous on the beaches -- and sometimes even the public buses -- of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, thanks to the popularity of the tanga (thong) and its even teenier counterpart, fio dental (Portuguese for "dental floss"). The barely-there bathing suit bottoms are the swimwear of choice for proud young things (and not-so-young things) in search of a tanned derrière. But those who favor the complete all-over body tan are in for a shock: Rio's beach police have recently announced plans to slap nude sunbathers with obscenity charges. According to a Reuters report, those who insist on tanning cracks in addition to cheeks could face time in prison, where the sun never shines. The decision was made after a local paper turned the spotlight on fully exposed sunbathers on popular Recreio Beach. In 1994, a proposal to set aside stretches of sand for nudists was turned down, and to this day, there are no official nude beaches in Rio, where the majority of the population is Roman Catholic. Still, baring it all remains a popular activity with models and samba dancers -- who, it could be argued, have a professional need to sunbathe au naturel. Otherwise, those unsightly tan lines could detract from their assets. salon.com | Jan. 24, 2000   - - - - - - - - - - - - About the writer J.A. Getzlaff's Daily Planet appears every weekday. Do you have a tip or tale for J.A.? Send it to DailyPlanet@salon.com.