Crazy Laws

by Dick Hyman

It is against the law not to read this book.
Well, there could be such a law. Take a look at those now or once on the books. Did you realize, for instance, that it's against the law -
- To bite your landlord in Rumford, Maine?
- To make faces at dogs in Normal, Illinois?
- To gargle in public in Louisiana?
- To eat snakes on Sunday in Kansas?
- To drive more than 2,000 sheep down Hollywood Boulevard at one time?
- To pawn your wooden leg in Delaware?

These and many, many more are all in this funny, funny collection of crazy laws enacted over the years in cities and states coast to coast.

Illustrated with hilarious cartoons by Tom Eaton.

Genres: Childrens, Reference, Young Adult

90 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1976

Reviews

[Natalie Pietro · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book when I was a little girl back in the 80s and was pleased to find a copy at my local thrift store. For 50 cents how could you go wrong. Brought back some fun memories.

[Sparrow .]

This slender Scholastic paperback published in 1978, apparently abridged from a book called “The Trenton Pickle Ordinance,” is a collection of actual laws – all from the USA – that originally appeared in American Magazine. Supposedly, this is a form of humor.


The laws fall into five categories: 1) racist, 2) absolutely absurd statutes that were passed as a joke, 3) overly-anxious, 4) laws that once made sense, but now are completely archaic, 5) Christian.

Here are examples:
1) In Fort Wayne, Indiana, you are not allowed to carry a watermelon into a public park. 2) The Arkansas legislature passed a law that states that the Arkansas River can rise no further than to the Main Street Bridge in Little Rock. 3) A Glendale, California, ordinance permits horror films to be shown only on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays. 4) According to state law in Maine, fishermen must take off their hats to the game warden. 5) In Cleveland, you can’t get married in a bathing suit. [I am quoting directly from the book.]

The illustrations by Tom Eaton are annoying. I found “Crazy Laws” unfunny but addictive, like sunflower seeds.

[Addie LeMaster · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh some were interesting...

[Danica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious!

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read - a small collection of unusual laws on the books in various jurisdictions. He missed some that I am personally aware but then it is an abridged edition. I keep it with my law books and have read parts of it out loud to my students.It is interesting in a humorous way.

[Jeff Beland · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an abridgment of The Trenton Pickled Ordinance, a collection of outdated and odd laws. It brought back many fond memories of sitting on my fathers knee as a child as he read The Trenton Pickled Ordinance to my brother and I.

[Partridge Public]

Hyman, Dick PB

[Earl LeMaster]

You've got to be kidding me. Some of these laws are just pure crazy