Not every law is necessary, or makes sense, or serves a legitimate purpose for society. Consider the following laws that allegedly still exist on the books1:
- Alaska: You may not bring your pet flamingo into a barbershop.
- Arizona: You can get up to 25 years in prison for cutting down a saguaro cactus.
- Arkansas: It’s illegal to mispronounce the name of the state of Arkansas.
- California: If a frog dies during a frog-jumping contest, it must be destroyed as soon as possible and it cannot be eaten.
- Georgia: It’s illegal to change the clothes on a storefront mannequin unless you draw the shades first.
- Hawaii: You cannot place any coins in your ears.
- Kansas: It’s illegal for throw knives at men wearing striped suits (in Natoma, KS).
- Kentucky: It is illegal to race horses on the highway.
- Maine: You will get fined if you leave your Christmas decorations up past Jan. 14.
- New Hampshire: You are not allowed to carry away or collect seaweed at night.
- New Jersey: There is a law that states that men cannot knit during fishing season.
- North Carolina: Bingo games cannot last more than five hours.
- Ohio: It is against the law to try to get a fish drunk
- Oklahoma: You cannot take a bite out of another person’s hamburger.
- South Dakota: You cannot fall asleep in a cheese factory.
- Texas: It is against the law to sell your eyeball.
- West Virginia: You cannot hunt down other wild animals or birds with a ferret. If you use a ferret like a hunting dog, you can get a fine of up to $500 or even go to jail.
- Wisconsin: Unless a customer directly asks for it, margarine may not be substituted for butter in a restaurant.
- Wyoming: You may not take a picture of a rabbit from January to April — unless you have an official permit.
While such laws seems obsolete or absurd, is that really any worse than trying to read and understand the IRS Code or EPA rules and regulations? At least I now know I can’t sell my eyeball in the State of Texas or fall asleep in a cheese factory in South Dakota. That gives me some comfort relatively speaking!
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1 From CFO Daily News June 2010 and PopSugar/http://www.popsugar.com/