October 21, 2004

Devries Column

Dumb laws can be rather humorous

This week’s question:
I saw a feature on the TV news last week about some dumb laws that are still on the books. Are they for real? Have you heard about any of them? Why don’t we just get rid of them?

Kristen K.
Almaden Valley

Dear Kristen,
Although I did not see the TV news report you did, I know that there are some very dumb laws that are still on the books.

I have not personally researched this topic, but if a certain Web site is accurate some of these dumb laws are as follows.

For example:
- In Arcadia, Calif., peacocks have the right of way to cross any street, including driveways.
- It is against the law in Baldwin Park, Calif. to ride a bicycle in a swimming pool.
- Closer to home, in Burlingame it is illegal to spit, except on baseball diamonds.
- Chico, Calif. has some very good ones, including a law that provides that it is illegal to go bowling on the sidewalk. Also, in Chico if you detonate a nuclear device within the city limits, you may receive a $500 fine.

Our own San Jose has some good ones too, such as a law that states that it is illegal to have more than two cats or dogs.

And then there is San Francisco, where it is evidently against the law to parade elephants down Market Street unless they are on a leash. Also, in the City by the Bay, it is illegal to walk down the street if you are ugly.

San Diego has some good ones too, such as:
- It is illegal to shoot jackrabbits from the back of a streetcar, and
- If you leave your Christmas lights on your house after Feb. 2, you may be fined $250!

This one caught my eye with Halloween coming up. In Walnut, Calif., children may not wear a Halloween mask unless they get a special permit from the sheriff.

And one could go on and on with dumb laws. Are they for real? I guess so, Kristen. And I guess that the reason they are still on the books is that no one has had the time and the legislative body of each governmental unit involved hasn’t had the time or money to be concerned about them. It’s a good thing that many of them are not enforced.

If you want to read more of these dumb laws, go to www.dumblaws.com. This is a free Web site and if you can ignore the advertising, you just might find some of them amusing.

Donald J. DeVries
Almaden Valley

Donald J. DeVries is an attorney practicing law in Almaden Valley. If you would like him to answer your question in his next Almaden Times column, you can reach him by e-mail at don@almadenvalleylawyers.com, fax at (408) 268-6502, telephone at (408) 268-9500, or mail at, 6475 Camden Avenue, Suite 200, San Jose, CA 95120. Your matters are personal and private, so of course, he will not disclose your identity or any details about your situation. Want to learn about a specific legal issue or how DeVries can help you? Visit his web site at www.almadenvalleylawyers.com. Almaden Times columns since 1986 are available there. DeVries writes this column to provide you with general information about important legal matters affecting California residents—not to give you legal advice about your specific matter. No attorney-client relationship is created by these articles. The law is complex and constantly changing and varies from state to state. So you should consult an attorney before taking any action that would affect your personal or business matters.