Strange but true. The Land of the Free has some of the most restrictive and weirdest laws ever enacted - and not just applicable to shrimping in NYC. Just in case you plan to visit, here are just a selection if misdemeanours to watch out for...
Alabama
In Jasper, it is illegal for a husband to beat his wife with a stick larger in diameter than his thumb.
It is illegal to play Dominos on Sunday.
It is illegal to wear a fake moustache that causes laughter in a church.
Putting salt on a railroad track may be punishable by death.
Alaska
In Fairbanks, it is illegal to feed alcoholic beverages to a moose.
It is illegal to a wake a bear for the purpose of photography, although it is legal to shoot a sleeping bear.
Arizona
In Tucson, it is illegal for women to wear pants.
In Globe, it is illegal to play cards in the street with a Native American.
In Glendale, it is illegal to drive a car in reverse.
In Nogales, it is illegal to wear suspenders.
In Phoenix, every man who enters the city limits must wear pants.
In Hackberry, it is illegal for women to eat raw onions while drinking buttermilk on Sunday.
Arkansas
A man can legally beat his wife, but not more than once a month.
It is illegal to mispronounce the name of the state of Arkansas.
It is illegal for the Arkansas River to raise higher than the Main Street bridge in Little Rock.
In Fayetteville, it is illegal to kill any living creature, including insects.
In Little Rock, if a man and a woman flirt with each other in the streets, they could be jailed for 30 days.
California
In Los Angeles, a man may legally beat his wife with a leather strap, as long as it is less than two inches wide, or she gives him permission to use a larger strap.
It is a misdemeanor to shoot at any kind of game from a moving vehicle, unless it's a whale.
In Pacific Grove, "molesting" butterflies can result in a $500 fine.
In Pasedena, it is illegal for a secretary to be alone in a room with her boss.
It is illegal to set a mousetrap without a hunting license.
In Long Beach, it is illegal to curse on a mini-golf course.
In Sacramento, it is punishable by death to market proprioceptive insoles as orthotics.
In San Francisco, it is illegal to wipe one's car with used underwear.
It is illegal to cry on the witness stand in Los Angeles.
It is illegal to eat oranges in a bathtub.
Colorado
In Durango, it is illegal to go out in public dressed in clothing unbecoming to one's gender.
In Logan County, it is illegal for a man to kiss a woman while she is asleep.
In Pueblo, it is illegal to let a dandelion grow within city limits.
Connecticut
In Hartford, it is illegal to educate a dog.
It is illegal to dispose of used razor blades.
In New Britain, the speed limit for fire trucks in 25 mph, even when going to a fire.
In Hartford, it is illegal for a man to kiss his wife on a Sunday.
Delaware
In Lewes, it is illegal to wear pants that are form-fitting around the waist.
It is illegal to fly over a body of water unless sufficient supplies of food and water are on board.
Florida
In Miami, it is illegal for a man to wear of any kind of strapless gown.
Unmarried women who parachute on Sundays may be jailed.
Topless walking within a 150 foot zone between the beach and the street is prohibited
It is illegal to jog with your eyes closed.
In Sarasota, it is illegal to sing while wearing a bathing suit.
Georgia
All males in the state between the ages of 16 and 50 are required to work on public roads.
In Columbus, it is illegal to sit on one's porch in an indecent position.
In Quitman, it is illegal for a chicken to cross the road.
It is illegal to change the clothes on a storefront mannequin unless the shades are down.
Hawaii
It is illegal to appear in public wearing only swimming trunks.
It is illegal to own a mongoose without a permit.
Idaho
In Pocatello, it is prohibited for pedestrians and motorists to display frowns, grimaces, scowls, threatening and glowering looks, gloomy and depressed facial appearences, generally all of which reflect unfavorably upon the city's reputation.
Boxes of candy given as romantic gifts must weigh more than 50 pounds.
Illinois
In Chicago, people who are diseased, maimed, mutilated, or deformed to the point of being an unsightly or disguting object are banned from going out in public.
Also in Chicago, it is illegal to fish in pyjamas.
One more in Chicago, it is illegal to take a French poodle to the opera.
It is illegal to speak English, the officially recognized language is "American."
In Guernee, it is illegal for women weighing more than 200 pounds to ride horses in shorts.
In Joliet, it is illegal to mispronounce the name Joliet.
Indiana
Monkeys are forbidden to smoke cigarettes in South Bend.
In Gary, it is illegal to attend the theatre within four hours of eating garlic.
Iowa
State law forbids any establishment from charging admission to see a one-armed piano player.
In Fort Madison, fireman are required to practice for 15 minutes before going to a fire.
Kansas
It is illegal for restaurants to sell cherry pie a la mode on Sundays.
In Wichita, it is illegal to carry a concealed bean snapper.
In Lang, it is illegal to ride a mule down Main Street in August, unless the animal is wearing a straw hat.
In Natoma, it is illegal to throw a knife at any one wearing a striped shirt.
Kentucky
It is illegal for a woman to appear in a bathing suit on a highway unless she is a)escorted by at least two police officers, b)armed with a club, c)or lighter than 90 pounds or more than 200 pounds.
It is illegal to remarry the same man four times.
it is illegal to carry an ice cream cone in your back pocket.
Louisiana
In New Orleans, fire trucks are required by law to stop at all red lights.
It is considered simple assault to bite someone in New Orleans, but it is aggravated assault if the biter has false teeth.
It is against the law to gargle in public.
Maine
In Portland, it is illegal for men to tickle women under the chin with feather dusters.
The most money one can legally win gambling is three dollars.
It Rumford, it is illegal for a tenant to bite his/her landlord.
In Waterville, it is illegal to blow one's nose in public.
Maryland
In Baltimore, it is illegal to wash or scrub sinks, no matter how dirty they get.
Every person who has bowled since 1833 may be fined $2 for each offence.
In Halethorpe, it is illegal to kiss for more than one second.
It's illegal to mistreat oysters.
It's illegal to play Randy Newman's "Short People" on the radio.
Massachusetts
In Salem, even married couples are forbidden from sleeping in the nude in the rented rooms.
It is illegal to wear a goatee without a license.
Dueling with water pistols is illegal.
In Boston, it is illegal for someone to take a bath unless ordered by a physician.
In 1659, Christmas was outlawed.
Michigan
A man legally owns his wife's hair.
In Detroit, it is illegal to ogle a woman from a moving car.
In Port Huron, the speed limit for ambulances is 20 mph.
Under state law, dentists are officially classified as mechanics.
Minnesota
Women may face up to 30 days in jail if they impersonate Santa Clause.
In Minneapolis, double parkers can be put on a chain gang.
Every man in Brainerd is required by law to grow a beard.
It's illegal to tease skunks.
Mississippi
It is still legal to kill one's servant.
In Truro, a would-be groom must prove himself manly prior to marriage by hunting and killing 6 blackbirds or 3 cows.
Missouri
In Saco, women are forbidden from wearing hats that might frighten timid persons, children, or animals.
In St. Louis, it is illegal for an on-duty firefighter to rescue a woman wearing a nightgown. In order to be rescued, a woman must be fully dressed.
Montana
It is a felony for a wife to open her husbands mail.
It is a misdemeanor to show movies that depict acts of felonious crime.
It Whitehall, it is illegal to operate a vehicle with icepicks attached to the wheels.
Nebraska
It is illegal for a mother to give her daughter a perm without a state license.
In Waterloo, barbers are forbidden from eating onions between 7am and 7pm.
In Omaha, barbers are forbidden form shaving their customers chests.
If a child burps during a church service, their parents may be arrested.
It is illegal for bar owners to sell beer unless they are simultaneously brewing a kettle of soup.
Nevada
It Nyala, a man is forbidden from buying drinks for more than three people.
In Eureka, men are forbidden from kissing women.
Everyone walking on the streets of Elko is required to wear a mask.
New Hampshire
It is illegal to sell the clothes one is wearing to pay off a gamling debt.
It is illegal to check into a hotel with an assumed name.
It is illegal to dye margerine pink.
New Jersey
It is against the law to frown at a police officer.
In Neward, it is illegal to sell ice cream after 6pm, unless the customer has a note from his/her doctor.
It is illegal to slurp soup.
In Trenton, it is illegal to throw a bad pickle in the street.
In Dumont, it is illegal to spit on the sidewalk on Sundays.
New Mexico
In Raton, it is illegal for a woman to rider horseback down a public street with a kimono on.
The Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary is banned in Carlsbad.
New York
In New York City, it is illegal for a woman to be on the street wearing "body hugging clothing."
In New York City, it is illegal for a man to ogle a lady. The accused are forced to wear horse-blinders.
Also in New York City, 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, at the same time extending and wiggling the fingers of his hand.
North Carolina
In Charlotte, women must have their bodies covered by 16 yards of cloth at all time.
In Ashville, it is illegal to sneeze on city streets.
North Dakota
In Fargo, one may be jailed for wearing a hat while dancing, or even for wearing a hat to a party where dancing is taking place.
It is illegal to lie down and fall asleep with your shoes on.
It is illegal to serve beer and pretzels at the same time in any bar, club, or restaurant.
Ohio
In Cleveland, women are forbidden from wearing patent leather shoes, for men can see the reflection of their underwear.
In Columbus, it is illegal for stores to sell Cornflakes on Sunday.
It Oxford, it is illegal for a women to undress in front of a man's picture.
In Youngstown, it is illegal to run out of gas.
Catch-22 is banned in Strongville.
Oklahoma
People who make ugly faces at dogs may be fined and/or jailed.
In Schulter, it is illegal for a woman to gamble while wearing a towel.
Oregon
One may not bathe without wearing "suitable clothing," i.e., clothing that covers one's body from neck to knee.
In Hood River, it is illegal to juggle without a license.
In Marion, ministers are forbidden from eating onions or garlic before giving a sermon.
In Willowdale, no man may curse while having sex with his wife.
Pennsylvania
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 to be skittings, the motorist must take his car apart piece by piece, and hide it under the nearest bush.
In Morrisville, women need a permit to wear cosmetics.
Ministers are forbidden from performing marriages when either the bride or the groom is drunk.
Rhode Island
In Providence, it is illegal to sell toothpaste and a toothbrush to the same customer on a Sunday.
It is illegal to throw pickle juice on a trolley.
In Newport, it is illegal to smoke a pipe after sundown.
South Carolina
Every citizen is obliged to carry his gun to church.
No horses are allowed into Fountain Inn unless they are wearing pants.
In Charleston, all carriage horses must wear nappies (diapers).
South Dakota
It is illegal to lie down and fall asleep in a cheese factory.
Movies that show police officers being struck, beaten or treated in an offensive manner are forbidden.
Tennesee
It is illegal to use a lasso to catch fish.
In Dyersburg, it is illegal for a woman to call a man for a date.
In Memphis restaurants, it is illegal to give any pie to fellow diners, it's illegal to take unfinished pie home and all pie must be eaten on the premises.
In Memphis, it is illegal for a woman to drive by herself, unless a man is walking or running in front of the vehicle, waving a red flag in order to warn approaching pedestrians and motorists.
Texas
It is illegal for children to have unusual haircuts.
A recently passed anti-crime laws requires criminals to give their victims 24 hours notice, either orally or in writing, and explain to the nature of the crime about to be comitted.
It is illegal to milk another persons's cow.
In El Paso, churches, hotels, halls of assembly, stores, markets, banking rooms, railroad depots, and saloons are required to have spittoons on hand.
In Houston, it is illegal to sell Limburger cheese on Sunday.
If you have a ranch near Crawford and your surname is Bush, it's illegal to have an IQ in excess of 20. (just kidding - actually it's 10)
Utah
Birds have the right of way on all highways.
A husband is responsible for every criminal act committed by his wife while she is in his presence.
Vermont
Women must obtain written permission from their husbands to wear false teeth.
It is illegal to deny the existence of God.
It is illegal to whistle underwater.
Virginia
In Richmond, it is illegal to flip a coin in any eating establishment to determine who buys a cup of coffee.
In Norfolk, it is unlawful for chickens to lay eggs before 8AM and after 4PM.
It is illegal for a man to kick his wife out of bed.
It is illegal for a man to pat his wife's derriere.
It is illegal to tickle women.
Washington
In Seattle, women who sit on men's laps on buses or trains without placing a pillow between them face an automatic 6 months in jail.
In Seattle, it is illegal to carry a concealed weapon longer than 6 feet.
It is illegal to pretend one's parents are rich.
West Virginia
In Nicholas County, no clergy members may tell jokes or humourous story from the pulpit during church services.
It is illegal to snooze on a train.
Wisconsin
In St. Croix, women are not allowed to wear anything red in public.
It is illegal to cut a women's hair.
It is illegal to kiss on a train.
Cheese making requires a license. Limburger cheese making requires a master cheese license.
Wyoming
It is illegal to wear a hat that obstructs peoples' view in a public theatre or place of amusement.
It is illegal for a women to stand within five feet of a bar while drinking.
....and you thought the rules on this site were strict, huh?
__________________
"citing an indisposition due to special circumstances"
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Last edited by Mark Russell : 18th May 2006 at 01:57 AM.
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