Although it is not forbidden to sunbathe in the parks, those responsible for the parks are inviting the public to respect each other and remember that it is a public place, reports 'Studio 4', which lingeringly related how residents and visitors alike (how they tell the difference is not revealed) can be seen enjoying the warm weather, relaxing, eating, reading books and catching a few rays with a view to acquiring a tan.
"In the parks, we can sit on the grass, walk on the grass, lie on the grass, and residents and visitors to the city also actively use it. Of course, we must not be on the edge of the canal, on those sloping slopes that may threaten with some kind of collapse or landslide," said Ieva Bērziņa, Head of the Strategic Communication and Public Relations Department of Rigas Meži, the municipal forestry company.
Is it even permitted to undress and sunbathe in parks? enquired buttoned-up 'Studio 4'. Television pictures showed sunbathers in various locations and poses, many of the shots foregrounded with flowers and shrubs, possibly suggesting the camera operator may have been located in the bushes.
As Bērziņa explained, you can sunbathe in parks, but you have to show respect, because gardens and parks are our common public space, so you can't feel completely 'free and easy' there. However, she did not go into any detail about the level of déshabillement generally considered acceptable by the good burghers of Rīga.
Currently, several parks and gardens in Rīga have robots that mow the grass, so both sunbathers and fully-clothed visitors are requested not only to respect each other, but also not to disturb and disrupt the work of these humble Arcadian drudges who don't even get a coffee break.
"We have released robots in the gardens and parks of Rīga, they are actively working for us, mowing the lawn. There are all kinds of situations with city residents, guests, children and dogs when the operation of the robots are disturbed," said Bērziņa, requesting that the robots be left in peace.
Anyone disregarding this reasonable advice to let the gardening robots do their thing might be well advised to watch the 1970s sci-fi classic 'Silent Running' to see the potential consequences.
In summary, yes you can sunbathe, just don't take everything off, for pity's sake.
