Strange Laws
by *TVTome_Mel on Comments
Okay, since a couple of my friends (Brad and Mika...figures) posted strange facts, I decided I would post something "strange." But instead of strange facts, I decided to post strange laws that are/were actually laws of the USA and other countries around the world. Theaters in Glendale, California can show horror films only on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday. You can't plow a cotton field with an elephant in North Carolina. In Lehigh, Nebraska it's against the law to sell donut holes. Under the law of Mississippi, there’s no such thing as a female Peeping Tom. Anti-modem laws restrict Internet access in the country of Burma. Illegal possession of a modem can lead to a prison term. Lawn darts are illegal in Canada. In Idaho a citizen is forbidden by law to give another citizen a box of candy that weighs more than 50 pounds. Every citizen of Kentucky is required by law to take a bath at least once a year. It is against the law to whale hunt in Oklahoma. (Think about it...) A Venetian law decrees that all gondolas must be painted black. The only exceptions are gondolas belonging to high public officials. In the state of Queensland, Australia, it is still constitutional law that all pubs (hotel/bar) must have a railing outside for patrons to tie up their horse. According to law, no store is allowed to sell a toothbrush on the Sabbath in Providence, Rhode Island. Yet these same stores are allowed to sell toothpaste and mouthwash on Sundays. Before the enactment of the 1978 law that made it mandatory for dog owners in New York City to clean up after their pets, approximately 40 million pounds of dog excrement were deposited on the streets every year. Chewing gum is outlawed in Singapore because it is a means of "tainting an environment free of dirt." For hundreds of years, the Chinese zealously guarded the secret of sericulture; imperial law decreed death by torture to those who disclosed how to make silk. An old law in Bellingham, Washington, made it illegal for a woman to take more than 3 steps backwards while dancing. By law, information collected in a U.S. census must remain confidential for 72 years. Candy made from pieces of barrel cactus was outlawed in the U.S. in 1952 to protect the species. In Breton, Alabama, there is a law on the town's books against riding down the street in a motorboat. Connecticut and Rhode Island never ratified the 18th Amendment: Prohibition. In most American states, a wedding ring is exempt by law from inclusion among the assets in a bankruptcy estate. This means that a wedding ring cannot be seized by creditors, no matter how much the bankrupt person owes. In New York State, it is still illegal to shoot a rabbit from a moving trolley car. Vermont, Alaska, Hawaii, and Maine are the four states in the U.S. that do not allow billboards. Wetaskiwin, Alberta from 1917: "It's against the law to tie a male horse next to a female horse on Main Street." Women were banned by royal decree from using hotel swimming pools in Jidda, Saudi Arabia, in 1979. In Riverside, California, there is an old law on the city's books which makes it illegal to kiss unless both people wipe their lips with rose water. In Saudi Arabia, a woman reportedly may divorce her husband if he does not keep her supplied with coffee. In San Salvador, drunk drivers can be punished by death before a firing squad. In Pennsylvania, Ministers are forbidden from performing marriages when either the bride or groom is drunk. In seventeenth-century Japan, no citizen was allowed to leave the country on penalty of death. Anyone caught coming or going without permission was executed on the spot. In Somalia, Africa, it's been decreed illegal to carry old chewing gum stuck on the tip of your nose. In some smaller towns in the state of Arizona, it is illegal to wear suspenders. In South America, it would be rude not to ask a man about his wife and children. In most Arab countries, it would be rude to do so. Being rude to a telephone operator in Prussia was once a crime. In 1908, a respected citizen was reprimanded by the government after becoming exasperated with an operator and saying "My dear girl!" In Thailand, the left hand is considered unclean, so you should not eat with it. Also, pointing with one finger is considered rude and is only done when pointing to objects or animals, never humans. In Pakistan, it is rude to show the soles of your feet or point a foot when you are sitting on the floor. It was once against the law to slam your car door in a city in Switzerland. During the reign of Catherine I of Russia, the rules for parties stipulated that no man was to get drunk before 9 o'clock and ladies weren't to get drunk at any hour. In 1845 Boston had an ordinance banning bathing unless you had a doctor's prescription. Hypnotism is banned by public schools in San Diego. Texas is the only state that permits residents to cast absentee ballots from space. The first to exercise this right to vote while in orbit was astronaut David Wolf, who cast his vote for Houston mayor via e-mail from the Russian space station Mir in November 1997. No building in DC may be taller than 13 floors. This is so that no matter where in the city you are, you can see the monument to our first president, Washington. In Michigan it's illegal to place a skunk inside your bosses desk. In Kentucky, it is illegal to carry ice cream in your back pocket. It's illegal in Alabama to wear a fake mustache that causes laughter in church. In parts of Alaska, it's illegal to feed alcohol to a moose. You're subject to fines and/or imprisonment for making "ugly faces" at dogs in Oklahoma. In Utah, birds have the right of way on all highways. Christmas was once illegal in England. In Turkey, in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, anyone caught drinking coffee was put to death. It is illegal to hunt camels in the state of Arizona. In Italy, it is illegal to make coffins out of anything except nutshells or wood. "To prevent violence," it was at one time customary at certain phases of the moon to chain and flog inmates of England's notorious Bedlam Hospital. In Milan, Italy, when an operator dialed a wrong number, the phone company fined the operator. In Hartford Connecticut, it is illegal for a husband to kiss his wife on Sundays. A local ordinance in Atwoodville, Connecticut prohibits people from playing Scrabble while waiting for a politician to speak. Found on Axius Sno-Off Automobile Windshield cover: "Caution: Never drive with the cover on your windshield." Found a box of Tampax Tampons: "Remove used tampon before inserting a new one." Found on a box of Kellogg's Pop-Tarts: "Warning: Pastry Filling May Be Hot When Heated" Found on the instruction sheet of a Conair Pro Style 1600 hair dryer: "WARNING: Do not use in shower. Never use while sleeping." Found on Bat Man The Animated Series Armor Set Halloween costume box: "PARENT: Please exercise caution, mask and chest plate are not protective; cape does not enable wearer to fly." Found in a television set's owner's manual: "Do not pour liquids into your television set." Found on the handle of a hammer: "Caution: Do not use this hammer to strike any solid object." Found on a butane lighter: "Warning: Flame may cause fire." In 1388, English Parliament banned waste disposal in public waterways and ditches. In 1996, Christmas caroling was banned at two major malls in Pensacola, Florida. Apparently, shoppers and merchants complained the carolers were too loud and took up too much space. In Atlanta, Georgia, it is illegal to tie a giraffe to a telephone pole or street lamp. The ship, the Queen Elizabeth 2, should always be written as QE2. QEII is the actual queen. Quebec and Newfoundland are the only two provinces which do not allow personalized license plates. During World War I, the punishment for homosexuality in the French army was execution. During the time of Peter the Great, any Russian man who wore a beard was required to pay a special tax. At the first professional baseball game, the umpire was fined 6 cents for swearing. To pass U.S. Army basic training young female recruits must do 17 pushups in two minutes. Males must do 40 pushups in two minutes. In Hartford, Connecticut, you may not, under any circumstances, cross the street walking on your hands. Mailing an entire building has been illegal in the U.S. since 1916 when a man mailed a 40,000-ton brick house across Utah to avoid high freight rates. Snoring is prohibited in Massachusetts unless all bedroom windows are closed and securely locked. It is also illegal to go to bed without first having a full bath. Women in Florida may be fined for falling asleep under a hair dryer, as can the salon owner. It is legal in North Dakota to shoot an Indian on horseback, provided you are in a covered wagon.