There are plenty of obvious things that one might expect to be illegal – stealing, murdering, taking the last cookie from the jar. You know, the usual stuff. Take a closer look at laws in the United States, however, and you’ll find an absolute treasure trove of thoroughly bonkers legislation that’ll make you question why on Earth half of them still exist.
No jumping frogs for dinner in California
If you’ve ever thought about trying frog meat, be careful where you source it from in California. Since 1957, there’s been a health code stating that anyone is allowed to own frogs for a frog-jumping contest (not the weirdest thing we’ve ever heard), but if one such frog dies or is killed, you can’t eat it. Instead, it has to be destroyed as soon as possible.
What kind of Gladiator-esque shenanigans have been going on at Californian frog-jumping contests? That’s what we’d like to know.
Don’t send someone a surprise pizza in Louisiana
You might’ve heard that in Louisiana, it’s a crime to send someone a pizza without letting them know. While that is technically true, the actual law isn’t just specific to pizza and there are a couple of specifics that are important to be aware of – so don’t worry if you were hoping to send your bestie a pizza for their birthday.
The law states that it’s illegal to “intentionally place an order for any goods or services to be supplied or delivered to another person” under all of the following conditions: the recipient hasn’t authorized it; they don’t live with the person that made the order; the order is not a gift; the recipient has to pay to receive or return the order; and the order was placed in order to harass or annoy the recipient.
In other words, you’re good unless you’re sending someone something as a prank. If you get caught out, you run the risk of getting fined up to $500 and/or spending up to six months in jail – which seems pretty fair if you send someone one of those glitter bombs.
No day-long bingo sessions in North Carolina
If you fancy a day trip out to the bingo halls with your pals, you’re out of luck if you happen to be in North Carolina. In this state, there’s a statute that says commercial bingo sessions can’t be more than five hours long, nor can more than two sessions be held in the same place within 48 hours of each other, or within a calendar week.
It’s likely because bingo is classed as gambling, but in places like the UK where the game is seen as a pretty social and casual thing, this law would probably see people up in arms.
Making cheese in Wisconsin? It’d better be tasty
Perhaps you’ve always dreamed of becoming a cheesemaker, and what better place to do it than Wisconsin, the state perhaps best known for it? You’d better make sure it’s tasty though, else you may end up in trouble, and not just with angry customers.
In Wisconsin, state code requires that state-certified cheeses, like Muenster, Monterey Jack, and Swiss, should be “highly pleasing” when it comes to flavor, and also be free from “undesirable flavors and odors”.
Source Link: No Jumping Frogs For Dinner? Some Of The Strangest US Laws That Still Exist
