14 Strangely Illegal Things in Indiana
These are REAL laws in Indiana...You might not necessarily get fined or sent to jail for doing them anymore, but they're still in print.
Some of these laws stem from very specific situations, and some laws were put into place 100+ years ago for various reasons and throughout time became irrelevant, but the law itself was never fixed to reflect the times. For example:
1. If anyone were to perform a puppet show, wire act, or tumbling in the state of Indiana and receive any form of payment for it, they would be fined up to $3 under the Act to Prevent Certain Immoral Practices of 1816-1817. A lot of those Acts were revised in the early 20th century, but that one seemed to stick around for another 100 years.
2. Another law still in effect from that time is a law that states that anyone 14 or older who "profanely curses, damns, or swears by the name of God, Jesus Christ, or the Holy Spirit" can be fined $1 to $3 for each curse, and up to a total of $10 a day for it.
If that were true, I would owe the government SO MUCH money...
3. It is illegal to make a monkey smoke a cigarette in South Bend.
Here? Totally cool.
4. In Indiana you aren't supposed to take bath's between the months of October and March.
Thank god this isn't enforced.
5. In addition to the "Turn off your cell phone" and "Don't talk during the movie" rules, in Gary, Indiana they also still have "Wait four hours after eating garlic before you go to the movies, see a show, or get on public transportation." Looks like we had some vampires in government back in the day (and maybe still do....)
6. Mustaches are illegal if the wearer has a tendency to kiss other people (in greeting or in affection).
So you literally have to chose between mustaches or kisses.
7. No one can catch a fish with their bare hands.
Well, not with that attitude they can't.
8. Oral sex is illegal.
Wait, WHAT???
9. You can get out of paying for a dependent's medical care if you pray for them.
Trust me, I've done a lot of praying when it comes to medical bills...This law is NOT in effect anymore.
10. In Evansville, when driving down Main St., you cannot have your lights on.
Okay.....
11. Gossiping and/or talking behind a person's back is illegal.
Yeah, tell that to every teenager in high school.
12. Forging a check is punishable by being publicly flogged 100 times.
I WISH this was still enforced. We could get real creative with public humiliation for identity theft.
13. It is illegal to pass a horse.
14. And a horse is not allowed to go over 10MPH.
Which means you're going to be late for work.
Have you encountered any strange laws in effect in Indiana?