We're Here To Inform You These Laws Still Exist In The US

The United States is known worldwide as the land of the free. So passionate are Americans about this that they even sing about it in their national anthem. And their freedom follows them outside the borders of their fifty states too, with an American passport granting almost global freedom. But despite this great liberty that makes the States the land of the "American dream," there are still plenty of laws citizens have to follow.

Some of these laws are more sensible than others. While America's laws are nowhere near as strict as they are in some countries, you could still find yourself unexpectedly facing a penalty for trying to get a fish drunk or letting your donkey sleep in the bathtub.

12 In Alaska, It's Illegal To Wake A Sleeping Bear To Take A Photo

Why anyone would ever think that waking a sleeping bear - for any reason - was a good idea defies reason, but clearly someone must have tried it before. Even the extreme survivalist Bear Grylls wouldn't try it. This takes "let sleeping dogs lie" to a whole new level. Needless to say, Alaskans feel the need to enshrine that concept in law - for pity's sake, please let sleeping bears lie.

11 In Ohio, It's Illegal To Get A Fish Drunk

Whether it's even possible to get a fish drunk is debatable, but enough people in Ohio must have attempted it for the state to feel it was necessary to pass a law prohibiting it. It's probably not a particularly enforceable law, but maybe the threat of a criminal record is enough to make people think twice about adding a swig of liquor to their fish tank. That said, why they would even think about it once is unclear.

10 A Pickle Must Bounce To Be Legally Considered A Pickle In Connecticut

If it is important to you that all the pickles in your fridge are legally classified as such, maybe Connecticut isn't the state for you. Short of dropping each one on the floor to see if it bounces, there's really not any way to know the bounciness - and therefore the legality - of your tasty dill treat. This polar bear looks pretty passionate about testing this pickle though.

9 One-Armed Pianists In Iowa Must Legally Perform For Free

Playing the piano to a concert-worthy level is an impressive skill for anyone. It's at least twice as impressive for players who only have one arm, which you would assume would up the prices for a ticket. But alas, Iowa doesn't appear to share that belief, and instead insists by law that all one-armed pianists must perform for free. So if you're ever lucky enough to witness a performance on that type, make sure you tip well.

8 Donkeys Cannot Sleep In Bathtubs In Arizona

If your pet donkey wants to play in the bathtub during the day - since it's clearly such a natural choice for a fun-loving donkey - then Arizona has no problems with that. Just make sure you don't tucker your donkey out too much though. As soon as he takes a quick nap in that spacious bathtub, you're treading dangerously close to the wrong side of the law.

7 In Arkansas, You Can't Honk Your Horn Outside A Sandwich Shop After 9 P.M.

Arkansas is a state that cares about the welfare of its sandwich shops. If you're considering a tasty late-night snack from your local deli or Subway, just make sure you contain your excitement and impatience on the drive over and refrain from honking that horn. As soon as the clock ticks past 9 p.m., it could land you with a criminal record. Sandwich shops, and those who live around them, need their beauty sleep after all.

6 In Kentucky, It's Illegal To Paint A Duckling Blue And Sell It. You Can, However, Sell Six Or More Of Them

The only thing worse than painting a duckling blue and selling it is not selling enough of them. At least, that's how Kentucky feels on the issue. It's against the law to sell any fewer than six painted ducklings at a time. No word on painting ducklings blue just for fun though. Presumably, you can go crazy there, just as long as you keep them all for yourself.

5 Subpar Cheese Is Not Allowed In Wisconsin

Wisconsin prides itself on its cheese, so much so that it is literally illegal to have any cheese that is not "highly pleasing." It's not clear who the judge of this is, but Wisconsin wants to make it clear that this is a state of high-caliber dairy products. It also says that cheese and butter must be free from any "undesirable flavors or odors," which seems an unreasonable request to make of food that is literally made from mold.

4 It Is Illegal To Collect Seaweed At Night In New Hampshire

In a bid to tackle a seaweed hoarding problem, the state of New Hampshire passed a law prohibiting people from stealing seaweed at night. Maybe they thought that the 12-plus hours of daylight wouldn't be enough for seaweed fanatics to get their fill, and by thwarting their nighttime raids, they would solve the seaweed problem once and for all. The locals don't seem to agree and have called it the state's "dumbest law."

3 In Massachusetts, It's Illegal To Own An Explosive Golf Ball

The list of legal explosives is presumably already pretty short, but Massachusetts wanted to make clear to its citizens that golf balls were not on that list. If your golf ball contains an explosive, you better hustle your way into a different state to avoid criminalizing yourself. Exploding golf balls must have been enough of a problem in Massachusetts to become illegal, though it's not clear how to check for explosives in your golf ball other than by hitting it with a club.

2 Camels Cannot Be Driven On The Highway In Nevada

You'll have to take the long way round if you want to ride your camel to work in Nevada, as they're not legally allowed on the highway. As unusual laws go, the logic here is pretty clear. Think of the backlog a camel would create on the freeway. It's obviously much more sensible to just drive your camel along the back roads and give your fellow freeway commuters a break.

1 In Oklahoma, It Is (Understandably) Illegal To Wrestle A Bear

Here is yet another bear-related law that seems entirely unnecessary if everyone just followed regular common sense. Some playful bear wrestling may be permissible if the bear in question is a koala bear or a teddy bear, but anything above a black bear on the scale is clearly an uneven match for anyone. If you somehow do come out of a bear wrestling match victorious in Oklahoma, you will probably find yourself celebrating that victory from inside a jail cell.

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