May 21, 2006 | Funny Bits

Fear of flying

Look! Up in the sky! It's bird, it's a plane, it's -- a naked man? Yes, there's been a spate of recent news reports suggesting that the sky is no place to be shy.

In the first of three incidents involving nude air passengers this month, a Swedish tabloid reported that a group of local skydivers made an annual jump over Stockholm from a height of 4,000 meters wearing nothing but their parachutes. The story, however, proved to be  false, according to The Local, which says the tabloid was duped by a hoaxter who gave a false interview and provided a false photo (below).

"The scrotum really flaps about when you're freefalling," the paper quoted a supposed member as saying.

      

In a separate incident last week, the notorious British nudist known as The Naked Rambler, was arrested after stripping naked on board a flight from Southampton, England, to Edinburgh, Scotland. Stephen Gough, 47, was on his way to an appeal court appearance to challenge a contempt of court ruling against him, BBC News reports. He boarded the flight fully clothed, according to the airline, but later emerged naked from the plane's toilet.

"He refused to get dressed when he was on the plane, so he was arrested when he came off the flight," an airline spokeswoman said. Gough has completed two nude walks across Britain and has been found in contempt of court on four occasions for refusing to wear clothes during legal proceedings. For his air incident he is likely to be charged for breaching the peace.

Finally, in Southern California last week, former 1970s gay porn star Peter Berlin was strip searched at Ontario airport when security screeners became suspicious of an unusually large bulge in his pants.

According to Leah Garchik of the San Francisco Chronicle, the German-born stud was cleared for take off until a supervisor noticed a string dangling from Berlin's crotch, which he said was keeping his broken zipper closed. When the supervisor asked him what was in his pants, Berlin replied, "My penis," prompting five guards to pounce. The package they found was, in fact, explosive, but not dangerous!

"My God," the well-endowed Berlin said, "I wouldn't put a bomb there."

It looks as though the friendly skies are getting a little friendlier these days!

• Naked skydivers article was hoax [The Local]
• Rambler held over mid-air strip [BBC News]
• Peter Berlin searched at airport - Leah Garchik [San Francisco Chronicle]