Some Alaska Culture

A number of years ago, The Wife and I were driving up to Prince Rupert, BC from Oregon. From there, we planned to take a couple ferries to Thorne Bay, Alaska and work away the summer season for the Forest Service. It must have been mid-May because I had just finished my first year of law school.

The drive from Oregon to Prince Rupert was a leisurely three day drive. Somewhere on the second day, along the Fraser River Canyon, we got a hell of a show. The highway runs along the canyon wall through sporadic tunnels. After the first tunnel or two, we got in the habit of holding our breath as we drove through a tunnel. Something to pass the time, I guess. All was fine and dandy until one such tunnel. Here we are out in the middle of nowhere doing our best blowfish impersonation when in the oncoming lane we spot a fully naked man running toward us. Everything flapping in the breeze, so to speak, without any effort on his part to hide things.

Desperately, we tried to hold our breath through the remainder of the tunnel.

Once through, all I could think of was to try and remember if he even had any shoes on. Well, as it turns out, it's become a pandemic. From the Anchorage Daily News:

JUNEAU -- A man is under medical observation in Juneau after he was seen running naked on downtown docks and ultimately was subdued by police with a stun gun.

The man's name has not been released and charges have not been filed.

Sgt. Steve Hernandez says police were called about the jogger just before 10 a.m. Wednesday. Police say the jogger refused to comply to a responding officer's order to stop, so the officer used a stun gun to subdue the man.

Fire department medics responded and took the man to a local hospital.

Earlier this week, state troopers in Fairbanks arrested a naked man seen walking on a bike path