# Are there states where something is uniquely illegal? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 7, 2021, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-states-where-something-is-uniquely-illegal/948195 "2021-08-07T14:58:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2021, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-states-where-something-is-uniquely-illegal/948195/142 "2021-08-11T15:20:51Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > Oregon is (for now) the only state where it is illegal to use “buyers’ love letters” in a real estate transaction. A guy I used to know was selling real estate for a bit, and he found a magnificent property. It was a big old farmhouse, recently totally remodeled, on 60 acres of beautiful property. It was way out of his price range, but he brought his wife and kids out to see it anyway. The owner (an elderly widow) met his wife and kids and became infatuated that this lovely family would be raised in her old home. He explained to her that as much as he’d love to raise his kids there, it was way more than he could afford, plus there were issues with his real estate license blocking him from purchasing homes he had shown. Longstory shortened, he put his RE license in escrow (?). The woman waited until her agreement was up with the agency she was working with. Then she sold him the house for a pittance. Three years after they moved in, the woman passed away and the guy sold the home for its true value. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2021, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-states-where-something-is-uniquely-illegal/948195/143 "2021-08-11T15:48:40Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > It’s not exactly the same thing but I will get unsolicited letters in the mail from people looking to buy my not for sale house. It almost always from a young couple looking to buy a first home and often with a picture of them. I’d bet twenty quatloos that those “young couples looking to buy a first home” were actually a big real estate company, hoping for a financial score. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2021, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-states-where-something-is-uniquely-illegal/948195/144 "2021-08-11T15:58:51Z")
I usually do a search and they are real locals who are renters and looking for a home. They certainly have a realtor who advised them to try that tactic. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2021, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-states-where-something-is-uniquely-illegal/948195/145 "2021-08-11T16:11:08Z")
I’m not sure how unique this is, but it is illegal in Hawaii to have a deadbolt that requires a key to unlock it from the inside. I found this out 30 years ago, when I first moved to Hawaii, lived off campus my first semester and was burglarized while I was in the shower. The perp had removed a jalousie pane from the front window, reached inside and opened the locked front door. He ran when he heard me getting out of the shower. At that time I was a poor college student with almost no possessions, but he took my wallet. I asked the landlord about installing a deadbolt that could be unlocked only with a key, because they did have those in New Mexico, where I had been living for a while. The landlord told me those were illegal here, I guess in case of fire. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2021, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-states-where-something-is-uniquely-illegal/948195/146 "2021-08-11T16:16:30Z")
It is an old law from the 1940s. When they’ve talked about doing away with it the polls in New Jersey are usually around 70% in favor of keeping the law. Collectively, we like our strange law. We also never gave up traffic circles and are now building more to solve some traffic issues the 4 way stops and traffics lights are terrible at. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2021, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-states-where-something-is-uniquely-illegal/948195/147 "2021-08-11T16:24:02Z")
I’m sure it does work sometimes - I know more than one person who was persuaded to sell their house for less than it was worth to relatives or neighbors who gave the seller a specific vision of the future use of the house - maybe a relative says her daughter will live in the house while attending college. or the neighbor says they plan to live in the house until they retire and will keep the tulip garden in the front yard intact.\* If people will choose these less than market value offers , I’m sure people will use love letters as tie-breakers. Especially if they are afraid their house will be razed and replaced with a three-unit condo as happens in my area fairly often. \* As it happens in those two cases, the buyers sold the house within a year or two at a pretty good profit ( since they paid less than market) and the sellers were quite upset when they found out. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2021, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-states-where-something-is-uniquely-illegal/948195/148 "2021-08-11T16:31:00Z")
> [@bump](#): > > You’d think that the absolute fact that hundreds of millions of other people in the US, not to mention other countries have managed to safely pump their own gas for decades would eliminate that as a realistic option. “Safely” yes. But still, to this day, old schoolers try to top off and then they spill some gas. That is what the air quality boards are trying to avoid. It is bad for the environment. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2021, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-states-where-something-is-uniquely-illegal/948195/149 "2021-08-11T16:43:06Z")
Even at that, it’s not worth having “pros” do it. I suspect one lawn service emits more unburned hydrocarbon from their mowers and 2-cycle equipment than a half-dozen people who splash a little bit trying to fill their tanks to the brim, in whatever time frame you care to look at. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2021, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-states-where-something-is-uniquely-illegal/948195/150 "2021-08-11T16:45:34Z")
> [@bump](#): > > I suspect one lawn service emits more unburned hydrocarbon from their mowers and 2-cycle equipment… Maybe, but an attempt to get rid of those raises calls of “racism”. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2021, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-states-where-something-is-uniquely-illegal/948195/151 "2021-08-11T16:49:43Z")
I think the restrictions on self-serve in Oregon are ridiculous, but let’s use good arguments against it. Comparisons to lawn mowers don’t help. “A is more than B, therefore we shouldn’t do anything about B” is a logical fallacy. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2021, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-states-where-something-is-uniquely-illegal/948195/152 "2021-08-11T18:15:12Z")
Is there actual evidence that having paid attendants reduces air quality AT ALL? That’s what I’m trying to get at- it seems like a solution in search of a problem. I also can’t help but think that if it was markedly better, California or another more liberal state would have implemented the same sort of legislation a long time ago. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2021, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-states-where-something-is-uniquely-illegal/948195/153 "2021-08-11T18:24:26Z")
I think you’re arguing over a non-existent issues. In the only states to have the laws, they predate concerns over air quality. As it is becoming a fairly major side issue detracting from this thread, please either drop it or take it to a new thread. It sounds like it could be a good debate but really doesn’t belong in this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2021, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-states-where-something-is-uniquely-illegal/948195/154 "2021-08-11T19:01:46Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Maybe, but an attempt to get rid of those raises calls of “racism”. Also, this is completely off-topic and threatens to derail the thread. Drop it. ---
**Author:** ![Esprise\_Me](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/esprise_me/32/2947_2.png) [@Esprise\_Me](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esprise_Me)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2021, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-states-where-something-is-uniquely-illegal/948195/155 "2021-08-11T19:17:59Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > I usually do a search and they are real locals who are renters and looking for a home. They certainly have a realtor who advised them to try that tactic. My realtor suggested it too. We were strongly considering it when we managed to snag our house. The market is crazy right now; desperate times call for desperate measures. > [@doreen](#): > > I’m sure it does work sometimes - I know more than one person who was persuaded to sell their house for less than it was worth to relatives or neighbors who gave the seller a specific vision of the future use of the house - maybe a relative says her daughter will live in the house while attending college. or the neighbor says they plan to live in the house until they retire and will keep the tulip garden in the front yard intact.\* If people will choose these less than market value offers , I’m sure people will use love letters as tie-breakers. Especially if they are afraid their house will be razed and replaced with a three-unit condo as happens in my area fairly often. > > - As it happens in those two cases, the buyers sold the house within a year or two at a pretty good profit ( since they paid less than market) and the sellers were quite upset when they found out. We sold my grandmother’s house for less than market value to her next-door neighbor, who wanted it for his adult kids. It’s an old, not fancy house on what has become very valuable land. My grandmother was moving to assisted living and didn’t want it torn down, and I kinda think my dad didn’t, either. The neighbor was a genuinely good guy who helped my grandma a lot as her mental and physical health declined and all her kids were living on the opposite coast, so we felt good about giving him a break, in addition to hoping he would keep the house more or less intact. Unfortunately, his kids didn’t want it. He held onto it for years hoping they’d change their minds, and apparently made some improvements (adding a bathroom and such, not altering the outward appearance) before finally selling it 8 years later for not much more than he paid. I just looked it up online. Whoever bought it 7 years ago still owns it. Someone on that street got Google to take down the street view, but the satellite view makes it look like the house might still be standing. I wonder for how long. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2021, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-states-where-something-is-uniquely-illegal/948195/156 "2021-08-11T19:58:00Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > We [New Jersey] also never gave up traffic circles and are now building more to solve some traffic issues the 4 way stops and traffics lights are terrible at. Not strictly true. What you had historically were rotaries; what NJ is putting in now is modern roundabouts. Rotaries had problems that the modern roundabout has largely fixed. However, modern roundabouts were only invented in 1966 in Britain and none were buillt in the US until 1990. I’m not sure when the first was built in NJ, but very likely not until some time this century. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2021, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-states-where-something-is-uniquely-illegal/948195/157 "2021-08-11T21:44:04Z")
What’s the difference? ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2021, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-states-where-something-is-uniquely-illegal/948195/158 "2021-08-11T21:49:38Z")
This article indicates that a rotary is larger, and allows traffic to move through at a higher rate of speed, while a roundabout is smaller and requires slower movement of traffic through it. [https://engineering.umass.edu/news/knodler-rotary-roundabout-video-umass-transportation](https://engineering.umass.edu/news/knodler-rotary-roundabout-video-umass-transportation) ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2021, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-states-where-something-is-uniquely-illegal/948195/159 "2021-08-11T22:03:41Z")
Here’s a diagram comparing the two. [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/320834718/figure/fig1/AS:556641180241920@1509725007005/Comparison-of-Rotary-and-Roundabout-intersections-from-the-point-of-view-of-the-crossing.png](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/320834718/figure/fig1/AS:556641180241920@1509725007005/Comparison-of-Rotary-and-Roundabout-intersections-from-the-point-of-view-of-the-crossing.png) ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2021, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-states-where-something-is-uniquely-illegal/948195/160 "2021-08-11T22:20:05Z")
That’s a large part of the differences. There are other things. One is that rotaries often require the drivers to change lanes, while roundabouts do not. People will still change lanes in them, but they really should have gotten into the correct lane before entering. That is if there’s even more than one lane. Many roundabouts have only one and most rotaries have at least two. But probably the biggest difference is that many rotaries were designed to facilitate traffic between two of their legs. So those two entry points have no Yield signs. Instead there’s Yield signs aimed at the traffic already in the circle that is approaching those entry points. This isn’t much of a problem when traffic is light, but can cause gridlock in heavy traffic. For that reason, rotaries got a deserved bad rep in the post-war era and they stopped putting them in in the 50s. But it also meant that modern roundabouts inherited that bad rep, so everyone was reluctant to put them in. Which is why Europe got about a 30-year head start on building them. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2021, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-states-where-something-is-uniquely-illegal/948195/161 "2021-08-11T22:30:34Z")
I’m sure you are all correct, but in New Jersey, we call them Circles. The old style and the new style. > **[List of traffic circles in New Jersey](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_traffic_circles_in_New_Jersey)** > > Pages for logged out editors learn more > > > > This is a list of traffic circles in New Jersey. The U.S. state of New Jersey at one point had a total of 101 traffic circles, 44 of which were part of state roads. However, the number has shrunk as traffic circles have been phased out by the New Jersey Department of Transportation. In the 1920s and 1930s, New Jersey felt that traffic circles were an efficient way for moving traffic through three or more intersecting roads. Built in 1925, the ... All but one is named a Circle, and that one is a Square. The list is missing at least one Circle, probably many others. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-states-where-something-is-uniquely-illegal/948195.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-states-where-something-is-uniquely-illegal/948195.md?page=9)