The legislative intent of most legal statutes is very clear. For example, the Americans With Disabilities Act is meant to help fight discrimination on the basis of disabilities.
However, some legal statutes seem devoid of any intent, no matter how much legislative history research you do. What’s more mind boggling is the fact that many of these laws are still on the books!
Here are a few such weird legal statutes that our own legislative research uncovered.
No Cars in Las Vegas.
Believe it or not, Las Vegas still has a legal statute on the books that says cars are illegal, since the noise that cars make would scare horses, which were the primary source of transportation back in the day. Since the legal statute would be too costly to repeal, everyone in Las Vegas just ignores it.
No High Heels in California.
In Camel California, it used to be illegal to wear shoes with heels that were more than two inches tall or with heels that had a base less than one square inch. Though it was hardly ever enforced, the government decided to amend the weird legal statute, allowing people to apply for a special “heel permit” from city hall.
No Standing and Holding Drinks Simultaneously in Massachusetts.
It’s illegal to stand and hold an alcoholic beverage at the same time in Woburn, Massachusetts. Naturally, this would cause some logistical problems in restaurants and bars, so the law allows waiters to do walk around with drinks. Patrons, though, are liable to a fine if they stand with their beverage.
Sometimes when a law loses its purpose, it gets ignored. Other times, it gets amended. And still other times, it continues to be enforced, despite the apparent lack of legislative intent.
If you know of any other weird laws, feel free to share in the comments.