Old Forgotten Laws

[Teresa]

This was part of a thread that was started in CasCity, the  Cowboy Action Forum of Kjells. I thought it was interesting, and thought we could all try to find old laws from around here or of different parts of the country to share with each other.

Just about every town and city has old, forgotten laws that are still on the books and (I would presume) that if they were broken...one could be arrested?  Here is a couple of classic examples:

In Seattle Washington"
It is illegal to shoot game from the Revenna Park Trolly.  The story behind that is...At one time there was a trolly running from down town Seattle out to Revenna Park....about 8 miles.  At that time Revenna Park was a wilderness area and wild game was there.  Folks from Seattle could board the trolly and go out to the wilderness and picnic, or whatever.  Folks would take the trolly out to Revenna Park, bag a deer, then bring it back to Seattle.  This irritated some folks so they passed a law that said you couldn't shoot game from the trolly.  The trolly had been non existent for some 80 years, but the law still stands on the books..

In Seattle...You must tie your horse to a proper hitching post.  You cannot leave a horse untied. 

In Seattle... it is illegal for women to take more than three steps backward while dancing.  Now...why they came up with that is anyone's guess, but the law still stands.

In Seattle... it is illegal for establishments serving hard liquor to have windows.  But establishments serving beer must only have windows.

Spokane, Wash ....Still on the books
  It is illegal to hang men's underwear next to women's underwear on the clothesline.

I got the ultimate here in Wyoming - it's illegal for a man and a woman to have sexual relations in anything other than the Missionary position.  Yes, it REALLY is a law still on the books!

Scottsboro, Alabama, city council.
  The Council repealed an old law that said the curtains of a house had to be closed over the windows when those inside were playing cards.

These came from a friend who lives in Richmond, Virginia:
In Richmond, it is illegal to flip a coin in any eating establishment to determine who buys a cup of coffee.
It is illegal for a man to kick his wife out of bed.
It is illegal for a man to pat his wife's derriere.
There is a state law prohibiting "corrupt practices of bribery by any person other than candidates".


Before they repealed the Blue Laws in Washington State it was illegal:
1. To consume an alcoholic drink in the standing position
    (You had to be in the full seated position.  BOTH CHEEKS on the stool, or chair.)
2. To walk anywhere with an alcoholic drink in your hand.
    (If you wanted to change tables you had to call an employee and they carried your drink over)
3.  Women could not sit at the bar.

Ok here in Nevada we have a few:
It is illegal to drive a camel on the highway.
It's still "legal" to hang someone for shooting your dog on your property.

State of Wisconsin:
As people used to smuggle it in from Illinois, all yellow butter substitute is banned.
Butter substitutes are not allowed to be served in state prisons.
State Law made it illegal to serve apple pie in public restaurants without cheese.

     And this one seems to cause some railroad gridlock:
Whenever two trains meet at an intersection of said tracks, neither shall proceed until the other has.

One of the states, in the Mid-West, somewhere had a traffic law that stated that any driver of a car, when approaching a cross road was required to stop his car, stand in the middle of the cross road and blow a horn and ring a bell for several minutes to warn other drivers that he was coming through the intersection.
  If no cars approached he could then proceed through the intersection.
If a car came up...it had the right of way.

[Carl Harrod]

What is it with all of this bashing on Washington?
------- Over half of these were about Washington!!! I'm sure there are some interesting "Old" laws in other states too.

[Teresa]

heeheeheehee....
Remember.. I only took them from another Cowboy site... There were a few from Virginny and Wisconsin in there...

[Mom70x7]

One of the states, in the Mid-West, somewhere had a traffic law that stated that any driver of a car, when approaching a cross road was required to stop his car, stand in the middle of the cross road and blow a horn and ring a bell for several minutes to warn other drivers that he was coming through the intersection.
  If no cars approached he could then proceed through the intersection.
If a car came up...it had the right of way.

I really think that was Wichita. Seems to me I remember reading about it within the last year or so. Only I thought they had to fire a shotgun into the air.

Does that ring a bell  with anyone?

[Teresa]

Here are a few more dumb laws that are still on the books.

In Staten Island, New York, You may only water your lawn if the hose is held in your hand.

In Topeka, Kansas, servers are forbidden to serve wine in teacups.

In the fine state of Nebraska, it is not legal for a tavern owner to serve beer unless a nice kettle of soup is also brewing.

n Los Angeles, California, it is not legal to bathe two babies at the same time in the same tub.

In Carmel, New York, a man cannot be seen in public while wearing a jacket and pants that do not match.

n the fine city of Devon, Connecticut, walking backwards after sunset is not allowed.

In Oklahoma...People who make "ugly faces" at dogs may be fined and/or jailed.
Tissues are not to be found in the back of one's car.
Oklahoma will not tolerate anyone taking a bite out of another's hamburger.

In Florida women can be fined for falling asleep under a hair dryer. The salon owner can also be fined for this horrible crime.

In Louisiana it is illegal to rob a bank and then shoot at the bank teller with a water pistol.

In Massachusetts snoring is prohibited unless all bedroom windows are closed and securely locked.
An old ordinance declares goatees illegal unless you first pay a special license fee for the privilege of wearing one in public.