Here at HackALife, we hope you had a great and safe fourth of July weekend. I myself did not have an opportunity to do any of the ‘firework’ festivities, but did have a nice holiday meal with family on Saturday. As I was watching the news on Saturday, the reporter was talking about the increase in fines for illegal fireworks in Oregon this year. The fine had been raised from $500 to $1000 and the reporter was mentioning that their would be zero tolerance with people who lit off illegal fireworks this fourth of July season, which in Oregon, is anything over ten feet in the air.
I thought this was a pretty serious warning and thought for sure that no one would dare test the police this year. I mean, they have to make money to right? And what a better way than to write up thousands of lawbreakers this weekend?
Yet as I talked with friends this week and asked about their Independence day celebrations, it seemed that many, if not all, of them either had or watched illegal fireworks be set off. I was surprised and realized that the threat of the $1000 fine had little effect on the population.
Laws are such a funny thing. Some are serious and enforced, others are outdated and erroneous. Here are a few strange and funny laws from around the country that’ll put a smile on your face. Perhaps the illegal fireworks fine should be on the list…
Random Laws in Alabama:
Bear wrestling matches are prohibited.
It is illegal to impersonate a person of the clergy.
It is illegal to wear a fake moustache that causes laughter in church.
Random Laws in New York:
Citizens may not greet each other by “putting one’s thumb to the nose and wiggling the fingers”.
A fine of $25 can be levied for flirting.
It is against the law to throw a ball at someone’s head for fun.
The penalty for jumping off a building is death.
Random Laws in Oregon:
Canned corn is not to be used as bait for fishing.
Ice cream may not be eaten on Sundays.
Babies may not be carried on the running boards of a car.
(found at DumbLaws)