Alaska
“It is illegal to whisper in someone’s ear while they are moose hunting.”
Hunting is rather popular in the rural state of Alaska. Among the more popular animals to hunt are moose. Hunters have to be quite focused when trying to take down these magisterial creatures. On average, a fully-grown moose could weigh up to 1,000 pounds. If feeling threatened in any way (especially when protecting their young), moose have been known to be very aggressive — and in some cases deadly.
As such, it’s probably a good idea to not whisper in someone’s hear when holding a firearm. You don’t want to run the risk of upsetting a mammoth moose — nor do you want to essentially mess with someone holding a gun.
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Hawaii
“By law, twins are not permitted to work for the same company.”
We don’t know the rationale behind this bizarre rule. Of course, identical twins have been known to pull a prank or two. We’ve seen these hijinks portrayed over and over in media for decades upon decades. We presume that identical twins in real life also tend to pull pranks on loved ones, or even those in a professional setting.
Without a doubt, we just find this law to be strange, if for nothing else that it’s statistically rather rare for twins to work in the same profession — let alone together in the same company.
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Arizona
“Donkeys cannot sleep in bathtubs.”
Strangely, there is some backstory to this utterly bizarre law. As the legend goes, a ranch owner had a donkey who — for whatever reason — enjoyed sleeping in an old bathtub out on the land. Ultimately, a massive flood gushed through the city, and obliterated the man’s ranch. The donkey had been sleeping in the bathtub — and ended up floating downriver a few miles away.
In order to save the donkey, it took the town both time and money. This didn’t sit well with law makers, and thus this weird provision was reportedly created.
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Oregon
“In Portland, you cannot get married at a skating rink.”
The state of Oregon is somewhat of a funky place. The city of Portland is particularly eclectic in nature. If you’ve never been there before, a first-time trip will likely introduce you to some visuals you’ve never seen before (in both good ways and bad ways). It’s a part of what makes Portland both unique and endearing all at the same time. From a marriage standpoint, the state apparently has one specific situation in which couples should avoid.
In the city of Portland itself, couples cannot get married at a skating rink. Maybe this is done to prevent novices on the ice from breaking a leg on the big day.
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Washington
“One cannot throw rocks at fish as a way of catching them.”
Fishing is meant to be a relaxing endeavor. One simply sits in a boat or on the shore in perfect tranquility as a line is dropped into the preferred body of water. From there, individuals enjoy their surroundings — waiting for the eventual nibbling on the line to occur. This activity is a nice way to spend time with loved ones. On the other hand, aggressively chucking rocks into the water with the hopes of nailing a fish seems both unnecessary and inefficient.
The state of Washington clearly understands this premise — which makes sense considering its proximity to the Pacific Ocean, as well as a number of natural lakes, springs, and rivers.
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Nevada
“It is against the law to pawn your dentures.”
Las Vegas has a number of very prominent pawn shops. Pictured above is the famed trio (Rick Harrison, Corey Harrison, Austin “Chumlee” Russell) from Gold & Silver Pawn Shop. People from literally all over the world come here in hopes of splashing some cash on unique treasures — or even selling rare items for a potential payday. We understand the premise in pawning some items, though pawning dentures seems like a risk no one is willing to take.
We aren’t sure how hygienic it would be to utilize someone else’s dentures from a pawn shop. Additionally, we also have no idea what something like that would be priced at. Fortunately, the state of Nevada has outlawed that specific deal.
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Idaho
“It is a criminal offense to ride a merry-go-round on a Sunday.”
Way to suck the fun out of the weekend, Idaho. For some strange reason, Idaho law states that it’s a criminal offense to ride a merry-go-round on a Sunday. The carnival business must absolutely hate the law — as well as the thousands of children who’d love nothing more than to ride up-and-down on a mechanical horse as their senses are ensnared by incessant, repetitive music and a cornucopia of flashing pastel colors.
On further review, this could very well be a law put in place to let dads watch the NFL on Sundays without interruption. Either way, we see it as unnecessary.
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Wyoming
“It is illegal for any person to forget to close a fence or gate.”
As one could imagine, ranching is quite important within the state of Wyoming. The production of livestock is equally as significant to the state’s overall economy. As such, each cow, horse, or sheep is a precious commodity. Owners don’t want to run the risk of their animals escaping — where they could get run over or injured by a vehicle.
As such, the state of Wyoming has instituted a fine for those who forget to close their gates when operating a property with animals on it. Accidents have occurred where both animals and drivers have been fatally injured.
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Montana
“It is a felony for a wife to open her husband’s mail.”
This sort of law seems dated, antiquated, and pretty misogynist if we’re being honest. On one hand, there’s legitimate privacy in terms of someone opening another person’s mail. However in this case — when it involves a married couple — the same sort of laws shouldn’t really apply.
This is especially the case when a felony is on the line when it comes to a wife presumably opening up her husband’s unpaid bill from the foot doctor three weeks prior. The whole ‘felony’ thing seems utterly ridiculous at its core.
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New Mexico
“It’s illegal to carry a lunch box down Main Street in Las Cruces.”
Do grown adults still use lunch boxes? Apparently in the New Mexico city of Las Cruces, you can get into some serious trouble while talking down Main Street with an arm full of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, a snack pack, and a Hi-C juice box.
We aren’t entirely sure if this law is applicable solely to adults, or also extending to children. In the event that it does extend to kids, we hope that there’s not any school located on Main Street. If that were the case, the selling of paper bags would skyrocket.
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Utah
“Being caught throwing a snowball in Provo may result in a $50 fine.”
According to the city of Provo, “Throwing any stone, stick, snowball, or missile” could lead to a $50 fine. We find this to be inherently unfair. We’re not talking about the stones, sticks, or missile part — but rather the snowballs. Utah is one of the most picturesque places on Earth, particularly in the wintertime.
Kids from all over the world who live in arid climates dream of the day when they can clump together powdery snow for that perfect ball of icy goodness. For those who have the unfortunate luck in traveling to Provo, this fantasy will unfortunately not be realized without breaking the law.
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Colorado
“The state of Colorado doesn’t permit the sales of automobiles on Sundays.”
If you’re looking to do your car shopping in the state of Colorado on the weekend, you better do it on Saturday. The state is very clear on the parameters put in place for its residents. For whatever reason, those living in Colorado cannot purchase a vehicle on Sundays.
You are allowed to buy tires and other car-based accessories. However, the law clearly states that buying a car on Sunday is completely outlawed — whether at a formal dealership or even at someone’s home.
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North Dakota
“Bars and restaurants are not allowed to sell both beer and pretzels at the same time.”
There are certain types of snacks which mesh exceptionally well with a beer. The cold, refreshing nature of a brew is best paired with something dense (and salty) to sop up the alcohol. In other words, an old fashioned salted pretzel is as perfect of a combination as any other snack.
We often see this happen in Europe — where the likes of Germany and Czech Republic are famous for pairing the doughy snack with an ice cold beer. The state of North Dakota vehemently disagrees with this premise. It’s outlawed for any bar/restaurant to sell both beer and pretzels at the same time.
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South Dakota
“South Dakota hotel rooms are required by law to have 2 twin beds and those beds must be at least two feet apart. It is illegal for a couple to rent one of the rooms and have intercourse in the two-foot space between the beds.”
South Dakota makes it perfectly clear that it doesn’t expect any ‘funny business’ to occur in any of its hotel rooms. The irony is this specific law may be the biggest endorsement for tourists to instead opt for an AirBnB property over a local motel.
Even if we’re taking away the ‘intercourse’ element of this law from the equation, a twin bed can’t be super comfortable for most people, right? We wouldn’t enjoy going on vacation just to have our feet hanging off the end of the bed.
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California
“Spilling margaritas on city streets is prohibited in Hermosa Beach.”
Assuming you’re of legal age, partaking in a frosty margarita on a warm summer day can be a highly pleasurable experience. It’d be an absolute shame to accidentally drop one on the floor. In the Los Angeles beach community of Hermosa Beach, it’s actually illegal to spill a margarita — but not for the reason you’d think.
While a spilled margarita might be a bit sticky, it’s actually the salt on the rim of the drink which Hermosa Beach wants to avoid. Salt has a habit of damaging the surface of the roads, and the city officials don’t want that happening due to a spilled cocktail.
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Nebraska
“A man is not allowed to run outside with a shaved chest.”
Here’s the thing…with all due respect to the state of Nebraska, it’s not normally a culture associated with outdoor exercise nor activity (unless you count tailgating before the Cornhuskers play). A big part of that has to do with the weather. From a year around standpoint, Nebraska doesn’t exactly have the climate in which people can freely enjoy outdoor weather from January-December.
As such, the state made it a law in which a man isn’t allowed to run outside with a shaved chest. Instead — especially during those winter months — you’d best be served with some sort of sweatshirt.
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Kansas
“In Topeka, singing the alphabet at night is considered illegal.”
Children of Topeka, beware! For some strange reason, in the capital city of Kansas, you’re only allowed to practice your ABC’s during the day. If you decided to attempt this endeavor at night, you’re technically breaking the law in accordance to what’s stipulated by the state of Topeka.
Anyone likely will feel a bit perplexed as to why this is actually a written law. If we had to guess, the lawmaker who wrote the bill most likely didn’t want to be annoyed at night by their own child or a neighbor’s kid. Watching Wheel of Fortune without distraction is important, right?
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Oklahoma
“It is illegal to have tissues in the back of your car.”
Now, this is a law which simply doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. Those with small children — and even kids of practically any age — know that having ready-to-use tissue is imperative. You never know when some sort of snot emergency will take place (and boy do they have a tendency to occur with great frequency when dealing with children).
In Oklahoma, law forbids people from technically possessing a box of tissues in their vehicle. To be a bit sneaky in finding a loophole to this law, it’d be best to grab those small packs of tissues which can be easily hidden in a purse or car console.
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Texas
“The state of Texas has a blanket ban on the Encyclopedia Britannica.”
The state of Texas prides itself on essentially being its own country within the United States. There are parts of Texas which are considered to be dry counties. Weirdly enough, the Encyclopedia Britannica is banned throughout Texas in conjunction to these specific areas.
Reportedly, the encyclopedia contains a homebrewing recipe (used for the purpose of making beer). Due to some of those dry areas, Texas has put the kibosh on this book being available. Fortunately for those students in need of an academic tool, search engines are now widely available on their smartphones.
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Louisiana
“It is not acceptable to tie an alligator to a fire hydrant.”
The state of Louisiana is bustling with a bunch of interesting and unique critters. One trip down to the Bayou for a non-local will open their eyes in more than one way. The thought of casually seeing an alligator while guzzling a can of Bud Light on an airboat is relatively normal.
However, if one happens to have a pet alligator, you aren’t allowed to tie it to a fire hydrant when you head down the street to the corner café for lunch. Doing this to a dog in today’s day and age is considered to be a no-no. Having a pet alligator out in public is likely to be an even bigger faux pas.
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Arkansas
“It is illegal to sound the horn on a vehicle after 9 p.m. at any location where cold drinks or sandwiches are served.”
We actually approve of this law. It makes a ton of sense when breaking down the language piece by piece. After 9 p.m., people are usually at home — resting in comfortable clothing with Netflix on the television. The last thing anyone wants hear in the midst of a Murder documentary is someone incessantly honking their car horns.
As it pertains to a restaurant setting, we could assume that the ever-present nature of honking a horn could be the byproduct of general rudeness. It also could be a catalyst for some sort of altercation between people who have road rage. As such, Arkansas smartly cuts out those possibilities, and instead asks for quiet. Those living in Razorback country can go and enjoy their late night Chick Fil-A or Popeye’s in peace.
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Missouri
“In Kansas City, children can buy shotguns…but they cannot buy a toy cap gun.”
Say what? The nature of this law doesn’t make a whole lot of sense on the surface — whether you’re a gun enthusiast or not. Why would a child be able to legally purchase a firearm — though isn’t allowed to own/operate/purchase a toy cap gun? One of those weapons is lethal in nature, while the other is a toy.
Yet, a child is allowed to buy the former and not the latter? Missouri may want to rethink this one…and quick. Any objective mind would find a hard time in understanding the rationale behind this one.
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Iowa
“Men wearing mustaches are not allowed to kiss women in public.”
Hipsters all across Iowa are outraged by this ruling — which effectively attacks their personal expression in the way of a gnarly ‘stache. According to Iowa law, men possessing a mustache are not allowed to kiss women in public. Should a man not have a mustache, there’s even a limit on what’s known to be acceptable public displays of affection.
Reportedly, a couple can kiss in public, but for no longer than five minutes at a time. Along with hipsters, those teens who can’t grow a mustache in the first place must feel super disgruntled by needing to search around for the perfect make out spot away from law enforcement.
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Minnesota
“Minnesota women may face up to 30 days in jail if they impersonate Santa Claus.”
Apparently the holidays aren’t always jolly for everyone in the state of Minnesota. For some strange reason, women aren’t allowed to dress up as Santa Claus. This presumably involves situations such as being your run-of-the-mill Santa at a mall, dressing up as a slightly inebriated Santa at a holiday party, and as the iconic figure surprising children on Christmas Eve.
If caught dressing up as Santa, Minnesota women could face up to nearly a month behind bars. Talk about some Grinch lawmakers in the Land of Ten Thousand Lakes.
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Wisconsin
“In the city of St. Croix, women are banned from wearing the color red.”
How does this make any sense?! Outside of the Green Bay Packers, perhaps the biggest flagship sports team in the state of Wisconsin (with all due apologies to the Bucks and Brewers) is the University of Wisconsin Badgers football team.
The iconic Camp Randall Stadium is completely covered in red and white on gamedays. Even around the city of Madison, you’ll see that prominent Badger red smattered all over signs, buildings, and the like. We get that St. Croix is right on the Wisconsin-Minnesota border, but this rule doesn’t make a whole lot of sense (especially since it’s only geared towards women).
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Illinois
“Those under 21 years of age can legally drink alcohol if enrolled in a culinary program.”
There are a number of recipes which necessitate the presence of alcohol. This is specifically the case with French or Italian food, where sauces can be built with red or white wine. Being able to adequately construct the dish involves trying the involved alcohol.
While the legal drink age within the United States remains at 21, the state of Illinois allows culinary students to legal drink alcohol. This is clearly motivated by academic reasons as it pertains to culinary school.
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Tennessee
“To play pinball, one must be 18 years old.”
There’s nothing inherently dangerous nor scandalous about the game of pinball. One simply smashes buttons in order to execute two levers motioning in harmony as it aims to smash a ball back up into a land of bright lights. We suppose that a pinball machine could theoretically be built with an explicit theme. All the same, we’d have a hard time thinking that all pinball machines would be off limits for anyone under the age of 18.
With that said, the state of Tennessee clearly takes this quite seriously. For whatever reason, those living in The Volunteer State can’t enjoy the thrill of a good pinball machine until they turn 18 years of age.
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Mississippi
“It is illegal to sell the meat of a cat for food.”
Thank goodness for this rule. In other parts of the world, the consumption of cats is not looked at as immoral in nature. Within the United States — where cats are domesticated pets — the same premise simply does not exist. In the state of Mississippi, lawmakers have made it illegal to sell the meat of a cat for food.
While most people within the U.S. would never think to ever attempt such a thing, clearly there were some individuals who dabbled in this before Mississippi put an end to it swiftly. Beef is a much better choice anyway, especially considering the barbecue which exists all throughout the southern region of the United States.
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Michigan
“No man may seduce and corrupt an unmarried girl.”
Now this is an interesting law. Many men in the state of Michigan probably don’t like this ruling — as it essentially could throw cold water on what they perceive to be ‘their game’ when approaching a woman at a bar or club. According to Michigan law, any man caught trying to ‘seduce’ or ‘corrupt’ an unmarried girl could be guilty of a felony.
Ultimately, a fine of $2,500 — or a jail sentence of no more than five years could arise based upon the potential crime. As such, men have to really tow the proverbial line when approaching a girl with the hopes of scoring a date.
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Indiana
“Indianapolis residents may not ride their horse over 10 miles-per-hour.”
When was this rule put in place? Indianapolis is a very modern city — and certainly not one in which you’ll see pastoral fields and rolling green hills. It’s not even the type of place holding the past history in which small, narrow cobblestone streets necessitated the use of animals as a form of transportation.
Alas, as it pertains to Indianapolis, residents living within the city limits are not allowed to ride their horses over 10 miles-per-hour. Essentially, pony rides at children’s birthday parties would be acceptable. However, if you’re rushing out to grab snacks before a big game, you need to take your Mustang vehicle as opposed to your mustang animal. Otherwise, cops out on the interstate will be armed and ready with their radar guns hoping to catch you galloping down the boulevard at an unacceptable pace.
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Ohio
“If someone loses a pet tiger, they must notify authorities within one hour.”
Somewhere, Mike Tyson is smiling. We don’t know exactly how many people in the state of Ohio actually own tigers. All the same, there must be enough of them for the state to come up with this interesting law. If a pet tiger “gets out” and runs amok, the owner has to alert the police within an hour of the tiger escaping.
How would a 500-pound animal manage to escape, you ask? We could have a number of Hangover activities going on. Or, someone replaced the doggy door with one big enough for a Tiger to simply slip out the back door.
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Kentucky
“All Kentucky citizens are required to shower at least once per year.”
The state of Kentucky is quite clear as it pertains to personal grooming for its residents. As stated by law, all citizens of the state are required to shower at least once per year. This shouldn’t be too difficult of a task — considering that there are theoretically 365 chances (each 24 hours in length) in which to pull off this feat.
There are hunters who refuse to shower in order to keep the ‘natural’ scent going. While a Dove bar of soap might scare off that deer you’re trying to massacre, we’re thinking the occasional shower is still a good thing.
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Alabama
“You are not allowed to carry ice cream cones in your back pocket.”
There are a ton of questions which have to be answered here. For one, did someone actually feel as if carrying an ice cream cone in their back pocket was a good idea? Not only would it be messy, but the integrity of the ice cream in the cone itself would likely be compromised. Secondly, while carrying an ice cream cone in the back pocket may appear to be a foolish premise on the surface, why is it considered to be an illegal act?
It’s not technically hurting anyone. Plus — local dry cleaners and laundromat operators probably loved those who saved their ice cream for later (which inevitably turned into a melted soup of sugary goop in the back pocket of the consumer’s jeans).
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Georgia
“In Atlanta, one man may not give another man a piggy-back ride.”
The city of Atlanta is cracking down on tomfoolery between adult men. In short, the flagship city for the state of Georgia has banned the ability for one man to give another man a piggy-back ride. If we’re analyzing this further, Atlanta may be doing middle-aged men a favor. By banning this sometimes celebratory act, it allows for elder gentlemen to not hurt their backs when attempting to carry their friends.
Often times we get caught up in the hubbub of something exciting — and in some cases it leads to participating in something from years past. In this case, carrying a friend a la piggy-back when in your 20’s will feel a whole lot different compared to when you’re in your 40’s.
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West Virginia
“Natives of the state may take roadkill home for supper”
There’s that old saying which goes “to each their own.” In the state of West Virginia, this is highly applicable when it comes to cuisine. Natives of the state are legally allowed to collect roadkill and use it for dinner. In most states, this is an illegal practice. To show further how dedicated West Virginia is to its roadkill, the city of Marlinton in Pocahontas County, West Virginia, hosts an annual Roadkill Festival.
The festival won’t include actual roadkill — though tourists who come to the event can expect to chow down on deer sausage, teriyaki-marinated bear, squirrel gravy over biscuits, and in some cases, porcupine. There’s even a roadkill cook-off for those who want to test their mettle in cooking up some unusual proteins.
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South Carolina
“The Charleston Fire Department may blow up your house.”
No, this isn’t a typo. Those living in the idyllic South Carolina town of Charleston must be aware of a very unique stipulation which could include the endangerment of their homes. As stated in South Carolina law, the Charleston Fire Department may blow up the homes of those in the area. Why would this be the case?
Reportedly, this law was made in case an emergency necessitated the creation of a fire brake circuit system. We’d have to assume this drastic of a step would be highly rare in nature. Still, it’s something to keep in mind when moving to Charleston.
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North Carolina
“It is illegal to have an elephant plow a cotton field.”
Does this mean it’s legal to own an elephant in any other situation? Within the state of North Carolina, plowing a field for cotton has to be done with some sort of machine — or presumably another animal.
While elephants are powerful creatures with the physical profile to help plow farmland, it isn’t exactly copacetic to utilizing these majestic creatures in such a way. Plus…do that many people in the state of North Carolina actually own elephants as pets? We’d sincerely hope not. It’s much more enjoyable to watch elephants in their natural habitats (via some animal documentary voiced by a British accent).
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Virginia
“Anyone trick-or-treating over the age of 14 can get a fine of $250. The same fine will exist if trick-or-treating after 8 p.m.”
The city of Chesapeake isn’t messing around. Chesapeake and the greater Hampton Roads region is very strict when it comes to Halloween. Anyone over the age of 14 can be fined $250 if caught trick-or-treating. For anyone (regardless of age) doing the same thing after 8 p.m. on Oct. 31st, the same sort of fine can be levied.
Fascinatingly enough, this is actually an improvement over what was the case. In March of 2019, the law was completely revamped. In 1970, the Chesapeake ordinance stated that children 12 and older who were caught trick-or-treating could face an arrest, fine, and/or jail time. It’s strange to think that the severity of this law only slightly changed roughly two years ago.
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Maryland
“It is against the law for a Maryland man to buy a drink for a female bartender.”
We aren’t sure as to the origin behind this law. However, we feel like it’s an excellent measure to prevent creepy — and sometimes inappropriate dudes from hitting on women who are in the midst of a work shift. We’ve all seen these instances, and many of them are completely unwarranted and highly uncomfortable.
In the state of Maryland, a man cannot buy a drink for a female bartender. Should the man feel the need to do so, he’ll have to wait until the shift is over…or get his ‘wing woman’ friend to purchase one for the bartender in question. Either way, this is a respectful measure to allow the bartender to work without potentially weird advancements from someone guzzling down shots of Jägermeister.
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Pennsylvania
“It is illegal to sing while in a bathtub.”
The state of Pennsylvania surely has crafted a number of very important laws over the years. Virtually all of them are aimed at keeping their citizens safe and secure. Any objective person would likely agree with them — or at least can see the rationale behind them. In the case of not singing in the bathtub, we’re a bit perplexed.
Even if you were to throw the argument out there which states singing in the shower could be dangerous (if the person if moving around and leaves themselves susceptible to slipping), how could that same level of danger be present in a bathtub? The singer is presumably stationary in the tub, and can’t really run the risk of slipping or injuring themselves. Plus — how can the police actually enforce this law? If you are going to belt out Britney Spears tunes in the bathtub, keep it to a quiet roar rather than a performance heard by all of your neighbors.
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New Jersey
“No person shall drive a horse attached to a sleigh or sled on a highway unless there are a sufficient number of bells attached to the horse’s harness to give warning of its approach.”
Move out the way! When riding any sort of apparatus that isn’t a vehicle, the ability to alert others of your presence can be a bit tricky. There isn’t the privilege in simply beeping a horn for all to hear its booming and equally as annoying sound echo through the air. The state of New Jersey has a certain stipulation for those who opt to get around in a sleigh.
A requisite amount of bells must be placed on the sleigh (or sled) itself as a means to give warning of its approach. Santa Clause won’t have to adapt to this law when riding his sleigh in New Jersey — namely because his way in getting around places already comes equipped with plenty of jingle bells.
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Delaware
“Citizens cannot change their clothes in a public restroom or in their vehicle.”
When living in the state of Delaware, it’s imperative to get that last-second look in the mirror before leaving your home or apartment. If the need arises to suddenly change your outfit en route to an engagement, you’re essentially out of luck. For whatever reason, Delaware does not like its citizens changing their respective outfits out in public.
Not only can Delawareans not change their clothes in a public restroom, but they also can’t change them in their cars as well. This is a particularly damaging change of events from those who engage in eating sloppy foods such as a double chili cheeseburger. If you were to have an accident, you better have a sweatshirt handy!
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Connecticut
“A pickle cannot be considered a pickle unless it bounces when dropped from one foot off the ground.”
Springy pickles? Whenever enjoying one of these vinegary delights, an excellent pickle must have that crunch to it. Without the necessary bite, you’re left with an oversaturated and sometimes soggy cucumber overloaded with vinegar and spice. This doesn’t always make for a pleasant experience.
Wanting to ensure a high-quality pickle for all of its residents, Connecticut does the ‘bounce’ test — where only the best of pickles will be given to natives of the state assuming that the pickles will bounce when dropped from one foot off the ground. If not, these pickles will be discarded.
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Rhode Island
“You can face up to 20 years in prison if you put out an eye, slit the nose, ear, or lip, or cut off, bite off, or disable any limb or member of another.”
This seems like it would be a slam dunk law in just about any state, right? Rhode Island is specific when it comes to the act of potentially dismembering another human in what amounts to be a very graphic way. As stated above, a 20-year prison sentence could occur should someone disable another person in the form of slitting a nose, cutting a lip, putting out an eye, or biting off any other limb or body part.
We’re hoping this was a law put in place as a preventative measure — and not one based upon a real-life incident involving people within the state of Rhode Island. If that were the case, it’d probably the basis for a B-horror film.
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Massachusetts
“You must sing the national anthem correctly.”
The state of Massachusetts is passionate when it comes to patriotism. Take for example the National Anthem. We often sing it in school, before sporting events, and normally in situations where someone within the political sphere is being honored. The state of Massachusetts is acutely aware of this institution, and wants to ensure that the actual singing of the anthem is respected.
As such, law states that the national anthem must be sang correctly. Violators who mock it, or intentionally try to jumble the words in a comedic manner may face some consequences if caught in the act.
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New Hampshire
“It is illegal to pick up seaweed off the beach at night.”
There’s a bit of history pertaining to this specific New Hampshire-based law. When looking at the entire picture, the law most certainly makes sense. Reportedly, this law was put in place dating back to the 1970’s. During this time period, people would loiter on New Hampshire beaches at night.
As a means of fun or just being plain bored, people would go and rip living seaweed, eelgrass, and rockweed from the beach. Knowing that this isn’t a nice way to treat the environment, New Hampshire put this provision in place as a means to allow sea life to live in peace without risk of damage.
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Vermont
“The use of clotheslines are forbidden.”
The old school method of washing clothes appears to be outlawed in the state of Vermont. For whatever reason, those who enjoy cleaning clothes by hand are not allowed to hang their outfits up on clotheslines. Normally, this air-drying technique is a way for people to save money. Some don’t have access to a washing machine, and others don’t want to spend the money at a laundromat drying/washing their clothes when it can be done at home.
However, Vermont is very stingy when it comes to this sort of thing. Bernie Sanders and company will just have to find another way to dry their clothes during warmer months when it’s not snowing outside.
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Maine
“Dancing at bars (serving alcohol) is prohibited unless the establishment has a special ‘amusement permit.'”
We’re at a point now where people just want to go out and have fun. This includes letting your hair down, having a few drinks, and dancing with friends. However, in accordance with the law, those living in the state of Maine are prohibited from doing just that. People can dance at establishments that don’t sell alcohol.
People can drink alcohol at various bars — though dancing is outlawed (barring a special permit). For whatever reason, the state of Maine doesn’t want the two entities to mix. Perhaps they’re trying to prevent poor decision-making from occurring later in the evening…
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New York
“It is illegal to have any sort of party with masks unless given proper approval.”
Isn’t New York the city that never sleeps? With the pandemic coming to a close, the party scene in NYC figures to be popping all the way through summer and into the fall. When it gets to October, swanky Halloween parties usually have a tendency to feature masks. This includes masquerade balls — where the attendees conceal their face with vintage masks.
With this law in place, those wanting to throw such a soiree have to get permission first. With that said, how will this law be interpreted for those who wear/don’t want to wear masks that are aimed at preventing the potential spread of COVID-19?
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