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Photographer Breaks 43 Of The Most Ridiculous Laws In America, And It’s Hilarious
In her “I Fought The Law” series, Olivia Locher has come up with a series of images that creatively poke fun at some of the more absurd laws in effect in the United States. Each photo is a tongue-in-cheek rebellion that intentionally violates some absurd U.S. State law, most of which are outdated or bizarrely specific.
Some of these laws are simply outdated historical laws, while other are total headscratchers. It’s hard to imagine why riding bikes in swimming pools is illegal in California or why wine can’t be served in teacups in Kansas. And it begs the questions – was people working out while driving such a big problem in Oregon that they had to outlaw it? Other laws, while weird, have historical context and are simply outdated. It’s illegal to carry an ice-cream cone in your back pocket in Alabama because this was an ingenious way for horse thieves to steal horses. They could lead away horses with the ice-cream without ever having to lay hands on them, thereby not technically stealing the horses until they were “lost.”
To see more of this talented artist’s photography or more of this cheeky series, check out her website!
More info: olivialocher.com
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
In Alabama, It Is Illegal To Have An Ice-Cream Cone In Your Back Pocket
Zenozenobee 8 years ago
Who on Earth thought it could be a good idea to carry an ice-cream cone in his/her back pocket ?
RELATED:
#2
In Ohio, It’s Illegal To Disrobe In Front Of A Man's Portrait
#3
In Pennsylvania, It’s Illegal To Tie A Dollar Bill To A String And Pull It Away When Someone Tries To Pick It Up
#4
In Arizona, You May Not Have More Than Two Dildos In A House
#5
In Minnessota A Person May Not Cross State Lines With A Bird Atop His Head
Talia Johnson 8 years ago
But walking around within a state with a bird on your head is fine. Okaaaaay.
#6
In Nevada, It’s Illegal To Put An American Flag On A Bar Of Soap
#7
In Utah, No One May Walk Down The Street Carrying A Paper Bag Containing A Violin
#8
In Oklahoma It's Illegal To Make Love With An Automobile
#9
In Connecticut, Pickles Must Bounce To Officially Be Considered Pickles
Robbie Shorley 8 years ago
Her - 'What do you do for a living?' Me- 'I'm a pickle bouncer'. Her - *swoons
#10
In California, Nobody Is Allowed To Ride A Bicycle In A Swimming Pool
#11
In New Jersey A Person Can Be Arrested For Slurping Soup In Public
#12
In Maine It’s Unlawful To Tickle Women Under The Chin With A Feather Duster
#13
In Indiana, It’s Illegal For A Man To Be Sexually Aroused In Public
#14
In Michigan It's Illegal To Paint Sparrows To Sell Them As Parakeets
#15
In Texas, It Is Illegal For Children To Have Unusual Haircuts
Zenozenobee 8 years ago
I wonder who decide what's unusual. I mean if tomorrow Nicki Minaj or anyone else decide to shave her/his head except a blue strand of hair right above the left ear and a yellow one on the back. It would be ugly af, but if few hundred kids copy her/him and it become a trend, would it be punishable by law?
Aunt Messy 8 years ago
This law has been invoked repeatedly to kick kids out of school - even in elementary school - because the entire state is one big bigot-fest. One kid was banned because he was growing his hair out to donate to a cancer charity. The principal and the school board said he looked "like a girl" and expelled (NOT suspended, expelled) him. .... In another school in Dallas, a little girl was suspended because her afro offended some racist parents and they tried to force her mother to get her hair straightened before they'd let the seven-year old back in school. It was a majority white neighbourhood.
The Cappy 8 years ago
Don't want to interrupt your rabid excoriations but dress codes and civil law aren't the same thing.
Load More Replies...
Kim Lorton 8 years ago
The church lady decided any hair cut that didn't involve a bowl, was unusual..
Mia Rennie 8 years ago
some people might think that's totally normal (people have different ideas on whats unusual)
Dean DuPont 8 years ago
There's still brothers in Texas prisons for having high-top fades. (Them, and those still serving time in Texas for possession of one marijuana seed, have formed a support group.)
#16
In Maryland Hammering A Nail Into A Tree Is Punishable By A Fifty Dollar Fine
#17
In Rhode Island, It Is Illegal To Wear Transparent Clothing
#18
In Virginia, Spitting On A Seagull Is Punishable By A Fine
#19
In Hawaii Coins Are Not Allowed To Be Placed In One’s Ears
Tony Cabré 8 years ago
How can magicians take them out of your ears then ? Not fair, not fair at all
#20
In Kansas, It’s Illegal To Serve Wine In Teacups
Kikari Grace 8 years ago
Okay, this is dated, but there was a logical reason: People were trying to get around alcohol regulations by sneakily serving alcohol in teacups, so as to make it look like they weren't serving alcohol, and so they made that illegal. The idea being that it must be obvious you're serving alcohol.
#21
In Kentucky, It’s Illegal To Lick A Toad
Zenozenobee 8 years ago
Any toad that produce hallucinogenic venom with their skin in Kentucky?
#22
In Kentucky It's Illegal To Paint Your Lawn Red
#23
In Wisconsin It Is Illegal To Serve Apple Pie In Public Restaurants Without Cheese
#24
In Arkansas It’s Illegal To Kill Or Preserve Any Living Creature Without A License
#25
In South Dakota It’s Unlawful To Cause Static
#26
In Washington, It’s Illegal To Paint Polka Dots On The American Flag
#27
In Colorado, It’s Illegal To Have Weeds In Your Yard
#28
In Missouri, It’s Illegal To Deface A Milk Carton
#29
In Nebraska, It’s Illegal For A Parent To Perm Their Child’s Hair Without A State License
#30
Oregon: One May Not Test Their Physical Endurance While Driving A Car On The Highway
Jose Baeyens 8 years ago
When I was younger I had a girlfriend who tested my endurance while driving.... Good times.... ;)
#31
In Florida, A Person May Not Appear In Public Clothed In Liquid Latex
Valentín Clemente 8 years ago
See the irony of "absurd" laws with a Mature Content Warning on body paint
#32
In Louisiana, It’s Illegal To Gargle In Public
#33
In Delaware It Is Illegal To Wear Pants That Are “form - Fitting” Around The Waist
#34
In Wyoming, It’s Illegal For A Hairdresser To Groom One’s Pubic Hair
Andrew Cas 8 years ago
Well we all know what there Wyoming hairdressers look like in a bikini now !
#35
In Tennessee Hollow Logs May Not Be Sold
#36
In Delaware It’s Illegal To Serve Perfume As Liquor
Gayle Bynum Cardosa 8 years ago
It's easy to see how some of these came about. The one from Tennessee, this one and some others. They never came off of the books. Several aren't even silly laws.
#37
In Vermont It Is Illegal To Use Colored Margarine In Restaurants Unless The Menu Indicates You Do
Aunt Messy 8 years ago
Margarine is white. There was a time when restaurants and grocery stores would add yellow food colouring to it and sell it - for more money - as butter. The smarter ones would mix in a little real butter to make the fraud more convincing. When I was a kid, it was illegal to sell yellow tinted margarine in grocery stores, the manufacturers would include a little packet of powdered dye for tinting at home. In some places (I think Ontario still does this), margarine can be tinted, but it's a specific colour of yellow that cannot be mistaken for butter. ... NOT a "stupid" law at all.
#38
In New Mexico Defacing Rocks Is A Crime
Gayle Bynum Cardosa 8 years ago
Not stupid at all. Inscription Rock anyone??? There are historical rocks everywhere in the desert. The law was put there to preserve historical native american sites and places like Inscription Rock. I get the "humor" part here but....ah, whatever. I guess every state has several silly laws. I don't know if the artist here knew (probably). It's a cool photo anyway.
#39
In Alaska No Person May Drive A Vehicle When There Are Three People In The Front Seat
#40
In Mississippi Sesame Street Was Once Banned From Pbs.
Add New Image
What do you think ?
Sherlock Holmes 8 years ago
One has to wonder what circumstances caused these laws to be passed...
Zenozenobee 8 years ago
My question exactly to lots of them: "why did they had to decide that?"
Load More Replies...
B. Considine 8 years ago
"Upskirting" despite its frivolous name, is disgusting and a violation. Shame on Bored Panda for perpetuating the crime as ridiculous
BreAnne Andrews 8 years ago
I'm thinking this particular instance is of two consenting parties. ANY photos like that taken without consent is an invasion of privacy. In this case, I took it to mean even if you want to, those photos are not allowed. I don't believe they are intending to make light of a crime.
Load More Replies...
darknessIsMyOutfit 8 years ago
In Toronto Canada it illegal to drag a dead horse down Young Street by a rope I guess you can drag a dead one down any other Street just not Young Street
Melanie Brown 8 years ago
The Massachusetts up-skirt laws were a necessary, and hard fought change in Personal Privacy in Public laws. We had a rash (read: hundreds) of men getting close to women in shops, busstops and other public venues to use their cell phone to sneak photos under a woman's skirt, without her consent. Most of the victims were under age, high school and middle school children. The previous law protected these men under the "no expectations of privacy in public spaces." Most of these photos were being sold or shared via online porn sites. The law still isn't perfect, but at least children are protected now.
Krysten Marie 8 years ago
How the hell is #43 a ridiculous law?! If you have permission, but there have been far too many instances in the news over the years of this happening without the subjects permission for it to be a ridiculous law!
Mark Myers 8 years ago
The upskirt photo one came about for a very good reason. Pervs were doing this to unsuspecting women & girls to get their jollies. The nails in trees came about because environmentalists were spiking trees and later after they were harvest the spikes would damage equipment and sometimes injure the operator during cutting & milling.
Neeah Doash 8 years ago
The Utah rocks one makes complete sense- given that Utah has several national and state monuments that are natural rock formations, and people kept doing cr*p like carving their initials on them, or slapping grafitti down.
Tracey Payne 8 years ago
'Upskirting' is a crime and should be punishable by law. Do you really want someone taking a photo up the skirt of your daughter, mother, sister...any female?
Xenobio 8 years ago
Some of these are explainable. The no hammering nails into trees one is because some wacko militant environmentalists did that hoping the nails would fly out and injure sawmill workers. The no serving perfume as liquor one is probably because someone tried exactly that to get around liquor laws. As for the no upskirt photos one...that's totally not a ridiculous law. Taking upskirt photos is sexual harrassment at the very least.
MATTHEW TOM 8 years ago
I'd say that this article has been a very boring story ever since all of this was posted.
Kenneth Kaplan 8 years ago
Laws against colored margarine were once prevalent, the result of dairy industry lobbying. Margarine is naturally a sickly white color. The dairy industry fought for laws that prevented margarine makers from using yellow food coloring to make margarine more attractive and more competitive with butter. This is a perfect example of special interest legislation.
Claire Miller 8 years ago
I don't think New Mexico's law about defacing rocks is bad. I HATE driving through beautiful country and seeing rocks defaced by graffiti because some drunk jerk thought the whole world needed to know their class graduated in '15, or who the eff they love.
Joshua Lapidus 8 years ago
#23 you followed the law - which doesn't fit with the theme of the listicle.
Sarreq Teryx 8 years ago
"#39 In Alaska No Person May Drive A Vehicle When There Are Three People In The Front Seat" Soooo, 4 people in the front seat would be just fine, then...
jamie collins 8 years ago
no because technically there would be 3 people even if there was a 4th ;-D
Load More Replies...
Ron Durbin 8 years ago
#s41 & 42 are duplicared in the series. Otherwise it's cool. Hopefully she weill do another series on this, or just crowdsource it.
Laurinda Pudlo 8 years ago
In Massachusetts, a guy was photographing sup women's skirts on public transit, without their permission. It's a huge invasion of privacy, & they needed a law to charge him (& others) with breaking. It's not something silly like 'no carrying ice cream in your pocket' Also, where's the one that says it's okay to marry off girls as young as 12? Yes, in this country. Usually to legitimize a pregnancy (which would be rape) http://news.wgbh.org/2017/05/11/local-news/how-underage-marriage-puts-girls-risk
David kidd 8 years ago
I wish the photo add creativity not straight forward, to make it more fun 😀
Zori the degu 8 years ago
And Trump wants to make America the greatest? Unless their government stops wasting time in coming up with pointless laws, they'll never even be taken seriously.
Brittany Thain 8 years ago
I dont think the Last one is ridiculous... it says CAN BE soooo.... in other words Without that womens permission it is illegal to take upskirt pictures And i find that completely reasonable... you wouldnt want people taking unconsented pictures of your d**k.
Sherlock Holmes 8 years ago
One has to wonder what circumstances caused these laws to be passed...
Zenozenobee 8 years ago
My question exactly to lots of them: "why did they had to decide that?"
Load More Replies... B. Considine 8 years ago
"Upskirting" despite its frivolous name, is disgusting and a violation. Shame on Bored Panda for perpetuating the crime as ridiculous
BreAnne Andrews 8 years ago
I'm thinking this particular instance is of two consenting parties. ANY photos like that taken without consent is an invasion of privacy. In this case, I took it to mean even if you want to, those photos are not allowed. I don't believe they are intending to make light of a crime.
Load More Replies... darknessIsMyOutfit 8 years ago
In Toronto Canada it illegal to drag a dead horse down Young Street by a rope I guess you can drag a dead one down any other Street just not Young Street
Melanie Brown 8 years ago
The Massachusetts up-skirt laws were a necessary, and hard fought change in Personal Privacy in Public laws. We had a rash (read: hundreds) of men getting close to women in shops, busstops and other public venues to use their cell phone to sneak photos under a woman's skirt, without her consent. Most of the victims were under age, high school and middle school children. The previous law protected these men under the "no expectations of privacy in public spaces." Most of these photos were being sold or shared via online porn sites. The law still isn't perfect, but at least children are protected now.
Krysten Marie 8 years ago
How the hell is #43 a ridiculous law?! If you have permission, but there have been far too many instances in the news over the years of this happening without the subjects permission for it to be a ridiculous law!
Mark Myers 8 years ago
The upskirt photo one came about for a very good reason. Pervs were doing this to unsuspecting women & girls to get their jollies. The nails in trees came about because environmentalists were spiking trees and later after they were harvest the spikes would damage equipment and sometimes injure the operator during cutting & milling.
Neeah Doash 8 years ago
The Utah rocks one makes complete sense- given that Utah has several national and state monuments that are natural rock formations, and people kept doing cr*p like carving their initials on them, or slapping grafitti down.
Tracey Payne 8 years ago
'Upskirting' is a crime and should be punishable by law. Do you really want someone taking a photo up the skirt of your daughter, mother, sister...any female?
Xenobio 8 years ago
Some of these are explainable. The no hammering nails into trees one is because some wacko militant environmentalists did that hoping the nails would fly out and injure sawmill workers. The no serving perfume as liquor one is probably because someone tried exactly that to get around liquor laws. As for the no upskirt photos one...that's totally not a ridiculous law. Taking upskirt photos is sexual harrassment at the very least.
MATTHEW TOM 8 years ago
I'd say that this article has been a very boring story ever since all of this was posted.
Kenneth Kaplan 8 years ago
Laws against colored margarine were once prevalent, the result of dairy industry lobbying. Margarine is naturally a sickly white color. The dairy industry fought for laws that prevented margarine makers from using yellow food coloring to make margarine more attractive and more competitive with butter. This is a perfect example of special interest legislation.
Claire Miller 8 years ago
I don't think New Mexico's law about defacing rocks is bad. I HATE driving through beautiful country and seeing rocks defaced by graffiti because some drunk jerk thought the whole world needed to know their class graduated in '15, or who the eff they love.
Joshua Lapidus 8 years ago
#23 you followed the law - which doesn't fit with the theme of the listicle.
Sarreq Teryx 8 years ago
"#39 In Alaska No Person May Drive A Vehicle When There Are Three People In The Front Seat" Soooo, 4 people in the front seat would be just fine, then...
jamie collins 8 years ago
no because technically there would be 3 people even if there was a 4th ;-D
Load More Replies... Ron Durbin 8 years ago
#s41 & 42 are duplicared in the series. Otherwise it's cool. Hopefully she weill do another series on this, or just crowdsource it.
Laurinda Pudlo 8 years ago
In Massachusetts, a guy was photographing sup women's skirts on public transit, without their permission. It's a huge invasion of privacy, & they needed a law to charge him (& others) with breaking. It's not something silly like 'no carrying ice cream in your pocket' Also, where's the one that says it's okay to marry off girls as young as 12? Yes, in this country. Usually to legitimize a pregnancy (which would be rape) http://news.wgbh.org/2017/05/11/local-news/how-underage-marriage-puts-girls-risk
David kidd 8 years ago
I wish the photo add creativity not straight forward, to make it more fun 😀
Zori the degu 8 years ago
And Trump wants to make America the greatest? Unless their government stops wasting time in coming up with pointless laws, they'll never even be taken seriously.
Brittany Thain 8 years ago
I dont think the Last one is ridiculous... it says CAN BE soooo.... in other words Without that womens permission it is illegal to take upskirt pictures And i find that completely reasonable... you wouldnt want people taking unconsented pictures of your d**k.
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