Topless mow raises eyebrows

WELLAND, Ont. - Roxane Reid decided to trim a little grass off her yard Tuesday - and a little clothing off her body. "It was hot," Reid said, explaining her decision to mow topless.

"I'm mowing the lawn, I'm sweaty, I've seen about 30 guys do it today. And it's legal."

Last December, the Ontario Court of Appeal ruled women have the right to doff their tops. The court overturned an indecency conviction against Gwen Jacobs who made headlines after she shed her shirt and strolled through Guelph, Ont., on a hot July day in 1991.

Reid, a 22-year-old educational resources student, said a woman's body should be treated no differently than a man's.

"They're only breasts. You got 'em, I got 'em. Mine are just bigger."

Her neighbors had mixed reactions.

"It made me laugh. It's not the usual thing that goes on in this area," said 20-year-old Tammy Robson. "If she's comfortable with it, I don't care."

Allison Woods, 31, saw humor in the situation but was also concerned.

"I just saw a family riding their bicycles through here. I don't think it's right," Woods said.

The Niagara Region Police opted to stay out of the matter. But some members of the force were not impressed.

"I don't think there's any call for that, said Sgt. Terry Pooley, adding that one complaint was received about the spectacle.

Two weeks ago, two other women went topless outside rock station in nearby St. Catharines in order to win concert tickets. Reid said she was following suit.

And it gave her an opportunity to proudly display two tattoos - a Bengal tiger over her right breast, a dolphin over the other.

"The body is beautiful. I don't see anything wrong with showing it."