Dumb Laws

[Leonhart29]

Yesterday I was chit chatting with one of my City's "finest" (and he is the finest I've seen around here as far as doing his job goes) and we started talking about Dumb Laws in the state of Texas. He gave me this site as an interesting eye opener - and it did. Not only in Texas but other states as well.

Some of the ones that made me go were...

Up to a felony charge can be levied for promoting the use of, or owning more than six dildos.

I guess it's a good thing I only own one... but here's the problem with my one and only.

It's illegal to possess realistic dildos.

Well - at least I don't live in Dallas - good thing huh?

And then there's bad news for my Dad living in Montana...

It is illegal for a man and a woman to have sex in any other position other than missionary style.

Poor guy... anyway - my point being - what laws caught your eye? Which ones would you be guilty of without even knowing it? And don't you think some of them should be stricken from the books? Like this one in Texarcana, TX

Owners of horses may not ride them at night without tail lights.

and of course this one from the great state of Arkansas

A man can legally beat his wife, but not more than once a month.

[dazzledfirestar]

I've found a few that made me giggle, and I'll share!

In Alabama,

• it is illegal to wear a fake moustache that causes laughter in church.
  
• It is illegal for a husband to beat his wife with a stick larger in diameter than his thumb.(This one almost scares me!)
  
• You cannot chain your alligator to a fire hydrant.
  
• You may not have an ice cream cone in your back pocket at any time.
  

But the best ones I've found were from Alaska:

• A law in Fairbanks does not allow moose to have sex on city streets.
  
• Even though it is legal to hunt a bear, it is illegal to wake a bear and take a picture for photo opportunities.
  
• It is considered an offense to feed alcoholic beverages to a moose.
  
• It is considered an offense to push a live moose out of a moving airplane.
  

What kind of things were people doing to these poor moose that these laws became necessary?? Or how drunk were the lawmakers??

[Nanaea]

Laws where I live:

• A person may not cross state lines with a duck atop his head.
  
• It is illegal to sleep naked.
  
• Oral sex is prohibited.
  
• All bathtubs must have feet.
  

[dazzledfirestar]

Laws where I live:

• A person may not cross state lines with a duck atop his head.
  
• It is illegal to sleep naked.
  
• Oral sex is prohibited.
  
• All bathtubs must have feet.
  

Well, I am in posession of an illegal bathtub... but I always wanted one with feet!

[Guest Serenanna]

Looks like Penn's Woods is not immune to idiotic laws either:

• You may not sing in the bathtub. (Guilty as charged! Someone lock me up!)
  
• Any motorist driving along a country road at night must stop every mile and send up a rocket signal, wait 10 minutes for the road to be cleared of livestock, and continue. (I'm calling this one the Amish/cow country law)
  
• Allentown: There is a ban on men becoming aroused in public. (I would love to see one of the cops charge someone with this one, this town is close to me too)
  
• Morriville: It is required that a woman have a permit to wear cosmetics. (. . . This one has to come from Amish territory too)
  
• Pittsburgh: No one is allowed to sleep on a refrigerator. (I really, really don't wanna know why this became a law.)
  

Sere

[ladydeathfaerie]

Laws where I live:

• A person may not cross state lines with a duck atop his head.
  
• It is illegal to sleep naked.
  
• Oral sex is prohibited.
  
• All bathtubs must have feet.
  

holy crap, Nan. where in the state do you live? we lived in Circle Pines, in Anoka county.

that's where i was born and where i lived for the first twelve years of my life before moving to just outside Dallas.

yes, the laws are very stupid. the ones from Texas about dildos must have been done by men with some serious penis envy and size issues.

[teeta]

I'm not from the USA but I went googling for weird laws and OMG what I have found!

California ->

*No dog shall be in a public place without its master on a leash.

*Detonating a nuclear device within the city limits results in a $500 fine. (ROFL!)

*Toads may not be licked. (in LA)

*It is illegal to wipe one's car with used underwear.

Florida->

* Having sexual relations with a porcupine is illegal. (OUCH)

Illinois->

*There is a $1,000 dollar fine for beating rats with baseball bats.

*Ice skating at the Riverside pond during the months of June and August is prohibited.

Louisiana->

*It is illegal to rob a bank and then shoot at the bank teller with a water pistol.

*You may not tie an alligator to a fire hydrant.

Massachusetts->

*Quakers and witches are banned.

*One may not detonate a nuclear device in the city. (hmmm, I wonder what the punishment for that would be)

Michigan->

*There is a 10 cent bounty for each rat's head brought into a town office. (you can actually make money ...)

New Jersey->

*People may not slurp their soup.

Oklahoma->

*It is unlawful to put any hypnotized person in a display window.

Oregon->

*People may not whistle underwater.

*You cannot wear roller skates in restrooms.

Utah->

*It is illegal to detonate any nuclear weapon. You can have them, but you just can't detonate them. (looks like an obsession ...)

Washington->

*Men who deflower virgins, regardless of age or marital status, may face up to five years in jail. (does that mean that Washington is a state of virgins?)

[quamp]

Yea, we got some weird ones around here too...

In Dallas County:

It is illegal to play a coin-operated videogame between the hours of 9 p.m. and 8 a.m. in public. However, playing a hand-held videogame in public is o.k. during those hours.

In Mesquite:

It is illegal for minors to have unusual haircuts.

In Richardson:

It is illegal to place a For Sale sign on a car if it is visible from the street.

In Austin:

You cannot carry wire cutters in a pocket.

I submitted that first one to the dumb laws site, btw. They didn't think it was dumb enough.

[Nanaea]

holy crap, Nan. where in the state do you live? we lived in Circle Pines, in Anoka county.

that's where i was born and where i lived for the first twelve years of my life before moving to just outside Dallas.

Those are state-wide laws, ldf!

Here are a few from the state I grew up in:

• It is illegal to kill a dog using a decompression chamber.
  
• No man may seduce and corrupt an unmarried girl, or else he risks five years in prison.
  
• A woman isn't allowed to cut her own hair without her husband's permission.
  
• You may not swear in front of women and children.
  

[DarkCabaret]

Stupid ass Kansas....

Rabbits may not be shot from motorboats. (Well this one is just odd!!)

Pedestrians crossing the highways at night must wear tail lights. (I just can't see someone wearing taillights ....)

No one may catch fish with his bare hands. (I use a pole...don't know bout you!)

The state game rule prohibits the use of mules to hunt ducks. (Thank god everyone I know uses dogs and children! LOL J/K)

If two trains meet on the same track, neither shall proceed until the other has passed. (Well if they can't go anywhere ... who the hell do you know when one has passed?)

It is illegal to urinate on the side of a building. (Damn and that's my favorite thing to do!)

No one may sing the alphabet on the streets at night. (Hmm maybe people just can't carry a tune!)

[Guest Agaib]

Me in fine old Oklahoma!

One may not promote a "horse tripping event" (But apparently its ok to have one, as long as you don't spread the word yourself)

It is illegal for the owner of a bar to allow anyone inside to pretend to have sex with a buffalo. (Wow, just... wow)

"Whaling is illegal" (I knew we have a lot of lakes but... what? I thought the Feds had this covered anyway...)

Oral sex is a misdemeanor and is punisable by one year in jail and a $2,500 fine (That's one expensive blowjob)

I'll make sure to warn My girlfriend if the cops come next time she's giving Me a BJ

EDIT: seriously, some of the laws on that website must be jokes. Do they have sources for their info? Oh well, at least it's entertaining.

[Guest Alien Pirate Pixagi]

....Here's New York:

Women may go topless in public, providing it is not being used as a business.

-YET-

It is illegal for a woman to be on the street wearing "body hugging clothing.

Citizens may not greet each other by "putting one's thumb to the nose and wiggling the fingers".

A fine of $25 can be levied for flirting.

It is against the law to throw a ball at someone's head for fun.

The penalty for jumping off a building is death.

New Yorkers cannot dissolve a marriage for irreconcilable differences, unless they both agree to it.

A person may not walk around on Sundays with an ice cream cone in his/her pocket.

While riding in an elevator, one must talk to no one, and fold his hands while looking toward the door.

Slippers are not to be worn after 10:00 P.

Apparently, in Staten Island, it's illegal for a father to call his son a faggot or a queer to "curb girlie habits." I LIKE that one!

Here comes my place of birth, Illinois!

You may be arrested for vagrancy if you do not have at least one dollar bill on your person.

You must contact the police before entering the city in an automobile.

The English language is not to be spoken.

In Chicago...

All businesses entering into contracts with the city must sift through their records and report any business they had dealing with slaves during the era of slavery.

Law forbids eating in a place that is on fire.

It is illegal to give a dog whiskey.

It is forbidden to fish while sitting on a giraffe's neck.

Kites may not be flown within the city limits.

In the Pullman area, it is illegal to drink beer out of a bucket while sitting on the curb.

It is legal to protest naked in front of city hall as long as you are under seventeen years of age and have legal permits.

[dazzledfirestar]

Just to make the Americans feel better, here's some good ones from the rest of the world!

• Donald Duck comics were once banned in Finland because he never wore pants
  
• In London, England, there is still a law that states London Taxi cabs must carry a bale of hay at all times.
  
• In Birmingham, England, it is illegal for a man and a woman to have sex on church steps after sundown.
  
• In Victoria, Australia only a licensed electrician is allowed to change a lightbulb and it is forbidden to wear pink hot pants after mid-day on a Sunday!
  
• in British Columbia, Canada it is illegal to kill a Sasquatch or Bigfoot if one is ever found.
  
• And in my home province, Alberta, Canada a released convict is entitled to a gun and a horse to ride out of town on.
  

There, see, there are stupid laws almost everywhere!

[Guest echtrae]

In Birmingham, England, it is illegal for a man and a woman to have sex on church steps after sundown.

But I suppose a nooner on the church steps is alright then.

[EveKnight75]

Woman, 70, clashes with police over 'neglected' lawn.

And here's the excerpt relevant to this thread.

The Utah Daily Herald reported that grandmother Betty Perry was jailed briefly after violence flared when a police officer issued her a ticket for failing to maintain the garden of her home in Orem, 45 miles (72 kilometers) south of Salt Lake City.

I'm still looking into New York and Ontario.

[Aeka-chan]

Oh, don't get me started on this topic, Michigan full of crazy people *nod*

• A woman isn't allowed to cut her own hair without her husband's permission.
  
• Any person over the age of 12 may have a license for a handgun as long as he/she has not been convicted of a felony. (See! All these shootigns are the government's fault!)
  Clawson
  
• There is a law that makes it legal for a farmer to sleep with his pigs, cows, horses, goats, and chickens. (Riiight... Sleeping had best be all they are doing with those critters)
  Detroit
  
• It is illegal to let your pig run free in Detroit unless it has a ring in its nose. According to history and animal husbandry, it prevents them from "rooting" in the ground for their food.
  
• Willfully destroying your old radio is prohibited.
  
• It is illegal for a man to scowl at his wife on Sunday.
  Grand Haven
  
• No person shall throw an abandoned hoop skirt into any street or on any sidewalk, under penalty of a five- dollar fine for each offense. (Wait... People still MAKE hoop skirts?)
  Harper Woods
  
• It is illegal to paint sparrows to sell them as parakeets. (I've heard of counterfeiting but...)
  Kalamazoo
  
• It is against the law to serenade your girlfriend.
  Rochester
  
• All bathing suits must have been inspected by the head of police.
  Wayland
  
• Anyone can keep their cow on Main Street downtown at a cost of 3 cents per day. (Okay, I can't resist- Hey cow, MOOVE it!)
  

[Leonhart29]

When I went to college in Huntsville there was an inmate at the prison there that pulled a very old law up ... and he got it. The law stated that any felon in that county (this law used to pertain to the state as well by the way) once released could request a six shot revolver, a $10 gold piece and a horse provided he left the state and never came back. Because it was a law on the books (dating back to the 1800's) they gave it to him - $10 GOLD piece and everything. They dropped him off at the Texas / New Mexico border and watched him ride away... right into a waiting New Mexico county mounty's arms. Apparently felons aren't supposed to have fire arms there either.

The law has since been stricken from the books.

[Aeka-chan]

Found some more Michigan bits, including some extensions to the rat bounty-

• There is a 3 cent bounty for each starling and 10 cent bounty for each crow killed in any village, township, or city in the state.
  
• Adultery is illegal, but can only be punished upon a complaint by the affected husband or wife.
  
• The last Sunday in June of every year was named "log cabin day". (What the hell?)
  
• Cars may not be sold on Sunday. (I always knew used car salesmen were demons)
  Detroit
  
• Putt-putt golf courses must close by 1:00 AM.
  
• Security guards at Joe Louis Arena will confiscate any item they feel might be thrown onto the ice.
  
• Couples are banned from making love in an automobile unless the act takes place while the vehicle is parked on the couple's own property.
  

[AmyMcClair]

One of my friends wants to be a cop in South Carolina because they have a law that says:

A man may beat his wife on the courthouse steps on Sundays.

As for:

Washington->

*Men who deflower virgins, regardless of age or marital status, may face up to five years in jail. (does that mean that Washington is a state of virgins?)

I guess, women have to deflower themselves with the illegal dildoes from Texas.

[teeta]

I guess, women have to deflower themselves with the illegal dildoes from Texas.

[ArkaineX55]

Do the police or even the people know ALL of these laws?

I know Florida has alot of odd ones. I think the whole list was on dumblaws.com ...

Edited August 25, 2007 by ArkaineX55

[Acal]

Dumb Laws Australia

National Laws

A life sentence is 25 years!

Children may not purchase cigarettes, but can smoke them!

You may never leave your car keys in an unattended vehicle!

It is illegal to roam the streets wearing black clothes and felt shoes etc

It is illegal to read someone’s tarot, or give them psychic readings as these are

forms of witchcraft!

Taxi cabs are required to carry a bail of hay in the trunk/boot!

Bars are required to stable, water and feed the horses of their patrons! (obviously a forgotten law from the colonial era before cars were invented)

The legal age for straight sex is 16, unless the person is in the care/custody of an older person, in which case it is 18!

Victoria

Only licensed electricians may change a light bulb. Fine for not abiding is 10 pounds!

It is illegal to wear hot pink pants after midday Sunday!

You must have a neck to knee swimsuit in order to swim at Brighton Beach!

Queensland

In Queensland, the Lolly Pop Ladies are supplied by the Transport Dept to man the

school crossings. They are funded only if 45 children, or more, per day use the

crossing. The catch is they must walk across the crossing unaided by a parent or guardian! If they are aided, they don't count and the funding can be withdrawn!

(the QLD goverment is quite stupid so something like that isn't particulary suprising)

[EveKnight75]

New York:

It is illegal to perform window puppet shows. I remember that from a commercial.

It is also illegal for a blind person to drive in New York City. This is actually in the books. (I read about it 10 years ago in an "interesting facts" book).

Donkeys are not allowed to sleep in bathtubs in Brooklyn. (Do I want to know?)

Women are allowed to go topless in public in both Ontario, Canada and New York, USA. If men are allowed to do it, women should be allowed to do it.

[manta2g]

Strange laws where I Live. Winnipeg Manitoba.

Manitoba:

It is legal to marry your cousin. (who'd want to do that?)

Winnipeg:

In Winnipeg, it is against the law to go naked in your own home if you leave the blinds up

It's illegal to drive down main street unless your horse is weaing a diper.

A by-law forbids anyone from striking the sidewalk with a metal object

it's illegal to sell bent firewood

Canada:

No one in Canada may watch or listen to an encrypted broadcast which is not licensed by the Canadian government.

It is illegal to kill a sick person by frightening them.

It is illegal to pretend to practice witchcraft.

Not allowed to pay for a 50 cent Item with pennies (Guily of that one)

[Guest Painful Retribution]

Canada somewhere also 25 years is life sentence. Forget if all Canada or just one piece.