There’s no question that there’s a lot of laws in this world that could be best labeled with the word wild (to put nicely of course). So in this video, I am going to touch on 15 wild city and state laws over the years in Michigan you probably didn’t know, that will leave your head shaking in disbelief.
This blog is a direct transcript from the video below. This comes in 3 versions: You are able to watch the video, read the blog for your convenience or listen to the audio experience (which is linked under the video below).
Alright, to kick off this list of 15 wild laws in Michigan, I’ll start with the city specific laws. Feel free to pause and giggle wherever you see fit.
Number 1, It's against the law to willfully destroy an old radio in Detroit. So if you feel the need to take your rage out on an old radio, I suggest you do it somewhere else aside from Detroit.
Number 2, It's illegal for a man to scowl at his wife in Detroit on Sunday. If you and your wife or husband are having a disagreement, it’s best to put it in the calendar to not have it on Sunday, because once that scowl happens, there’s no turning back.
Number 3, If you just so happen to be walking your alligator in downtown Detroit, just remember it is against the law to have your alligator tied to a fire hydrant in Detroit.
Number 4, If you're not much of an alligator person, and you decide to get yourself a pig, remember that your pig cannot run free in Detroit unless they have a ring in their nose. My assumption with this one, is a ring symbolizes ownership like a dog collar, and there’s not a settling feeling seeing a wild pig running around the town. At least the nose ring tells you the pig can sit, lay down and roll over.
Number 5, It's against the law to paint sparrows and sell them as parakeets in Harper Woods. So if you’re planning to have a painting project in Harbor Woods, make sure you have the correct color palette so you don’t break the law.
Number 6, It's illegal to serenade your girlfriend in Kalamazoo. So if you’re one of those no shoes, no shirt, guitar around the bonfire kind of guy. Don’t serenade your girlfriend with Cline Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On” because your heart won’t, you’re breaking the law remember? And there’s no need to recreate the Titanic, we all know there was room for Leo on that piece of wood.
Number 7, All bathing suits must be inspected by the head of police in Rochester. This law surfaced in the late 1800’s and obviously doesn’t exist today or I would’ve broken that law 6-7 times, since I can’t recall going to the police station to show them the new bathing suit I got. It was during the times when clothing coverage was expected.
Number 8, It's illegal to throw an abandoned hoop skirt onto the street or sidewalk in South Haven. All violators will receive a five-dollar fine. I recommend not losing your hoop skirt in the streets of South Haven, I think you have better ways to spend $5.
Number 9, In Soo, Smoking while in bed is illegal. No matter how cool the old movie looked after a steamy scene, you can stand up and do your smoking.
Number 10, Sometimes your cows need a change in scenery, something exciting in their life, maybe a little vacation? In Wayland, anyone can keep their cow on Main Street downtown at a cost of 3 cents per day. Sounds like an awesome deal doesn’t it?
Number 11, Make sure your floors are clean and clear, because robbers can file a lawsuit if he or she is injured on your property.
Number 12, It is illegal to cuss in front of women or children. This law was actually repealed in 2002. Maybe a few too many harsh words came out during a Lions game I bet from people everywhere and at that point it probably wasn’t enforceable.
Number 13, Are you thinking about taking a train from Michigan to Chicago for a little getaway? Before you do, remember that you can’t be drunk on a train in Michigan. The law states “No person shall while in an offensive state of intoxication enter or be on or remain upon any railway train or interurban car as a passenger.”
Number 14, It is illegal to sell cars on Sunday. Here is the law verbatim from Michigan legislation: “It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to engage in the business of buying, selling, trading or exchanging new, used or second-hand motor vehicles or offering to buy, sell, trade or exchange, or participate in the negotiation thereof, or attempt to buy, sell, trade or exchange any motor vehicle or interest therein, or of any written instrument pertaining thereto, on the first day of the week, commonly called Sunday.” This law actually isn’t that uncommon, it’s actually true in 14 or so states as well.
Number 15, A woman isn’t allowed to cut her own hair without her husband’s permission. This is obviously very outdated and not enforceable anymore, even though I’m sure people have tried anyway.
There’s a lot of resources out there that talk about the crazy laws in all the different states. Most of them aren’t enforceable, and honestly they are more seen as old urban legends that have been passed down for generations or an incident that was blown extremely out of proportion and circulated into an endless rumor. But that doesn’t mean we can’t laugh about them when we hear them.
For those of you that live in Michigan or another state out there, what’s another ridiculous law or urban legend that you've heard before? Drop it in the comments below.
Cheers,
Andrew
Andrew McManamon is a Michigan REALTOR® with Signature Sotheby’s International Realty and provides real estate services to Buyers, Sellers and Investors throughout SE Michigan including Livingston County, Oakland County, Washtenaw County, Genesee County & beyond. Andrew has become one of the rising stars of Michigan real estate agents. Prior to his real estate career Andrew was responsible for managing a senior living facility in Brighton, Michigan as a dining supervisor and an activities assistant. Andrew’s passion to help people is unlike any other, and he continues to strive to be best resource he can be. Andrew graduated from Cleary University in Howell, Michigan with a double major and currently resides in White Lake, Michigan.
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