Other strange laws

15 years ago

Cathy's beer thread and all of the great responses got me thinking.

There are so many just plain weird laws on the books. What are some whhere you live?

Tim read something just the other day that said there is a law in MN which makes it illegal to sleep without clothes on. (I am sure you'll see my photo on the post office wall very soon)

I don't know if it is still on the books but there used to be a law here that made it illegal to drive a red car.

Tell me the strange laws in your state.

Linda

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Comments (14)

caliloo
15 years ago
I love these!!! This is a partial list of my absolute favs.

*******************************************************
In New York, it is against the law for a blind person to drive an automobile.

In Florida, it is against the law to put livestock on a school bus.

In New Jersey, cabbage can't be sold on Sunday.

In Virginia, chickens cannot lay eggs before 8:00 a.m., and must be done before 4:00 p.m.

In Massachusetts, it is against the law to put tomatos in clam chowder.

Here is a link that might be useful: strange facts
centralcacyclist
15 years ago
California must have some odd ordinances here and there. Here in Modesto, "cruising" is against the law. This means you can't be seen making the same loop over and over up and down the main drag on a Friday or Saturday night in your car.

Yeah, people here need lives!
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Teresa_MN
15 years ago
All of those laws were put in place at one time when they must've made sense. I'm sure years from now the "No pants on the ground" law enacted in some states won't make any sense. I for one don't enjoy seeing someone's backside. Although I did enjoy seeing a couple of shoplifters in downtown Minneapolis get caught because they couldn't hold on to the merchandise, hold up their pants and run at the same time!
triciae
15 years ago
Here's a few gems from around Connecticut:

Hartford:

It's illegal to cross the street while walking on your hands.

You may not educate dogs. So you know the dogs playing poker velvet painting wasn't done in Hartford! :)

It is illegal to kiss your wife on Sundays. (No wonder we have so many road rage accidents on Mondays!)

You may not bike over 65 miles per hour.

Devon:

You may not walk backwards after sunset.

Attwoodville:

It is illegal for people to play Scrabble while waiting for a politician to speak.

Simsbury:

It's illegal for a politician to campaign at the town dump.

Waterbury:

A beautician must not hum, whistle, or sing while working on a customer. (Now there's a good law.)

In general, statewide throughout Connecticut:

You are required to report to the police any dogs sporting a tattoo.

The marriage of imbeciles and feeble-minded persons is prohibited.

It is against the law in Connecticut for a man to write love letters to a girl whose mother or father has forbidden the relationship.

Silly String has been banned FOREVER.

There is a $1 fine for frowning in public.

/tricia
doucanoe
Original Author
15 years ago
LOL, Tricia! Wonder what "incident" cause Silly String to be banned!

I found a few more from my home state:

You can not eat hamburgers on Sunday in St Cloud MN

Persuading another person to go to a massage therapist after 11pm is a misdemeanor in Minnetonka MN

YouÃ¢ÂÂre restricted from driving a red car down Lake Street in Minneapolis

Officers are required by law to kill all feral cats in Hibbing MN

Landing an airplane in city parks is prohibited without permit in Cottage Grove MN

Entering Wisconsin with a chicken on your head is prohibited.

Oral sex = illegal in Minnesota (bummer)

It is illegal to cross state lines with a duck on your head.

Residents of even numbered addresses may not water their plants on odd-numbered days excluding the thirty first day where it applies in Cottage Grove MN

It is illegal to paint sparrows to sell them as parakeets.

In Duluth, Minnesota it is illegal to allow animals to sleep in a bakery.

Linda
triciae
15 years ago
Oh, I forgot one...in Guilford you may decorate your home for the holidays with any color lights you wish as long as they are white.

Another Hartford priceless one...it is illegal to discharge a firearm from a moving vehicle EVEN DURING HUNTING SEASON. And yes, the reference to hunting season is part of the law. (Duck Martha! The guy in front of us spotted that buck we just passed!)

Re: Silly String

This law went on the books in the 90s. In CT we love parades. Tax payers did not like cleaning up the mess so we solved the problem. No more Silly String! (lol)

/tricia
vacuumfreak
15 years ago
Those are funny! Linda, I've often wondered about people who sleep with no clothes.... what if the house catches on fire in the middle of the night?
doucanoe
Original Author
15 years ago
Ha! I guess I'm S.O.L., Bobby!
As long as I am not traveling naked to Wisconsin with a chicken on my head, I think I'm safe!

Linda
Lars
15 years ago
Where I was born (Temple, Texas), there was a law saying that it is legal to ride your horse into a saloon; however you could not drive a horse and buggy through the town square. I think this was because the streets were very muddy back then. Anyway, horses were welcome in the saloons, and may have needed to get out of the rain and mud.

Lars
cloudy_christine
15 years ago
Do ballot initiatives count? I just saw on a blog post that this is currently on the ballot in Denver. Can that be true?!

"Shall the voters for the City and County of Denver adopt an Initiated Ordinance to require the creation of an extraterrestrial affairs commission to help ensure the health, safety, and cultural awareness of Denver residents and visitors in relation to potential encounters or interactions with extraterrestrial intelligent beings or their vehicles, and fund such commission from grants, gifts and donations?"
BeverlyAL
15 years ago
In Alabama:

It is illegal to wear a fake moustache that causes laughter in church.

Putting salt on a railroad track may be punishable by death.

Dominoes may not be played on Sunday.

Bear wrestling matches are prohibited.

In Auburn, Alabama:

Men who deflower virgins, regardless of age or marital status, may face up to five years in jail.

In Mobile, Alabama:

It is unlawful to wear womenÃ¢ÂÂs pumps with sharp, high heels.

Bathing in city fountains is prohibited. (Well, darn!)

It is illegal to spit orange peels on the sidewalk.
jimster
15 years ago
In Tennessee, a hunting license is free to anyone who is over 70, a veteran or blind.

Jim
rob333 (zone 7b)
15 years ago
Yes Jim, but it's perfetly legal to collect and eat roadkill, so they really don't need a hunting license ;) My favorite is, according to the Tennessee Code Annotated:

"'70-4-208. Unlawful importation of skunks--Penalty'
(a) It is unlawful for any person to import, possess, or cause to be imported into this state any type of live skunk, or to sell, barter, exchange or otherwise transfer any live skunk, except that the prohibitions of this section shall not apply to bona fide zoological parks and research institutions.

(b) A violation of this section is a Class C misdemeanor.

[Acts 1974, ch. 622, ÃÂ§ 1; 1982, ch. 738, ÃÂ§ 31; T.C.A., ÃÂ§ 51-514; Acts 1989, ch. 591, ÃÂ§ 113.]"

What'd skunks ever do to anyone? Animal discrimination!
dcarch7 d c f l a s h 7 @ y a h o o . c o m
15 years ago
Stupid law, not a strange law for this country.

I was at a Broadway show. I went to the bathroom during intermission. There was a long long long line to the ladies' room. No waiting for the Men's room. So I asked a couple of guys if they would mind lrtting the ladies use the Men's room for a few minute. No problem. I got a lot of thanks from the ladies.

In some dance clubs, it is so bad that the ladies just go and use the men's room. No one is surprised because it is don't all the the time.

The law says that you must have equal accomodation for both sexes.

dcarch

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