Here's a listing of some rather interesting laws which were passed in the U.S. Taken from the Seattle P-I (Tuesday, Sep. 4 page B-9) with no permission whatsoever. All spellings mistakes are mine. These excerpts are from the book "Loony Laws" by Robert Pelton (Walker; $8.95) Enjoy! In Ottumwa, Iowa, "It is unlawful for any male person, within the corporate limits of the (city), to wink at any female person with whom he is unaquainted." In Los Angeles, you cannot bathe two babies in the same tub at the same time. In Zion, Ill., it is illegal for anyone to give lighted cigars to dogs, cats, and other domesticated animals kept as pets. In Carmel, N.Y., a man can't go outside while wearing a jacket and pants that do not match. In Clawson, Mich., there is a law that makes it LEGAL for a farmer to sleep with his pigs, cows, horses, goats, and chickens. In Gary, Ind., persons are prohibited from attending a movie house or other theater and from riding a public streetcar within four hours of eating garlic. In Miami, it's illegal for men to be seen publicly in any kind of strapless gown. In St. Louis, it's illegal to sit on the curb of any city street and drink beer from a bucket. In Detroit, 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. In Harford, Conn., you aren't allowed to cross a street while walking on your hands. In Michigan, a woman isn't allowed to cut her own hair without her husband's permission. In Baltimore, it's illegal to throw bales of hay from a second-story window within the city limits. It's also illegal to take a lion to the movies. In Oxford, Ohio, it's illegal for a woman to strip off her clothing while standing in front of a man's picture. (ed: ???) In Nicholas County, W. Va., no member of the clergy is allowed to tell jokes or humerous stories from the pulpit during a church service. In California, animals are banned from mating publicly within 1,500 feet of a tavern, school, or place of worship. In Pennsylvania, "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." In Carrizozo, N.M., it's forbidden for a female to appear unshaven in public (includes legs and face). In Los Angeles, a man is legally entitled to beat his wife with a leather belt or strap, but the belt can't be wider than 2 inches, unless he has his wife's consent to beat her with a wider strap. In Kentucky, "No female shall appear in a bathing suit on any highway within this state unless she be escorted by at least two officers or unless she be armed with a club" An amendment to the above legislation: "The provisions of this statuate shall not apply to females weighing less than 90 pounds nor exceeding 200 pounds, nor shall it apply to female horses." Others, contributed from the net at large: I don't remember where, but "When two trains come to a railroad crossing, both must come to a complete stop, and neither may proceed until the other has gone." Somewhere in this great land, it is illegal to have a bathtub inside a house. Elsewhere, "All fire hydrants must be checked one hour before all fires." Somewhere where it is illegal to carry a concealed weapon that is more than six feet long. Prospect Park, NJ: It is illegal to bathe your donkey on a Sunday. In Texas it is still illegal to be in possession of wire cutters. Goes back to the days of cattle rustling. It is illegal to hunt camels in Arizona. In Idaho, it is illegal to give another citizen a box of candy that weighs more than 50 pounds. In New York State, it is illegal to shoot at a rabbit from a moving trolley car. In Alaska it is illegal to look at a moose from the window of an airplane or any other flying vehicle. A law in Chicago prohibits the feeding of whiskey to canines. In New York City, it is illegal to open an umbrella in the presence of a horse. It against the law to: 1) Fall asleep under a hair dryer in Florida 2) Slap an old friend on the back in Georgia, and 3) Play hopscotch on a Sunday afternoon in Missouri. That's all for now. Disclaimer: I have not verified any of these by my own eyes. If some of y'all out there can verify or discount then please feel free. >In the early part of this century, during the years that Chicago was at >its "corruptest," the wife of a Chicago mayor was sitting on her enormous >front porch (he claimed it was a block long) on a main street in downtown >Chicago (Michigan Ave? Wacker Dr? I'm not sure...). Along came a person >walking on the sidewalk with some sort of deformity that sickened Mrs. >Mayor so that she went running into her house, feeling nauseous and >frightened. > >The woman then coerced her husband into coercing the city government into >passing a law that stated that anyone with a deformity, a visible rash, or >any medical problem that would cause one to have an uncontrollable attack >in public (i.e., epilepsy) could not walk on the sidewalks of the main >thoroughfares of Chicago, lest any normal person view their handicap and >become horrified. In _The Straight Dope_, Cecil Adams addresses such a question. The ordinance was originally passed in 1881. It was along the lines of "No person who is diseased, maimed, mutiliated or in any way deformed so as to be a unsightly or disgusting object, or an improper person to be allowed in or on the public ways or other public places in this city, shall therein or thereon expose himself to public view, under a penalty of not less than $1 nor more than $50 for each offense." Cece also mentions that there were originally extenuating circumstances that provided for exemptions from the penalty. He points out that the original intent of the statute was to protect the aesthetically physically-challenged from exploitation, not clear the streets of ugly characters as many may assume. And, BTW, the ordinance has since been repealed. ...quoted by author Brad Steiger in Bizarre Crime (Signet, 1992). In Lowes Crossroads, Delaware, its a crime for children to laugh at women motorcyclists. In Pocataligo, Georgia, it is a violation for a woman over 200 pounds and attired in shorts to pilot or ride in an airplane. In Moosehead, Maine, women on motorcycles aren't allowed to wink at a man they don't know. In Old Furnace, Massachusetts, women can't whistle while repairing motorcycles on Sunday. In Lexington, Kentucky, women cyclers can't wear a swimsuit unless they're carrying a knife or stick or are escorted by two policemen. In Florissant, Mississippi, it's illegal to make a silly face at women motorcyclists. In Hickory Ridge, Arizona no woman may ride a motorcycle while wearing a nightgown. In Clearbrook, Minnesota, when a woman biker orders a beverage where alcohol is served on Sunday, she must stand five feet away from the bar. In South Dakota, single, divorced, or widowed women are not allowed to ride motorcycles on Sunday. These are real standing laws from around America. Enjoy them. Alabama: 1. It is illegal for a driver to be blindfolded while operating a vehicle. California: 1. Community leaders passed an ordinance that makes it illegal for anyone to try and stop a child from playfully jumping over puddles of water. Connecticut: 1. You can be stopped by the police for biking over 65 miles per hour. 2. You are not allowed to walk across a street on your hands. Florida: 1. Women may be fined for falling asleep under a hair dryer, as can the salon owner. 2. A special law prohibits unmarried women from parachuting on Sunday or she shall risk arrest, fine, and/or jailing. 3. If an elephant is left tied to a parking meter, the parking fee has to be paid just as it would for a vehicle. 4. Illegal to sing in a public place while attired in a swimsuit. 5. Men may not be seen publicly in any kind of strapless gown. Illinois: 1. It is illegal for anyone to give lighted cigars to dogs, cats, and other domesticated animal kept as pets. Indiana: 1. Bathing is prohibited during the winter. 2. Citizens are not allowed to attend a movie house or theater nor ride in a public streetcar within at least four hours after eating garlic. Iowa: 1. Kisses may last for as much as, but no more than, five minutes. Kentucky: 1. By law, anyone who has been drinking is "sober" until he or she "cannot hold onto the ground." 2. It is illegal to transport an ice cream cone in your pocket. Louisiana: 1. It is illegal to rob a bank and then shoot at the bank teller with a water pistol. 2. Biting someone with your natural teeth is "simple assault," while biting someone with your false teeth is "aggravated assault." Massachusetts: 1. Mourners at a wake may not eat more than three sandwiches. 2. Snoring is prohibited unless all bedroom windows are closed and securely locked. 3. An old ordinance declares goatees illegal unless you first pay a special license fee for the privilege of wearing one in public. 4. Taxi drivers are prohibited from making love in the front seat of their taxi during their shifts. Nebraska: 1. A parent can be arrested if his child cannot hold back a burp during a church service. New Mexico: 1. Females are strictly forbidden to appear unshaven in public. New York: 1. 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. North Dakota: 1. Beer & pretzels can't be served at the same time in any bar or restaurant. Ohio: 1. Women are prohibited from wearing patent leather shoes in public. Oklahoma: 1. Violators can be fined, arrested or jailed for making ugly faces at a dog. 2. Females are forbidden from doing their own hair without being licensed by the state. 3. Dogs must have a permit signed by the mayor in order to congregate in groups of three or more on private property. Pennsylvania: 1. A special cleaning ordinance bans housewives from hiding dirt and dust under a rug in a dwelling. 2. No man may purchase alcohol without written consent from his wife. Texas: 1. A city ordinance states that a person cannot go barefoot without first obtaining a special five-dollar permit. 2. It is illegal to take more than three sips of beer at a time while standing. Vermont: 1. Lawmakers made it obligatory for everybody to take at least one bath each week -- on Saturday night. Washington: 1. All lollipops are banned. 2. 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. West Virginia: 1. No children may attend school with their breath smelling of "wild onions."