Jumping Jack flash

A flasher in England was arrested for jumping naked from bushes as trucks drove by.

Published April 24, 2000 4:00PM (EDT)

Every day, truck drivers must fight the monotony of their occupation. They listen to the stereo, talk on the CB, guzzle big cups of coffee, sing to themselves, whatever it takes to keep their vehicle between the ditches and moving on down the road.

In England, truckers have discovered a novel way to fight the boredom. They watch for the naked guy who stands to the side of the road and flashes himself to passing lorries.

One trucker wasn't amused by the spectacle of a nude man prancing and waving, however, and reported the incident to police. And last week, William Rees ended up in court.

The 49-year-old man -- who lives with his parents in Tarbolton, Ayrshire -- had apparently hit upon a routine that worked well for his particular needs. He would hide behind bushes and whenever a big truck drove past, he would leap out onto the grass lining the road, dance around and show off his shortcomings. Fearing this act of theater might be quickly forgotten, Rees was mindful to bring along a video camera and tape himself whenever possible. Always good to archive things. You never know.

Following the trucker's tip, police detectives drove to the scene of the flashing and discovered Rees standing by the side of the road, holding a camcorder. The law officials demanded to see the tape inside his camera. When they viewed it, they witnessed images of Rees naked, jumping up and down and "acting into the camera." Faced with such overwhelming evidence, Rees confessed and was arrested.

The trucker flasher attempted to explain his motivations to a reporter from the Mirror newspaper: "It was a stupid, stupid thing to do, but there was nothing malicious in it. I targeted lorries, as I didn't want to target individuals. When a lorry goes by you rarely ever see a face and they never carry women and kids."

Despite this self-imposed moral code, Rees was fined 500 pounds (U.S.$788) and sentenced to 18 months probation.


By Jack Boulware

Jack Boulware is a writer in San Francisco and author of "San Francisco Bizarro" and "Sex American Style."

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