Weirdest Laws In Alabama
One of the foundations of the American South is the great state of Alabama. The "Heart of Dixie" is where many historical events have taken place and parts of southern culture have been born. Alabama joined the United States as the 22nd state in 1819 (per Britannica). Though it has a complex history around issues like slavery and politics, it has also managed to become a hub of creativity, art, and sport. Alabama or Auburn anyone?
Like all the other states in the country, in addition to federal laws, Alabama also has its own set of laws to govern its people. Logic would dictate that these rules of society would make sense and have a reasonable purpose. However, when examining some of the laws on the books in Alabama, it appears that not all of them fit into those categories. Before you head to the "Cotton State" for that college football game or eat some amazing southern cuisine, let's check out some of the things you can and can't do while you're there.
Keep your hands to yourself and off the nature
Though Alabama is not necessarily huge size-wise, it has many types of climate and nature within its borders (via Britannica). With different types of territories, comes different kinds of wildlife. You'll likely see tons of birds, rabbits, deer, and maybe a few snakes or porcupines. If you run into one of those prickly guys, don't try to make love to it. That is strictly against Alabama law, per Trivia Sharp.
In addition to all the other cuddly creatures in the state, you may be lucky enough to come across a bear. Should you be so lucky, the state asks that you do not attempt to wrestle the bear, as human instinct would dictate. Bears can apparently roll around with each other, but humans are prohibited from doing so. It's a bit fuzzy as to how or why this law was put into effect, but there's a chance there was a pretty good story behind it.
Be careful when snacking
There is one thing that a lot of us do on a daily basis, especially when traveling, and that is eating — snacking to be more specific. However, when in certain parts of Alabama, you must be aware of what you're shoving in your face, where you are putting it to store it, and even what day of the week you choose to eat your snack of choice.
According to Only in Your State, in the city of Mobile, it is forbidden to spit orange peels on the sidewalk. Since that is technically littering, it doesn't sound too crazy, but it is oddly specific since no other fruits appear to be mentioned. Another law that made no sense was a law prohibiting the sale of peanuts after the sun goes down. But only on Wednesday. This weird law has reportedly been repealed, so maybe lawmakers realized the silliness of it.
Alabama is also known to get pretty hot, especially in the summer. So beware if you decide you want a sweet frozen treat like an ice cream cone, and make sure you don't put it in your pocket.
They take their faith seriously
Alabama is a more conservative state, and lies in a region of the country often referred to as the Bible Belt (via What States). As it is often considered a more religious area, it makes sense that some laws are heavily influenced by the constituents' religious beliefs. For example, wearing fake mustaches to church, with the intention of making others laugh, is literally illegal, according to Liner Law. This "crime" is reportedly punishable by up to three months in jail or a $500 fine. You can wear a fake 'stache elsewhere for giggles without consequences, but in church it's no laughing matter.
Along with their mustaches, Alabama apparently takes another aspect of their faith very seriously — their clergy. It is a criminal offense in the state of Alabama to dress up or impersonate priests, nuns, rabbis, or other clerics — even for Halloween. While it's technically only a misdemeanor, you can be fined up to $500, thrown in jail for up to a year, or both.
Jeans and heels
No matter what state you're in, generally people wear clothes. However, different states apparently have rules about how and what you are allowed to wear. Most of us have at least one pair of jeans in our closets, and we wear them on a regular basis in most places. Unfortunately, though, in Anniston, wearing jeans while walking down Noble Street is actually illegal for whatever reason (per Only in Your State). So you may need to consider what pants you're wearing while out and about.
In addition to pants, shoes are another important part of the wardrobe. Just like Carmel, California, Mobile is apparently another city in the nation that has a ban on high heels, according to Liner Law. Supposedly this law came about when the city got sued by a woman whose heel got stuck in the sidewalk, which resulted in her being seriously injured. Instead of fixing the sidewalk, they just banned heels. Problem solved.
Why were these weird laws needed?
Generally, we like to believe that the laws that are put into place have good, solid reasons behind them. In reality, though, there seem to be more laws out there than previously thought that don't make sense at all or make us ask... WHY????? Alabama definitely has a couple of those. Only in Your State points out a couple of different driving laws that seemingly make no sense. First, it's illegal to drive while blindfolded. Second, it is completely legal to drive the wrong way, down a one way street. The only catch is you have to have a lantern attached to the front of the vehicle. Because you know, that makes sense.
Along with their strange driving laws, they also have a couple weird rules involving matters of holy matrimony, train tracks, and snot. For example, in cases of divorce, women are entitled to keep property they had before the union, while men are not. Additionally, if you can get the death penalty for putting salt on train tracks. Lastly, (arguably) the most bizarre of these state regulations involves flicking your snot/boogers into the wind. Yes it's gross, and yes it is an actual law.