Posted by Fingers on July 07, 2005 at 00:22:35:
In Reply to: ? for Fingers posted by twolimes on July 04, 2005 at 16:29:30:
: How's the public nudity scene - bodypainting, flashing, etc? Headed that way in a week and hoping that like New Orleans, the fun has now spread to times other than the typical annual festivals.
I was there mid-week and there was no public nudity on Duval Street. I didn't see any in the bars either, but this was not a working vacation so we didn't stay out late. As we drove out on Friday there was heavy traffic heading down towards Key West, so the crowd may be more lively with some public nudity on the weekends - but don't bet on it.
I was fascinated by the "Conch Republic". It seems that in the 1980's the US Immigration department set up a roadblock at the top of the Keys searching for illegal aliens. They looked in glove compartments and under the seats. They couldn't say they were looking for drugs as they were not using the right law or agency. It was the first time US citizens had to prove their citizenship in their own country (the top of the Keys is a two hour drive from Key West. The backup lasted seven hours. Tourism dropped. When the mayor of Key West went to Federal Court to try to stop the blockade it was denied. The next day he announced that the keys would secede from the union, had a one minute "war" and then surrendered asking for $1 billion to rebuild the war ravaged nation. He was ignored, but the US never disputed the succession. The Conch Republic was born, and it's passports have been accepted by several nations, including Germany and The Bahamas. You can read a short version and a long version of the hilarious history below:
Brief: http://www.conchrepublic.com/history.htm
Detailed: http://www.conchrepublic.com/the_beginning.htm
The long version includes the Conch Republic at the Summit of the America's (where they get past a State Department media blackout and win over the Secret Service)