To those not in the know, it appeared that several of the passengers had forgotten the main convention of being out in public.

At least a dozen individuals – all of them female, Julius noted with some interest – were naked.  Actually, that wasn’t entirely correct.  Most of them wore shoes and accessories:  The bespectacled thirtysomething with the conservatively-cut hair lost in her copy of Business Week wore a smart pair of heels suitable for an upwardly mobile professional, and an expensive wristwatch.  The athletic woman with the familiar white earbuds in place wore New Balance running shoes, her hair tied back with a pink scrunchie.  The nineteen-year-old whose backpack sat on the seat beside her as she read a geometry textbook wore fashionable boots and a “Livestrong” wristband.

The bus came to a stop and the athletic woman headed for the front exit while two women dressed only in high heels left through the rear exit.  A woman boarded the bus wearing a hard hat and heavy black work boots.  She carried a metal lunch box and took one of the recently-vacated seats.  As she passed him, Julius found it all but impossible not to stare.  Even if he could look away, there were nearly-naked women all over the bus.  He was going to wind up staring at somebody.

When the bus reached his stop, Julius headed for the front exit.  He paused long enough to ask the driver about the indecent exposure to which he’d been witness.

The driver simply pointed at the sign:  “Clothing Optional Bus”. (257/257)