Monday, November 29, 2010

Strangest American Laws Still on the Books


1 Alabama


It is legal to drive the wrong way down a one way street as long as a lantern is attached to the front of your car.




2 Arkansas


Flirtation between men and women on the streets of Little Rock may result in a 30-day jail term.





3 California


It is illegal to set a mousetrap without a hunting license.



It is illegal to cry on the witness stand in Los Angeles courts.



In Hermosa Beach, it's illegal to spill your Margarita on any street.



In Riverside, one may not carry a lunch down the street between 11 and 1 o'clock.



Sunshine is guaranteed (I wonder what we could get from the state for those gloomy days?)


A law created in 1925 makes it illegal to wiggle while dancing.




4 Florida


If an elephant is left tied to a parking meter, the parking fee has to be paid just as it would for a vehicle.



5 Hawaii


Any resident that does not own a boat can be fined.





6 Idaho


In Pocatello, "It is prohibited for pedestrians and motorists to display frowns, grimaces, scowls, threatening and glowering looks, gloomy and depressed facial appearances, generally all of which reflect unfavorably upon the city's reputation."



It is illegal for a man to give his sweetheart a box of chocolates that weighs less then 50 pounds.



7 Indiana


Bathing is prohibited during the winter.




8 Maine


In Waterville, it is illegal to blow one's nose in public.




9 Maryland


It is still illegal for radio stations to play Randy Newman's song 'Short People'.




In Baltimore, it is illegal to wash or scrub sinks, no matter how dirty they get.




10 Massachusetts

In Boston, it is illegal to take a bath unless one has been ordered by a physician to do so.




An old ordinance declares goatees illegal unless you first pay a special license fee for the privilege of wearing one in public.



It is illegal to buy, sell or possess a squirt gun.



In bars, it is actually illegal to "walk around" with a beer in your hand. Oh, and it's also illegal to have drink specials- no Happy Hour for you, Bahstan Boys!



11 Minnesota



In Minneapolis, double-parkers can be put on a chain gang.




Red cars may not drive down Lake Street in Minneapolis.



In Minnetonka, if you drive a truck that leaves mud, dirt or sticky substances on any road, you will be considered a public nuisance who is harming the peace, safety, and general welfare of the town.



12 Montana

Double proxy marriages are allowed, meaning neither the bride nor the groom has to show up for the wedding, they can have someone stand in their place. You know...just in case they have something better to do that day.




13 Nebraska


In Hastings, the law says that hotel owners have to provide a clean white cotton nightshirt for each guest. Also no couples are allowed to have sex in the hotel unless they are wearing these nightshirts




If a child burps during a church service in Omaha, his or her parents may be arrested.



It is illegal for bar owners to sell beer unless they are simultaneously brewing a kettle of soup



14 New Hampshire

You can't tap your feet, nod your head, or in any way keep time to the music in a tavern, restaurant or cafe.




15 New Jersey


It is illegal to slurp soup.




You cannot pump your own gas.



In Newark, it is illegal to sell ice cream after 6pm, unless the customer has a note from his doctor.



16 New Mexico




In Carlsbad, the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary is banned.




In Raton, it is illegal for a woman to ride horseback down a public street with a kimono on.



17 New York

A fine of $25 can be levied for flirting. This old law specifically prohibits men from turning around on any city street and looking "at a woman in that way." A second conviction for a crime of this magnitude calls for the violating male to be forced to wear a "pair of horse-blinders" wherever and whenever he goes outside for a stroll.




In NYC, "it is disorderly conduct for one man to greet another on the street by placing the end of his thumb against the tip of his nose and wiggling the extended fingers of that hand."



18 Ohio


No one can be arrested on Sunday or the 4th of July.




In Marion, you can't eat a donut and walk backwards down a city street.



In Youngstown, it is illegal to run out of gas.



19 Oklahoma


Dogs must have a permit signed by the mayor in order to congregate in groups of three or more on private property.




You can't sleep on a refrigerator outdoors.



No baseball team can hit the ball over the fence or out of a ballpark.



20 Pennsylvania


It is illegal to throw pickle juice on a trolley.




"Any motorist who sights a team of horses coming toward him must pull well off the road, cover his car with a blanket or canvas that blends with the countryside, and let the horses pass. If the horses appear skittish, the motorist must take his car apart piece by piece, and hide it under the nearest bushes."



21 South Carolina

No horses are allowed into Fountain Inn unless they are wearing pants.




One must be 18 years old to play a pinball machine.



In Charleston, all carriage horses must wear diapers



22 Tennessee



In Memphis restaurants, it is illegal to give any pie to fellow diners. It is also illegal to take unfinished pie home. All pie must be eaten on the premises.




In Memphis, it is illegal for a woman to drive by herself; "a man must walk or run in front of the vehicle, waving a red flag in order to warn approaching pedestrians and motorists."



23 Texas

A recently passed anti-crime law requires criminals to give their victims 24 hours notice, either orally or in writing, and to explain the nature of the crime to be committed.



The entire Encyclopedia Britannica is banned in Texas because it contains a formula for making beer at home.






24 Virginia

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





In Richmond, it is illegal to flip a coin in any eating establishment
to determine who buys a cup of coffee.



25 Washington


It is illegal to pretend that one's parents are rich.




All lollipops are banned.



A law to reduce crime states: "It is mandatory for a motorist with criminal intentions to stop at the city limits and telephone the chief of police as he is entering the town."

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