The Origin of Weird: Weird City Laws

High heels with a permit. Bigfoot with legal protection. A city rule that basically turns snowballs into “missiles.” We grab a stack of real municipal codes and ordinances that are still on the books and ask the only reasonable question: how is this still a law?

We’re Bradley and Kate, and we keep it fast, weird, and surprisingly informative. We break down what these strange laws actually say, where they came from, and why they were written in the first place. A lot of the funniest “bizarre laws” start with something dead serious: uneven sidewalks that trigger lawsuits, armed Sasquatch hunters who might shoot the wrong target, carnivals giving away goldfish that die fast, public health crackdowns during tuberculosis scares, and safety hazards like laser pointers aimed at aircraft.

You’ll also hear how cities try to protect wildlife and neighborhoods with rules on pigeon feeding, balloon releases, exotic pets, parking on lawns, dust control, and even digging deep holes on the beach. The bigger takeaway is that local government moves slowly, and old city ordinances can linger long after the original problem fades, turning practical rules into modern punchlines.

If you love weird history, urban legends, and the real stories behind “laws still on the books,” subscribe for more, share this with a friend who collects random facts, and leave us a rating and review so more buffoons can find the show.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:15

Oh, hey there. Oh, hey there. Welcome to The Origin of Weird.

SPEAKER_01 0:21

I am Bradley.

SPEAKER_00 0:22

I am Kate, and we are the History Buffoon. We sure fucking are. I know. You're Unpolished Buffoon. I am. If you've listened to the Molotov cocktail episode that we did.

SPEAKER_01 0:32

You know that she is now known as Unpolished Buffoon.

SPEAKER_00 0:35

It tracks.

SPEAKER_01 0:36

She's rough around the edges.

SPEAKER_00 0:39

You can call me a diamond if you will.

SPEAKER_01 0:42

Yeah, because you're definitely rough.

SPEAKER_00 0:44

I know. I'm a diamond.

SPEAKER_01 0:47

Today.

SPEAKER_00 0:48

Oh today, we've got a simple one.

SPEAKER_01 0:51

I like simple.

SPEAKER_00 0:52

But it's gonna be, I think it's gonna be great. Oh, sure. I bet. Yeah. Okay. So we're we are going to talk about weird laws.

SPEAKER_01 1:03

Weird laws that are like still on the books today. Okay. Yeah, I've heard I obviously I don't recall any, but I have heard some weird fucking ones that are like how is that still like a law?

SPEAKER_00 1:15

So these laws, I have the place, I have the code, the municipal cult code, oh shit, or the ordinance number. So like they're still out there. That's wild. Um, I also have when it was adopted.

SPEAKER_01 1:29

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 1:29

And so some of these you've probably heard actually are very simplified. I have the actual wording and then what it means and how like people like developed it into what we think are weird laws.

SPEAKER_01 1:45

Whatever. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 1:46

So I'll just start.

SPEAKER_01 1:47

Let's go.

SPEAKER_00 1:47

So the first one is from California. It's uh Carmel by the sea, California. Apparently that's a city, whatever.

SPEAKER_01 1:55

Caramel?

SPEAKER_00 1:56

It's spelled C-A-R-E-L.

SPEAKER_01 1:59

M-E-L. It's Car Carmel.

SPEAKER_00 2:01

Carmel by the sea.

SPEAKER_01 2:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:03

Oh my gosh, it's been forever since I've heard that word. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 2:07

Like out loud, basically. Yeah.

High Heels And Bigfoot Laws

SPEAKER_00 2:09

Yeah. Okay. So high heels require a permit. What? So municipal code. I'm not going to go into all that, but it was adopted in 1963.

SPEAKER_01 2:21

That is so weird that it's that late. I could see maybe like the 20s or something, but 63.

SPEAKER_00 2:27

So the simplified wording is wearing shoes with heels over two inches high on public streets without a permit is prohibited.

SPEAKER_01 2:35

So you could get arrested? Do you think like the cop would just walk up, stand straight? No. Your heels two inches plus. So what the fuck?

SPEAKER_00 2:44

At the time the sidewalks were uneven because of sidewalks? Because of like tree roots. Sure. People kept tripping and then suing the city.

SPEAKER_01 2:53

Oh.

SPEAKER_00 2:54

So the permit acts as a legal liability waiver.

SPEAKER_01 2:58

Oh, that makes sense. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 3:01

We're gonna rapid fire these, okay?

SPEAKER_01 3:03

That's fine, that's fine. Keep going.

SPEAKER_00 3:04

Okay. Scamania County, Washington.

SPEAKER_01 3:07

Like Washington State.

SPEAKER_00 3:09

State. Okay. The Bigfoot protection law. Oh, for fuck's sake. We knew this from our Bigfoot Halloween episode. Yeah. So ordinance number adopted in 1969, and then it was amended in eight 1984. Jesus. The actual simplified wording is killing, capturing, or harassing any Sasquatch, Bigfoot, or other unknown primate is prohibited.

SPEAKER_01 3:33

Unknown primate.

SPEAKER_00 3:37

Bigfoot hunters are showing up armed in forests, and officials were worried about people accidentally shooting each other.

SPEAKER_01 3:44

I totally get that. So yeah, makes sense.

SPEAKER_00 3:47

Like, okay, so this probably isn't a thing, but we're gonna put a law on it to protect other people.

SPEAKER_01 3:51

Yeah, just just to be safe. All right, what else?

SPEAKER_00 3:54

Seattle, Washington.

SPEAKER_01 3:56

Are most of these from the Pacific Northwest and the West Coast? Nope. Okay. Nope.

Goldfish Prizes And Fake Parakeets

SPEAKER_00 4:00

Uh Seattle, Washington, goldfish cannot be given as prizes.

SPEAKER_01 4:05

You mean like the crackers? Just kidding, obviously. So, like you couldn't go to a carnival and and throw your ping pong ball on a goldfish?

SPEAKER_00 4:13

So it was adopted in 1982. Oh, wow. And the simplified wording is it is unlawful to give live animals as prizes in contests, games, or promotions. Okay. Carnivals gave away goldfish that quickly died from poor care.

SPEAKER_01 4:29

Correct.

SPEAKER_00 4:29

You know that when Xavier had two.

SPEAKER_01 4:33

And they died. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 4:36

Like I bought him um uh a feeder calendar so that he could like mark off when he fed in the morning. I had to cancel it because the fish. It was on Etsy. I had to cancel it. That's right.

SPEAKER_01 4:50

I totally forgot about that. You got them that or were going to get him that. Yeah. Yeah, because fuck. Well, no, I get it. I think it's horse shit because A, it's not like those people take good care of these fish. Yeah. They probably had to scoop out the dead ones that morning, anyways, and put new ones in that they had. So it's kind of horse shit. And you get this. Well, they're still animals, like well, they're animals, and you get like my son, you get his hopes up. I got a fish.

SPEAKER_00 5:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 5:14

And it's dead within days of bringing it home. It's like, come on, man.

SPEAKER_00 5:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 5:18

It's not proper conditions to raise goldfish or beta fish, whatever. Um, it was funny. So we have such hard water here where I live. So we we got a water softener now and everything, or working one, I should say. But Sarah had this beta fish when we moved here. It died within because our water was just so hard and whatever. Anyways.

SPEAKER_00 5:44

All right, let's go to Detroit, Michigan. Detroit painting sparrows to sell us parakeets. Who would do that? No person no person shall die or otherwise alter. So D Y E. Yeah. Die or otherwise alter the natural color of a bird for the purpose of sale. Vendors literally painted sparrows green and sold them as exotic birds.

SPEAKER_01 6:12

That is fucking that was from 1931. 1931. Okay, that that tracks a little better. Could you imagine saying, oh mommy, I got this cute little birdie? It's a sparrow. Why why is its colors dripping off?

Fire Alarms And Pigeon Feeding Bans

SPEAKER_00 6:29

What the fuck? All right, Chicago, Illinois. Oh persons must vacate a building immediately when a fire alarm or fire condition exists.

SPEAKER_01 6:41

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 6:42

So the code was evacuating buildings during fires, adopted in 1942. Restaurant patrons historically refused to leave during fires. This led to a joke that it's illegal to eat in a burning building.

SPEAKER_01 6:59

Okay. So the the then the did they not want to leave? Uh that was way too many. Did it did it did it? Did they not want to leave? Because like, well, my food's here.

SPEAKER_00 7:07

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 7:08

And I don't want to miss out on my meal.

SPEAKER_00 7:10

How many times have you been in a hotel with a fire alarm going off and everybody's like, it's fine?

SPEAKER_01 7:15

Probably never.

SPEAKER_00 7:16

Oh, I have plenty of times.

SPEAKER_01 7:17

I was joking.

SPEAKER_00 7:18

I've a couple times, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 7:20

Doesn't mean a hotel, just any anything, any building. Like, I was at uh one of my accounts not that long ago, a couple weeks, month ago, whatever, and they were doing a fire alarm like thing. And I'm like, oh crap. Because when the fire alarm goes off, the elevators don't work, and I was on the second floor. Oh shoot. So I'm like, I'm gonna have to load up this and like son of a biscuit.

SPEAKER_00 7:42

When I worked for um an independent living, it was a two-floor establishment, and we had a drill. Sure. And we had to pretend the elevators were shut down. Right. And we had to literally go up and like try to carefully walk people down, which is not part of my job description.

SPEAKER_01 8:00

No.

SPEAKER_00 8:01

I could have been liable. I'm not a CNA at this place.

SPEAKER_01 8:04

No, of course not.

SPEAKER_00 8:05

But I am holding on to people walking down all these steps for this drill. Anyway, let's keep on.

SPEAKER_01 8:11

Well, let's let's go to the next one.

SPEAKER_00 8:12

Let's go to Milwaukee, shall we?

SPEAKER_01 8:14

I mean, yeah, that's just on the road.

SPEAKER_00 8:16

You are restricted from feeding pigeons.

SPEAKER_01 8:21

Yeah, I wouldn't want to, anyways.

SPEAKER_00 8:22

Adopted in 1981. No person, no person shall feed pigeons in areas designated by the commissioner. Pigeon populations were damaging buildings and monuments.

SPEAKER_01 8:34

Because they were shitting on them?

SPEAKER_00 8:36

Mm-hmm. So to keep that from happening, they prevented people from feeding them in those areas.

SPEAKER_01 8:42

Well, they could have just felled them. Fed them Elka Seltzer.

SPEAKER_00 8:45

What's that gonna do?

SPEAKER_01 8:46

Apparently they made them explode.

SPEAKER_00 8:48

Oh that's cruel animal cruelty.

SPEAKER_01 8:51

I'm aware. That's not due to that. But apparently that was a thing.

Snowball Missiles And Balloon Releases

SPEAKER_00 8:53

If we can't sell if we can't win them as prizes in the fair, we're not gonna give an Elka Seltzer. Topeka Washington? Kansas.

SPEAKER_01 9:05

Kansas. I knew that better.

SPEAKER_00 9:10

It is unlawful to throw stones or missiles. Or missiles in public spaces. Adopted in 1950. Snowballs counted as missiles. As missiles. What the fuck? And this ban became known as the snowball ban snowball ban. Missiles?

SPEAKER_01 9:33

They call them missiles?

SPEAKER_00 9:35

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_01 9:35

Oh my god. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 9:37

Projectiles, essentially.

SPEAKER_01 9:39

Well, yeah, I get that, but fucking missiles. That's funny. Alright, what's your next one?

SPEAKER_00 9:44

New Orleans.

SPEAKER_01 9:45

Ah.

SPEAKER_00 9:46

Mass balloon releases are restricted.

SPEAKER_01 9:49

I can get that.

SPEAKER_00 9:50

Adopted in 1997. That's oh shit. The actual simplified wording releasing large quantities of balloons outdoors is prohibited. Balloons would fall back to earth. Yep. There it is. Wow. And harm wildlife or power lines.

SPEAKER_01 10:10

No, for sure.

SPEAKER_00 10:11

It makes sense.

SPEAKER_01 10:12

That one makes sense. Like the whole throwing missiles, not as much.

SPEAKER_00 10:17

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 10:18

Okay. What do you got next?

SPEAKER_00 10:20

Long Beach, California.

SPEAKER_01 10:21

Oh, good old Long Beach.

SPEAKER_00 10:24

It is unlawful to park your car on a lawn. Adopted in 1988. Okay. Vehicles may not be parked or stored on unpaved surfaces in residential residential zones.

SPEAKER_01 10:38

Sure.

SPEAKER_00 10:38

Cities using zoning laws to stop neighborhoods from turning lawn into parking lots.

SPEAKER_01 10:44

Man, they wouldn't like that. Uh they wouldn't like to be in Green Bay on Game Bay. Fuck.

SPEAKER_00 10:50

Tucson, Arizona. Hey, tucsin. Adopted in 1972. There is an ordinance on dust control.

SPEAKER_01 11:00

Dust?

SPEAKER_00 11:01

Property owners must prevent excessive dust and emissions. Emissions.

SPEAKER_01 11:07

So so they would have to just wet down their their yard?

SPEAKER_00 11:10

I mean, what desert dust was a major health hazard and visibility issue, apparently, at the time.

SPEAKER_01 11:16

Which I get, but it's like, how is that? How are you supposed to prevent that? How is it their fault? This dust came from the Joneses 20 houses down the street. It's like they owe me some retribution or whatever. I mean, I'm using wrong words, but you know, it's like, how do you what? How do you know it came from the Joneses or the Smiths or whoever? That's fucking weird.

SPEAKER_00 11:38

New York City.

SPEAKER_01 11:39

New York City. Do you remember the uh was it old El Paso? I think maybe the brand they made um uh salsa. Do you remember those commercials where it's like they show some old timey guys like down in Texas eating their stuff and like, oh, you can have mine? It's New York, it's from New York. New York City. Like they were all pissed because they clearly don't know how to make salsa in New York City. Right. Anyways, sorry, that was a weird tangent.

SPEAKER_00 12:10

Wild animals are prohibited. So adopted in well, this was an updated one from 2005. Oh wow, possession of certain wild animals within city limits is prohibited without permit.

SPEAKER_01 12:22

Totally get that.

SPEAKER_00 12:23

Exotic pets like tigers, monkeys, and venomous snakes had become a problem, apparently.

SPEAKER_01 12:28

Well, that's like that's kind of like they need to adopt that in in Florida because like the whole Python thing, like it's gotten out of control now. I've not heard they literally have like Python hunting day or whatever, and like whoever catches them kills the most pythons wins, or some shit like that. It's I'm I'm probably getting my details mixed up.

SPEAKER_00 12:47

Is it like hunting deer up here for population control?

Exotic Pets And The Camel Ban

SPEAKER_01 12:51

Yes, but deer are a natural fucking thing to our state. Pythons were like people have people had some pets, and they're like, Oh, he's getting big, let him go. Oh, and it created a fucking issue.

SPEAKER_00 13:04

They were originally pets, yeah, something like that.

SPEAKER_01 13:08

So and now for deer at least are native to our fucking lands up here, yeah. And yes, we do hunt them for population control.

SPEAKER_00 13:17

That's like okay, you're feeding these pythons, they're not hunting for themselves, you're letting them go. That's like feeding a dog all his life and then letting letting him go like what yeah, they're gonna go wild. Okay, let's go to Phoenix, Arizona.

SPEAKER_01 13:33

Go Phoenix.

SPEAKER_00 13:34

There is a camel hunting ban from 1924. Do they have camels in Phoenix? So hunting animals. So the law says hunting animals within city limits is prohibited. Sure. The reason it became the camel law was Arizona once had feral camels really from the 1850s U.S. camel core experiment.

SPEAKER_01 13:55

Oh shit, no way. I never knew that was a thing.

SPEAKER_00 13:58

Maybe that's something we should look up for a future uh origin story.

SPEAKER_01 14:02

Keep that in mind because that sounds fucking weird. Yeah. Okay.

Beach Holes And Laser Pointers

SPEAKER_00 14:07

Uh, Gulf Shores, Alabama.

SPEAKER_01 14:09

Oh no.

SPEAKER_00 14:10

It is prohibited to dig holes on the beach.

SPEAKER_01 14:13

Oh, I thought you were gonna say turn your back on family.

SPEAKER_00 14:18

So digging holes deeper than 12 inches in public beaches must be filled before leaving.

SPEAKER_01 14:24

Well, it could be a hazard, someone running down the beach.

SPEAKER_00 14:27

That's exactly why. This was adopted in 2016 after several people rescue incidents is oh fuck. Deep beach holes were collapsing and trapping trapping people overnight. Oh god, rescue crews had to dig people out of sand pits. How terrifying.

SPEAKER_01 14:45

That would that would that sound like a nightmare.

SPEAKER_00 14:47

Yeah, that's terrifying for me.

SPEAKER_01 14:50

Totally get that one. Totally get that one. Unsafe for people, yeah. And don't be a dick.

SPEAKER_00 14:57

This one is also I've heard of before.

SPEAKER_01 15:00

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 15:00

Tempe, Arizona.

SPEAKER_01 15:01

Ah, another Arizona.

SPEAKER_00 15:03

Um, it is prohibited to point laser pointers at aircraft. You've heard that, right? I've heard that, yes.

SPEAKER_01 15:10

Correct.

SPEAKER_00 15:10

So it was adopted in 2010. Directing a laser at aircraft or vehicles is prohibited.

SPEAKER_01 15:17

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 15:17

Pilots were being temporarily blinded by laser pointers near Phoenix.

SPEAKER_01 15:22

Wow. Why insane? Why the fuck did you think that was a good idea? Hey man, you want to go uh blind some pilots tonight? Yeah, sounds fun. Bring the beer. Yeah. You know, it's like, why would you do that? There's people on board. Yeah. You could fuck a lot of shit up. Don't be an ass.

SPEAKER_00 15:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 15:41

All right.

Snow Dumping And Public Burping

SPEAKER_00 15:42

Flagstaff, Arizona. You've got a lot of Arizona ones. They're fucking weird. Well, you're not wrong. Adopted in 1970, there is a uh snow dumping restrictions. Snow removed from private property may not be deposited onto streets.

SPEAKER_01 16:01

Sure.

SPEAKER_00 16:02

Residents were shoveling driveway directly into roads, therefore blocking traffic.

SPEAKER_01 16:07

You said this was flagstaff. Because that's up in the mountains, right?

SPEAKER_00 16:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 16:10

Yeah, where they actually get snow up in Arizona. Yeah. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 16:14

I don't if I I don't think I have ever purposefully shoveled snow into the road. So, you know It might happen by accident with with a snowblower, but it's like you fix it right away.

SPEAKER_01 16:27

You know the the road that you take to get to my house on a creek here. There's one especially, and I it's not I'm just using them as an example because they're close to me. But I hate when I see this when they you see someone who's got clearly a plow like on the front of a four-wheeler or whatever, and they push it across the street to the other side. They never clean up their fucking trails, they never push it fucking far enough. It's like, hey, asshole, other cars are fucking using this too. Yeah, if you're gonna do that, clean up the rest of it, right? You fucking idiot.

SPEAKER_00 16:59

I can't stand that when I'm shoveling and I've got like a whole load, I have to go by and get the little trails. Right. Like it just blows up.

SPEAKER_01 17:06

Oh no, same. But it's like you're literally pushing this onto a road.

SPEAKER_00 17:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 17:11

Or I've I've seen where like someone, you know, has a decently wide driveway, and they'll like you know you it out, if you will, you know, like make a U turn kind of thing, and they just leave it all in the middle of the road. It's like, what are you fucking doing? No, don't be an asshole.

SPEAKER_00 17:27

Yeah. So Santa Monica, California.

SPEAKER_01 17:30

Boulevard.

SPEAKER_00 17:32

Hmm. It is prohibited to burp or spit in public spaces.

SPEAKER_01 17:37

Well, you like the second one.

SPEAKER_00 17:39

This was in the early 1900s. Um spitting on sidewalks or public spaces is prohibited.

SPEAKER_01 17:45

I get the spitting, but why the burping?

SPEAKER_00 17:48

This came from anti-tuberculosis health campaigns.

SPEAKER_01 17:52

Like, isn't it good to be anti-tuberculosis? You don't want tuberculosis.

SPEAKER_00 17:57

No, that's what I'm saying. Like this, they put in this pro um this this uh code, this uh um thank you, ordinance for anti-tuberculosis.

SPEAKER_01 18:10

It's like you pass tuberculosis by burping? I'm so confused.

SPEAKER_00 18:15

Tuberculosis, gosh, what is the how do you catch tuberculosis?

SPEAKER_01 18:21

Not with a baseball net. Because that'd be impressive. Most impressive tests.

SPEAKER_00 18:29

Spreading through the air with a person with active lung or throat disease.

SPEAKER_01 18:33

Okay, so yeah, I mean, if you burped, you're gonna tuberculosis.

SPEAKER_00 18:36

Tuberculosis in the air, yeah. So it was it was prohibited to burp or or spit in Santa Monica during this time.

SPEAKER_01 18:45

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 18:47

So when I was doing research on this, yeah, um, there's a lot of state laws as well like this, but state laws get changed a lot more frequently than municipality laws.

SPEAKER_01 19:00

Right, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 19:01

The municipality laws are like it's no big deal. Well, so that's why there's so many of those.

Manure Storage And Snowball Rules

SPEAKER_01 19:07

And that's why you you like you said 1920, 19, whatever. There's so many that have been around for hundreds of years, probably, at least a hundred. And they just it they're quite irrelevant today, but it's like, well, whatever.

SPEAKER_00 19:21

Yeah, just leave it on the books. So San Francisco, California. San Francisco treat. It was prohibited to store manure in buildings.

SPEAKER_01 19:34

Do you know who really hated manure? Biff. Anyways.

SPEAKER_00 19:40

Poor Biff. This was adopted in the 19th century as a horse era ordinance.

SPEAKER_01 19:45

Obviously.

SPEAKER_00 19:46

Storing manure in buildings or enclosed spaces without sanitation control is prohibited.

SPEAKER_01 19:52

So is that still on the books today, though?

SPEAKER_00 19:55

Oh, yeah. See, that's that's that's yeah, it's still there because they we just don't care enough.

SPEAKER_01 19:59

We don't care enough, and please don't do that.

SPEAKER_00 20:01

So horse manure accumulation caused disease and odor problems.

SPEAKER_01 20:06

Oh, sure, yeah. Makes sense.

SPEAKER_00 20:08

Aspen, Colorado. Hey, I've been there.

SPEAKER_01 20:11

I was I was driving through Aspen, Colorado in 1995. Is it five? I was yeah, five when uh Jerry Garcia died, and we heard it on the radio. You know who he is?

SPEAKER_00 20:23

I don't. Jerry Garcia.

SPEAKER_01 20:25

He was the lead singer of The Grateful Dead.

SPEAKER_00 20:28

That's why I don't know it. Adopted in 1960. Snowballs are prohibited.

SPEAKER_01 20:35

Well, they get snow there.

SPEAKER_00 20:37

Throwing objects capable of causing injury in public spaces is prohibited, and snowballs technically fall under projectile laws.

Sidewalk Skating And Parking Meter Animals

SPEAKER_01 20:47

I get that. That makes sense. That's funny. Wow, all right.

SPEAKER_00 20:51

Jacksonville, Florida.

SPEAKER_01 20:53

Uh, that do you know what band is from, Jacksonville? No.

SPEAKER_00 20:58

Adopted in the mid-1900s for pedestrian safety ordinance.

SPEAKER_01 21:02

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 21:03

Roller skating is prohibited on sidewalks and business disc uh districts.

SPEAKER_01 21:08

True.

SPEAKER_00 21:08

Skaters were colliding with pedestrians and storefront windows.

SPEAKER_01 21:12

Well, yeah. I mean I get it because there's a lot of people there, and you don't need these people. Like, go to go to the park or whatever and do that. Shenanigans.

SPEAKER_00 21:26

Atlanta, Georgia.

SPEAKER_01 21:27

Atlanta.

SPEAKER_00 21:28

It is unlawful to tie animals to parking meters. It was adopted in 1950. I fucking agree. Animals may not be tied to parking meters or street signs. Horses and mules were once left tied to meters while owners shopped.

SPEAKER_01 21:45

Do you know what I really hate? Is when I go to a store and I see a dog tied up outside because they're owners and like, you know what, asshole? Leave the dog fucking home then. That's not fair to him. No. Or her. Poor puppy. I know. Bad.

Noise Near Hospitals And Abandoned Pets

SPEAKER_00 22:01

Boise, Idaho. Use of so this is from 195 uh excuse me, the nineteen eighties.

SPEAKER_01 22:08

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 22:09

The use of certain fireworks within city limits is prohibited for a wildfire risk.

SPEAKER_01 22:14

Sure. I mean that's that's totally fucking warranted. Yeah, I think that's okay.

SPEAKER_00 22:20

Evanston, Illinois.

SPEAKER_01 22:22

Oh, Illinois.

SPEAKER_00 22:23

It is prohibited to honk your horns near hospitals. Adopted in the early 1900s. Sounding vehicle horns near hospitals or schools unnecessarily is prohibited as a noise disturbance near the patients.

SPEAKER_01 22:40

Which I get, but what if they're all excited because they beat cancer or something? You're like, honk, honk, honk, honk. I'm excited.

SPEAKER_00 22:47

Oh, to congratulate me. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 22:49

Yeah. Okay, just got married.

SPEAKER_00 22:51

In Lowell, Kentucky. Um, in the 1970s.

SPEAKER_01 22:56

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:57

It is prohibited to release animals in city parks.

SPEAKER_01 23:01

I agree. Why would you do that?

SPEAKER_00 23:04

People were abandoning pets and exotic animals in parks. So stop by stop getting animals.

SPEAKER_01 23:11

Right. So Sarah Sarah lived in the South for a bit, um, in her previous life. And she she would tell me how like just dogs or just let go and whatever. Or so her ex was in the military. And you know, when you're in the military, you move a lot. So from base to base, whatever, whatever your assignments are, so on. And she would she was telling me like stories about like she'd be talking to people, it's like, yeah, well, we're getting moved to this base, so we we just let the animals go. Like, wait, what? Yeah, we're not gonna take them with, we just let them go. Like, what the fuck is wrong with you? Heartless. Seriously, what is wrong with you? And I I can't grasp my head around that because thanks for abandoning me out here. Yeah, it's like uh peace out, mom. Like, could you imagine? Like, hey, Bonnie, we gotta move. Go.

SPEAKER_00 24:01

No, hell no.

SPEAKER_01 24:02

Exactly. Hell no, you could never do that to Bonnie. You couldn't do that to any of your animals. No, I couldn't do that to any of mine. No, that's fucking insane.

SPEAKER_00 24:09

No, so that's wild.

SPEAKER_01 24:11

Isn't that just crazy?

SPEAKER_00 24:13

All right, let's go to Boston Mass.

SPEAKER_01 24:15

Boston Mass?

SPEAKER_00 24:16

There is a ban on pigeon feeding here as well, adopted in 2006.

SPEAKER_01 24:21

Oh, wow, that's pretty recent.

SPEAKER_00 24:22

Feeding pigeons is in deck designated areas is prohibited because they were damaging historical buildings.

SPEAKER_01 24:29

Sure.

SPEAKER_00 24:30

Boston Mass, there's a lot of history over there.

SPEAKER_01 24:32

But could you park the card Havid Yad?

SPEAKER_00 24:34

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_01 24:38

I do not do a Bostonian accent.

SPEAKER_00 24:40

Bostonian accent very well.

SPEAKER_01 24:41

And um, I I I do I okay. It's been 32 years since I've been to Boston. I really like that place. Yeah, like you said, a lot of history.

SPEAKER_00 24:56

We need we need to do a few a buffoon field trip to the Paul Revere stuff with the with the star Starbucks right around the corner. Yeah, which is wild.

SPEAKER_01 25:06

Yeah, but there's so much history there. I just I I really enjoyed it, and I was only 14 at the time. Yeah. Um, I would love to go back as an adult and see a lot of these things.

SPEAKER_00 25:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 25:18

Well, I mean, I learned things, but it's like actually, I think I would I appreciated it then. I think I would just appreciate even more now, is all I'm saying. Because like it is so much history, and it'd be really cool to just stay out there and yeah, we need to do a field trip and do a buffoons episode out there. That'd be really kind of cool.

SPEAKER_00 25:36

So Minneapolis, Minnesota.

SPEAKER_01 25:38

Fucking Minnesota.

SPEAKER_00 25:40

Placing objects that uh that obstruct sidewalks is prohibited.

SPEAKER_01 25:46

Like what objects?

SPEAKER_00 25:48

Apparently in the early 1900s, vendors used to leave carts and barrels in walkways.

SPEAKER_01 25:53

Like after they were done, I guess. Like, I don't need this anymore. I guess I'll just, I don't know, leave it there.

Wildlife Feeding And Drunk Docks

SPEAKER_00 25:59

What the fuck, dude? Clean up your shit. In Reno, Nevada, excuse me. Yeah, feeding wild wildlife in parks without authorization is prohibited.

SPEAKER_01 26:09

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 26:09

That makes sense.

SPEAKER_01 26:10

I get that.

SPEAKER_00 26:11

Um, it was adopted during um a wildfire ordinance in night in the 1980s. Uh, feeding wildlife led to aggressive animals and ecological damage.

SPEAKER_01 26:22

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 26:23

Hoboken, New Jersey.

SPEAKER_01 26:25

Hoboken.

SPEAKER_00 26:27

Intoxicated persons may not congregate near docks or harbor facilities. Is that because they would fall in? That's why.

SPEAKER_01 26:35

They would fall in the water and die.

SPEAKER_00 26:37

Drunken dock workers were falling into the harbor, and this was adopted in in an early port city ordinance. I don't have a year on it, but that's the last one. Hoboken, New Jersey. You cannot be intoxicated on a dock.

SPEAKER_01 26:55

I mean, those are honestly words to live by.

SPEAKER_00 26:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 27:00

Because fuck.

SPEAKER_00 27:02

Yeah.

Where To Find Us Next

SPEAKER_01 27:03

I just think the you've seen Sleepy Hollow. Um, I just think of the early on with Ichabod Crane and the guy floating up. He needs ringing his bell. I need to help you. Oh, geez. Once I'm on, whatever. Anyways, it's like he was a dock worker. He was drunk. Yep. Anyways, but well.

SPEAKER_00 27:22

I suppose.

SPEAKER_01 27:23

All right, buffoons. That's it for today's episode.

SPEAKER_00 27:26

Buckle up because we've got another historical adventure waiting for you next time. Feeling hungry for more buffoonery? Or maybe you have a burning question or a wild historical theory for us to explore?

SPEAKER_01 27:38

Hit us up on social media. We're History Buffoons Podcast on YouTube, X, Instagram, and Facebook. You can also email us at historybuffoonspodcast at gmail.com. We are Bradley and Kate, music by Corey Akers.

SPEAKER_00 27:52

Follow us wherever you get your podcasts and turn those notifications on to stay in the loop.

SPEAKER_01 27:56

Until next time, stay curious and don't forget to rate and review us.

SPEAKER_00 28:00

Remember, the buffoonery never stops.