Some Crazy Laws
- In Temperance, Miss., you can't walk a dog without dressing it in diapers.
- In St. Louis, a law on the books makes it illegal to park your car without turning off the engine. This was to avoid scaring horses.
- In Kansas City, Kan., saying the name George Washington without adding the phrase "blessed be his name," can land you with a fine of up to fifty cents.
- In California, selling a gold piece without tooth marks in it is considered forgery.
- An old statute in Flint, Mich., compels dentists to offer a "slug of whiskey with no additional charge to said patient."
- In Manchester, England, an ancient law declares that if a young man develops a lisp, he must be inspected by a bishop to ensure that he isn't developing homosexual tendencies.
- The city of San Francisco holds a copyright on the name San Francisco. It is illegal to manufacture any item with the name without first getting permission from the city. Since the Supreme Court upheld the copyright, San Francisco has had an annual $300 million surplus every year.
- In Raleigh, N.C., before a man asks for a woman's hand in marriage, he must be "inspected by all the barnyard animals on the young woman's family's property, to ensure a harmonious farm life."
- Slavery is still legal in Decatur, Ala.
- In Salzburg, Germany, any child born on Aug. 18th must be tested for possible witchcraft. This is due to a local legend that an evil warlock was born on that day in 1638.