Column Chronicles: Strange laws across North America

Strange laws across North America

Frank Cotolo
December 4, 2014

Every country passes laws that seem strange because they deal with esoteric behavior. Still, a thorough look at the books of laws in North America alone presents amazing acts that are illegal, even though it appears some are impossible to perform, others may never occur and there is no way to police any of them.

Here are some of those laws.

In Alabama it is illegal to lead a horse to water if the equine does not finish the trip by drinking.

In Manitoba it is illegal to render a person senseless while wearing a pair of horn-rimmed glasses.

In Mississippi it is illegal to publicly spell the name of the state aloud backwards.

California law requires all people wearing straw hats to be able to converse in at least three languages.

Iowans cannot dance on Sunday without a permit.

In Maine, no one is allowed to run a power saw when brushing their teeth.

There are numerous fines in Alberta for keeping a dog from barking.

North Dakota has stiff penalties for anyone harboring an illegal alien if that person cannot do the Mambo.

Eating a duck without wearing a bib is illegal in Florida.

In Connecticut, a person can go to prison for writing the total contents of "Moby Dick" on any one side of a cinderblock.

In Saskatchewan, waking up before dawn in a homemade bed with no reason to start the day is illegal on Tuesdays of the first month of a year ending in an odd number.

Clowns cannot eat at diners in Ottawa without expressed written permission of the state treasurer.

Feeding pigeons while carrying a pitchfork is illegal in Massachusetts.

In British Columbia, people can only go ice fishing with a license received after proving they are in desperate need of ice.

Alaskans cannot snack between meals served to them on beds of broccoli.

We will look for more strange laws and report them in future installments.

Frank Cotolo can be found hosting the talk and interview programme Cotolo Chronicles. You can send him an e-mail at this address: frank@148.ca.