50 Strange U.S. Laws Still on the Books – Part One (Alabama to North Carolina)

0:00 Speaker 1: Welcome, dear listeners to the Strange History podcast, where history

0:04 Speaker 1: is never boring and America's legal past is sometimes stranger

0:08 Speaker 1: than fiction. I'm your host, Amy, and today we're diving

0:12 Speaker 1: into the first half of a two part mega episode

0:15 Speaker 1: fifty of the weirdest, most unusual laws in US history

0:20 Speaker 1: that are still technically on the books. In this episode,

0:24 Speaker 1: we'll travel from Alabama through North Carolina, exploring everything from

0:29 Speaker 1: pickles that must bounce to chickens you must eat with

0:32 Speaker 1: your hands. These laws may be dusty, but they're real

0:36 Speaker 1: and their backstories are just as bizarre as the rules themselves.

0:40 Speaker 1: So grab a seat, keep your ice cream cone out

0:42 Speaker 1: of your back pocket, and let's begin.

0:45 Speaker 2: Alabama, no ice cream in your back pocket.

0:49 Speaker 1: In Alabama, carrying an ice cream cone in your back

0:52 Speaker 1: pocket is against the law. This dates back to the

0:55 Speaker 1: eighteen hundreds, when horse thieves figured out that if a

0:58 Speaker 1: horse simply followed you home, you weren't technically stealing it.

1:02 Speaker 1: A cone in your back pocket created a trail of temptation,

1:06 Speaker 1: and suddenly you had a horse without a crime. Lawmakers

1:09 Speaker 1: weren't amused and passed a statute to put an end

1:12 Speaker 1: to dessert based theft. One man in Birmingham supposedly tried

1:16 Speaker 1: this in the early twentieth century and found himself in court.

1:20 Speaker 1: The judge reportedly told him, sir, by a lead rope.

1:25 Speaker 2: Alaska, don't wake bears for photos.

1:28 Speaker 1: In Alaska, it's illegal to wake a sleeping bear just

1:32 Speaker 1: to take a photograph. It sounds obvious, but tourists once

1:36 Speaker 1: treated grizzlies like props. In the nineteen seventies, report surfaced

1:41 Speaker 1: of visitors prodding bears out of hibernation with sticks to

1:44 Speaker 1: get action shots. Rangers cracked down, passing laws to protect

1:49 Speaker 1: both people and wildlife. In twenty eighteen, three tourists tried

1:54 Speaker 1: exactly this near Denali. They were fined, and the bear,

1:58 Speaker 1: still asleep became a local legend for ignoring the humans

2:02 Speaker 1: who were so desperate for Instagram likes.

2:05 Speaker 2: Arizona donkeys in bathtubs after seven pm.

2:10 Speaker 1: Arizona has one of the most famous odd laws, no

2:14 Speaker 1: donkeys in bathtubs after seven pm. The story goes back

2:18 Speaker 1: to nineteen twenty four, when a rancher's donkey liked to

2:21 Speaker 1: nap in an abandoned tub near a dam. A flood

2:24 Speaker 1: carried the tub and donkey downstream. The animal was rescued,

2:30 Speaker 1: but the chaos convinced lawmakers to ban the practice. The

2:34 Speaker 1: donkey survived, but the law lives on to this day.

2:39 Speaker 1: Kingman sells bathtub donkey shirts, proving that sometimes the strangest

2:44 Speaker 1: events leave the longest marks.

2:46 Speaker 2: Arkansas. Don't mispronounce Arkansas.

2:51 Speaker 1: Arkansas takes pronunciations seriously. By law, it must be pronounced Arkansaw,

2:56 Speaker 1: never Arkansas. The rule was set in eight eighteen eighty

3:00 Speaker 1: one to preserve the French heritage of the name. In

3:03 Speaker 1: nineteen forty seven, two radio DJs kept mispronouncing it as

3:07 Speaker 1: a joke and were fined. They apologized live on air,

3:11 Speaker 1: showing that in Arkansas, your accent can be criminal. If

3:15 Speaker 1: you're traveling there, it pays to practice ahead of time.

3:18 Speaker 2: California no pre dawn canary whistling.

3:23 Speaker 1: In San Francisco, it's technically illegal to whistle for your

3:26 Speaker 1: canary before seven am. In the early nineteen hundreds, escaped

3:31 Speaker 1: birds were common, and owners whistled at dawn to call

3:34 Speaker 1: them back. The problem entire neighborhoods became unwilling audiences to

3:39 Speaker 1: shrill bird calls at sunrise. Neighbors complained and the city

3:43 Speaker 1: created an ordinance to curb the noise. One man fined

3:47 Speaker 1: in nineteen oh two eventually got his bird back, but

3:50 Speaker 1: only after paying the penalty for disturbing the peace.

3:54 Speaker 3: Tired of breaking strange laws you didn't know existed, try

3:58 Speaker 3: Legal Beagle, America's first subscription service that explains local ordinances

4:02 Speaker 3: in plain English. Wondering if your pickle will pass in Connecticut,

4:07 Speaker 3: Legal Beagle will bounce it for you. Not sure if

4:10 Speaker 3: your donkey can take a bath, We'll set the schedule.

4:14 Speaker 3: Subscribe now, and Legal Beagle will make sure your pockets

4:16 Speaker 3: are free of ice cream cones.

4:19 Speaker 2: Colorado no catapults at buildings.

4:23 Speaker 1: Colorado doesn't allow catapults to be aimed at buildings. This

4:26 Speaker 1: stems from the nineteen seventies, when students at the University

4:30 Speaker 1: of Colorado built a working trebuche and launched water balloons

4:34 Speaker 1: at dorms. The prank caused damage and the city cracked down.

4:38 Speaker 1: Since then, pumpkin chucking contests are only allowed in designated

4:42 Speaker 1: areas and never at the Dean's office. Connecticut. Pickles must bounce.

4:47 Speaker 1: Connecticut law once declared that pickles must bounce to qualify

4:51 Speaker 1: as pickles In nineteen forty eight, two men were arrested

4:55 Speaker 1: for selling substandard cucumbers as pickles. In court, inspectors dropped

5:00 Speaker 1: them and they failed to bounce. The men were fined,

5:04 Speaker 1: and the law became legend At fairs. Today, some still

5:08 Speaker 1: stage pickle bounce contests as a joke, reminding everyone that

5:12 Speaker 1: in Connecticut, justice is brined and bouncy.

5:16 Speaker 2: Delaware, no whispering in church.

5:19 Speaker 1: In Delaware, whispering in church during a service is technically

5:23 Speaker 1: against the law. This comes from colonial eradcorum rules that

5:27 Speaker 1: punished disruptions in worship. In nineteen seventy two, teenagers were

5:32 Speaker 1: escorted out of a Wilmington church for whispering during mass.

5:36 Speaker 1: Though not arrested, they were reminded of the rule and

5:39 Speaker 1: it became a running joke in local papers. Silence is

5:42 Speaker 1: golden and legal.

5:45 Speaker 2: Florida. Pay the parking meter for your elephant.

5:49 Speaker 1: Florida once hosted countless circuses, and with elephants came logistics.

5:54 Speaker 1: Cities required that elephants tied to parking meters must pay

5:57 Speaker 1: the same fee as cars. In nineteen fifty eight, Ringling

6:02 Speaker 1: Brothers handlers dutifully fed coins into meters for elephants during

6:06 Speaker 1: a parade Saint Petersburg. Officials praised their legal compliance, and

6:11 Speaker 1: the law remains in the books.

6:13 Speaker 2: Georgia Eat fried chicken with your hands.

6:17 Speaker 1: In Gainesville, Georgia, the poultry capital of the world, fried

6:22 Speaker 1: chicken is legally designated a finger food. Passed in nineteen

6:26 Speaker 1: sixty one, the law was more publicity stunt than serious crime,

6:30 Speaker 1: but it's still enforceable. In two thousand and nine, a

6:33 Speaker 1: ninety one year old tourist was humorously arrested for using

6:37 Speaker 1: a fork. She was pardoned after promising to eat the

6:40 Speaker 1: rest of her meal with her hands.

6:42 Speaker 2: Hawaii No Billboards.

6:45 Speaker 1: Hawaii bans billboards to protect its scenic views. Enacted in

6:49 Speaker 1: the nineteen twenties, the law ensures that the island's beauty

6:53 Speaker 1: speaks for itself. In nineteen sixty, Coca Cola attempted to

6:57 Speaker 1: put a giant ad on a barn roof in Honolulu.

7:01 Speaker 1: Locals protested, the city intervened, and the sign was quickly removed.

7:06 Speaker 1: Thanks to this rule, every drive in Hawaii looks like

7:09 Speaker 1: a postcard.

7:10 Speaker 2: Idaho No fishing from camels.

7:13 Speaker 1: Idaho prohibits fishing while riding a camel. In the mid

7:17 Speaker 1: eighteen hundreds, the US Army experimented with camels as pack

7:21 Speaker 1: animals in the West. Soldiers reportedly tried fishing from them,

7:26 Speaker 1: and legislators decided to ban the practice. A nineteen fifteen

7:30 Speaker 1: newspaper tells of a man fined for attempting it, making

7:34 Speaker 1: this one of the strangest relics of America's camel phase.

7:38 Speaker 2: Illinois don't give whiskey to dogs.

7:42 Speaker 1: Illinois forbids giving alcohol to dogs. In the eighteen hundreds,

7:46 Speaker 1: taverns often let dogs drink for entertainment, but animal cruelty

7:50 Speaker 1: laws put a stop to it. In nineteen twenty four,

7:54 Speaker 1: a bar in Chicago was fined after a bulldog was

7:56 Speaker 1: served beer by its owner. Today, special t see non

8:00 Speaker 1: alcoholic dog beer is available, perfectly legal and much kinder

8:04 Speaker 1: to man's best friend.

8:06 Speaker 2: Indiana must play the violin for a license.

8:10 Speaker 1: Indiana once required certain business owners to demonstrate musical ability,

8:15 Speaker 1: usually on the violin, when applying for a license. The

8:18 Speaker 1: belief was that musicians had good moral character. In the

8:22 Speaker 1: nineteen thirties, a violin teacher even helped shopkeepers pass the requirement.

8:26 Speaker 1: It's no longer enforced, but the legend remains a quirky

8:30 Speaker 1: part of Indiana's legal history.

8:32 Speaker 2: Iowa no mustache kissing.

8:36 Speaker 1: At one time, in Iowa, it was illegal for men

8:38 Speaker 1: with mustaches to kiss women in public. The law reflected

8:42 Speaker 1: Victorian fears about hygiene and propriety. In nineteen ten, a

8:46 Speaker 1: man in Cedar Rapids was fined for mustache kissing. A

8:50 Speaker 1: local paper joked smooth lips, smooth justice, and the rule

8:55 Speaker 1: became infamous.

8:56 Speaker 2: Kansas no screaming in haunted houses.

9:00 Speaker 1: In Topeka, Kansas, screaming in a haunted house is technically illegal.

9:05 Speaker 1: The law was created after neighbors complained about the noise

9:08 Speaker 1: from seasonal attractions. In nineteen ninety two, a haunted house

9:12 Speaker 1: owner was cited when police responded to excessive screaming. So

9:16 Speaker 1: if you're visiting a haunted house in Topeka, better clap

9:19 Speaker 1: politely instead.

9:21 Speaker 2: Kentucky no dying ducks.

9:23 Speaker 1: Blue Kentucky bands dying ducks unless you're selling them in

9:27 Speaker 1: groups of six. This was meant to discourage people from

9:30 Speaker 1: buying single dyed animals as novelty pets. In the nineteen seventies,

9:35 Speaker 1: a store owner dyed two ducks pink and was fined.

9:39 Speaker 1: He was ordered to restore them to their natural color,

9:42 Speaker 1: though how exactly he managed that remains a mystery.

9:45 Speaker 2: Louisiana No Gargling in.

9:48 Speaker 1: Public Louisiana law prohibits gargling in public places. In the

9:53 Speaker 1: French Quarter, nuisances like loud gargling contests became a problem,

9:58 Speaker 1: so lawmakers cracked down. In nineteen fifty a man was

10:02 Speaker 1: arrested for gargling Bourbon on Bourbon Street, confusing tourists who

10:06 Speaker 1: thought it was part of the act.

10:08 Speaker 2: Maine, dancing requires a permit.

10:11 Speaker 1: Some main towns require permits for public dancing. The goal

10:15 Speaker 1: was to control crowds and prevent drunken fights at gatherings.

10:19 Speaker 1: In the nineteen seventies, police raided a Portland bar for

10:22 Speaker 1: hosting illegal dancing. The owner complained it wasn't even good dancing.

10:27 Speaker 1: Today most towns have repealed the law, but it's a

10:30 Speaker 1: reminder that fun once needed paperwork.

10:33 Speaker 2: Maryland. No lions at the movies.

10:37 Speaker 1: In Maryland, it's illegal to bring a lion to the movies.

10:40 Speaker 1: In the nineteen twenties, traveling circuses sometimes promoted shows by

10:44 Speaker 1: parading lions into theaters. Authorities banned it for public safety.

10:50 Speaker 1: In nineteen fifty six, a promoter tried sneaking in a

10:53 Speaker 1: lion cub during the African Queen, but police stopped him

10:57 Speaker 1: at the door.

10:58 Speaker 2: Massachusetts, oh tees require a permit.

11:02 Speaker 1: Massachusetts once required permits for goatees. Facial hair was linked

11:07 Speaker 1: to immoral character, and local governments regulated it. In the

11:12 Speaker 1: nineteen forties, a Harvard student was fined for growing a

11:16 Speaker 1: beard without approval. He protested it was for a Shakespeare play,

11:20 Speaker 1: but the judge insisted even the Bard would have needed

11:23 Speaker 1: a permit.

11:23 Speaker 2: Michigan no crocodiles in bathtubs.

11:27 Speaker 1: In Michigan, it's illegal to keep a crocodile in your bathtub.

11:30 Speaker 1: The law came after a nineteen thirty nine raid where

11:33 Speaker 1: police found one in a mobster's apartment. He claimed it

11:37 Speaker 1: was just a pet, but the law quickly followed. Michigan

11:40 Speaker 1: bathtime is now reptile free by statute.

11:43 Speaker 2: Minnesota no greased pig contests.

11:47 Speaker 1: Minnesota bands greased pig contests once a staple of fairs.

11:52 Speaker 1: Lawmakers cited animal welfare concerns and safety issues. In nineteen

11:57 Speaker 1: seventy one, a fare was fined after holding one anyway.

12:00 Speaker 1: The pigs free to trot off were called the first

12:05 Speaker 1: winners in history.

12:07 Speaker 2: Mississippi. No swearing in public.

12:11 Speaker 1: Mississippi law prohibits public profanity. Originally meant to uphold public decency,

12:16 Speaker 1: it's still occasionally sighted. In twenty thirteen, a man was

12:21 Speaker 1: arrested after shouting obscenities in a Walmart parking lot. Officials

12:25 Speaker 1: pointed to the law, proving that even in modern times,

12:28 Speaker 1: cursing in public can cost you.

12:31 Speaker 2: Missouri. No driving with an uncaged bear.

12:35 Speaker 1: Missouri law requires bears to be caged when transported in vehicles.

12:39 Speaker 1: The rule dates to the circus days, when animals often

12:43 Speaker 1: traveled through small towns. In nineteen forty eight, police stopped

12:47 Speaker 1: a man with a black bear sitting in his truck

12:49 Speaker 1: bed happily licking an ice cream cone. He was fined

12:53 Speaker 1: and the law stuck.

12:54 Speaker 2: North Carolina bingo games limited to five hours.

12:59 Speaker 1: North Caro Carolina law caps bingo games at five hours.

13:03 Speaker 1: Lawmakers feared marathon bingo was too close to illegal gambling.

13:08 Speaker 1: In twenty thirteen, a church fundraiser was warned when their

13:11 Speaker 1: game stretched to six hours. The organizer protested, it takes

13:16 Speaker 1: as long as it takes, but the state disagreed.

13:20 Speaker 4: Do you sell cucumbers in Connecticut. Then you need the

13:22 Speaker 4: pickle Check three thousand, the world's first bounce certification machine.

13:27 Speaker 4: Just drop your pickle and watch it boying into legality.

13:30 Speaker 4: Order today and receive a free kit to test your

13:32 Speaker 4: butter in Wisconsin.

13:34 Speaker 2: Warning may launch pickles through drywall.

13:37 Speaker 1: And that's part one of our two episode journey through

13:40 Speaker 1: America's Strangest Laws. We've covered Alabama through North Carolina, twenty

13:46 Speaker 1: five states of legislative oddities from ice cream theft prevention

13:49 Speaker 1: to bingo time limits. But we're not done yet. In

13:53 Speaker 1: part two, we'll finish our road trip covering North Dakota

13:56 Speaker 1: through Wyoming. Trust me, the second half is just is weird.

14:01 Speaker 1: If you enjoyed today's episode, hit subscribe, leave us a review,

14:04 Speaker 1: and share it with your friends. Until next time, I'm

14:08 Speaker 1: Amy reminding you that history is strange, but the law

14:12 Speaker 1: is stranger.