January 29, 2008 | Sex & Society

Russian politician says no to public porn

Forget about human rights, poverty, or crime, Member of Parliament Robert Schlegel sees an epidemic in Russia's streets: people openly reading erotica! A member of the United Russia party, Schlegel recently submitted a bill in the lower house of Russia's parliament to fine anyone caught reading pornography in public places.

If found guilty, porn readers would face fines of 500 rubles ($20.50) to 1,000 rubles ($41) and could also be charged if the porn can be seen through a plastic bag.

We can see it now: sweet babushka taking a break from shopping to flip through the pages of "Hustler." It's reassuring to know that US politicians aren't the only ones willing to waste time, and taxpayers' money, on silly laws.