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Every now and then we come across a strange law from some corner of America . . .
Maybe it's just something antiquated, but it's still on the books . . . maybe it once had a purpose, but now seems absurd out of context . . . or maybe it NEVER made any sense and has always been ridiculous.
The people at Zippia have compiled the 15 strangest laws in the U.S., which you may or may not have heard about before. Here are 10 highlights:
1. It's illegal to send a surprise pizza delivery to someone's house in Louisiana . . . or anything else that ISN'T a gift that they're expected to pay for. It is considered harassment.
2. It's illegal to sell, dispose of, give away, or use stink bombs in Alabama.
3. It's illegal to let your donkey sleep in a bathtub in Arizona. The law was passed due to a random incident in 1924 . . . involving a donkey, a tub, and a flood.
4. It's illegal to have billboards in Hawaii, Alaska, Maine, and Vermont. It's an attempt to preserve "scenic beauty."
5. It's illegal to throw stones in the District of Columbia. And not just at glass houses . . . it counts for all streets, highways, open spaces, and public areas.
6. It's illegal to do any fortune telling in Baltimore, Maryland.
7. It's illegal to scare a pigeon in Massachusetts. People who willfully "kill or frighten" them can be imprisoned for up to a month or receive a fine of $20.
8. It's illegal to fall asleep while lying down in a cheese factory in South Dakota. There's clearly a story there . . . but it seems like the origin has been lost. Maybe it was just meant to help factories work people to the bone.
9. It's illegal to throw a ball at someone's head in New York for a laugh. Originally, the law was put into place to protect carnival workers from being harassed. The law also mentions that it's illegal to throw knives at people. (???)
10. It's illegal to run out of gas in Youngstown, Ohio. It's NOT a felony . . . thankfully . . . but you could get a misdemeanor ticket.
You can find the complete list at Zippia.com