2.3 million Americans are being held behind bars.
Breaking the law can have dire consequences. In many cases, public prosecutors go for as much as they can get in punishing the offender.
While laws are critical to the nation’s well-being there are those that are unusual. Despite such unorthodox laws being implausible, there is nothing amusing about the punishment they carry.
Here is a list of some of the most surprising things that are illegal and can land you in jail.
1. No Honking In front of a Sandwich Shop
In Little Rock, Arkansas there is a law that still stands to this day which prohibits hooting in front of a sandwich shop.
Specifically, it says that no one should sound the horn of a motor vehicle anywhere cold drinks and sandwiches are sold after 9 pm.
Next time you are at the drive-through anytime past 9 pm in Little Rock you would do well to remember this bizarre law.
2. Kangaroo Boxing
Some members of society have always been attracted to the appeal of seeing animals fight each other. Nowadays, many animal fighting sports in America are banned.
One of the surprising laws still in force today is the ban on Kangaroo boxing in North Dakota.
Kangaroos, when defending themselves, strike in a boxing-like action. Around 1891 people found this intriguing and deiced to stage boxing matches between humans and Kangaroos.
The sport received attention so much so that matches were held at the Chicago World’s Fair and Madison Square Garden.
Today many states would classify Kangaroo boxing as animal cruelty but in North Dakota, it is expressly forbidden.
3. Sharing Your Streaming Service Password
In the great state of Tennessee, it is illegal to share your login credentials with anyone who does not live under the same roof as you.
While to many it may seem like one of those weird laws it’s technically not new. The ‘Tennessee Login Law’ is an update from a previously existing bill that was set to battle cable theft in the state.
Although the law is aimed at pushing anyone who shares their password its true target is different. Ultimately, the law is aimed at those who sell and share their login in large quantities.
4. Cheating at Video Games
Using cheat codes and other types of cheating techniques in gaming are almost universally considered a sly move by players.
But you will be shocked to find out that you can actually be arrested and charged in court for it. The producers of these games view cheating as a violation of their copyright.
Additionally, they also interpret it as a breach of the terms of use agreement through buying, selling, using or distributing cheats.
So next time you’re looking for that edge in Fortnite via cheating remember that you may be the next gamer to land in jail for it.
5. Riding Bicycles in a Fancy Manner
Riding a bicycle in a ‘fancy manner’ is a punishable offense in Galesburg, Illinois.
If you are riding on a bicycle, you must have both your hands on the handlebars. Your feet should also firmly be on the pedals.
Any form of bike stunts such as acrobats is expressly forbidden and punishable by law. Riders under 16 years caught breaking this law will be fined $1 that they have to pay within 24 hours.
If 72 hours lapse before the fine is paid, then the offending rider will be fined as an adult and must pay $30 to $100 dollars.
6. Hitting a Vending Machine
Have you ever put your money in a vending machine eager to get that snack only for it to get stuck? If you have, you’re familiar with the angst it can cause you.
When you are in Derby, Kansas it is a violation of the law to hit a vending machine that isn’t dispensing your snack. It is a class A violation that will net you up to one year in the county jail.
7. Dare You Not Smile
After an exceptionally hard winter in Pocatello, Idaho, a law was passed that made not smiling illegal. Although it was done as a joke it is still applicable law.
The prescribed punishment for not smiling is a joke ‘arrest.’ The American Bankers Association used this law in an ad campaign that nicknamed Pocatello the U. S. Smile Capital.
8. Using a Fake Name Online
Have you ever thought about walking away and starting afresh? Is it illegal to disappear? Can you create a false identity online?
If you are thinking of signing up on a website under an alias, think again.
The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act outlaws any registration under false names. If you’re found guilty you will be fined or sentenced to not more than five years in jail.
9. Possessing a Permanent Marker
Do not walk with a permanent marker in the streets of Florida, New York and other states that have anti-graffiti laws.
It is illegal to possess a broad-tipped indelible marker on your person. These regulations also make it illegal to own an aerosol can. But don’t fret.
Unless you are caught in the act of using them to create graffiti, the officers will likely only confiscate them.
10. Biting Your Landlord
I think it should go without saying that you should not bite your landlord no matter what the issue is.
However, it seems that residents of Rumford, Maine needed a reminder that their landlord is not a chew toy.
According to the law, when you fight with your landlord you are committing an offense. Your home will be labeled a ‘disorderly house’ and that will earn you a fine of not more than $2,500.
Watch out for Some Surprising Things That Are Illegal and Can Get You Jail Time
The law exists to maintain order in our great country. While most of the regulations are useful there are some surprising things that are illegal but yet still carry legitimate legal consequences.
They say that ignorance is no defense. There are many weird illegal things that can land you in trouble. Be on the lookout.
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