Strippermobile

A very angry visitor from ... well, she didn't say where she was from, but she was from somewhere else ... sent me a note this week complaining about an experience she had here last weekend. Leaving a ballgame at Busch Stadium and heading back to her hotel, she and her 6 year old encountered the "stripper mobile" that occasionally drives through crowds trolling for customers for an East Side club. You have probably seen it before: truck, plexiglass walls, garish paint job, pole, women in scanty clothing. She had never seen it before and was upset. She also did not like the images painted on the side of the truck.

... I wanted to know if this is legal in your city, and if you were aware personally of this? I was outraged that my daughter and I were exposed to this while walking down the street in broad daylight. It is so hard to raise our children to become Christians and have good morals in this society. It is even harder to do so with strippers shoved in front of your face in broad daylight.

To answer her questions: Yes -- unless the truck is parked or creating a dangerous distraction to drivers -- it is legal in St. Louis. It is also probably legal wherever she comes from, unless the local ordinance banning it hasn't yet been challenged on First Amendment grounds. And, yes, I have heard of the "stripper mobile" -- and, while I haven't seen it, I have seen its giant mobile billboard cousins.

I know that my mention of the note here increases the chance that the club's operator gets a little extra publicity. So be it. I hope that my comment is included: Dear strip club person: I have some influence with the Police Department here. They will determine whether or not your tacky contraption constitutes a dangerous distraction to motorists. With that in mind, please restrict your "runs" until after dark -- and, please, give Busch Stadium a pass during "Kids Weekend."