Laws are meant to protect and keep people safe. Over time, they become outdated and go unchanged because lawmakers don't find it worth the effort to update them. Consequently, old laws seem quite funny in today's society. Learn about some Ohio examples which include topics such as parading a duck and walking a cow down the street!
Class Discussion Questions:
1) Which wacky law do you find to be the strangest? Why do you feel that way?
2) Write a wacky rule for your school and explain why it's needed.
Read the Script:
For the most part, Ohio’s laws are meant to protect us. For instance, we're required to wear a seatbelt in the car for our safety in case of an accident. And then there are other laws…laws that are outdated, oddly specific, or just plain wacky.
For instance, here's a law that might ruffle a few feathers. In the village of McDonald, Ohio, you may not parade your duck down Ohio Avenue. So, take your duck parade to Indiana Avenue, ok?!?
Likewise, in Bay Village, Ohio, they've got a beef if they see your cow walking down Lake Road. Doing so, is punishable with a fine, no matter how bad your cow needed to stretch her legs.
These are examples of outdated laws that were written up at a time when Ohio was more rural. Needless to say, these laws are not frequently broken, so legislators feel no need to spend their time repealing them.
Another example is ordinance number 223, in Bexley, Ohio, which prohibits the installation and usage of slot machines…in outhouses. Luckily, the Bexley police usually don't have a problem enforcing that one.
And then there are some Ohio laws that are so specific and strange, you know there must be a really great story behind them. Like, in Toledo, where it is illegal to throw a snake at anyone. If someone threw a snake at me, I’d throw a hissy fit!
A law in North Canton requires that you notify the police before...roller skating. What do I think about that law? I plead the fifth!
Now, I know what you're thinking. What if I unintentionally break a law the next time I take my cow for a walk, or play a slot machine in my outhouse?? Well, don't worry, just go with the flow…make sure you're ducks are in a row. Unless you're on Ohio Avenue in McDonald, in which case get your ducks outta there!