Excluding such things as bars & liquor stores, porn shops, strip clubs, etc., and excluding totalitarian states that ban anything and everything on the whims of their governments, are there any localities in the US (or the world) where mundane and unexpected things are banned? For example, is there any jurisdiction in the US that prohibits the posession/sale of satellite radios? Fois gras (I’m aware of Chicago’s recently-overturned ban)? Aluminum siding?
I guess it depends on what you consider to be mundane.
In the state I live in (MA) slingshots are practically banned, except I guess it is legal to sell them to clubs or other organizations that would use them in sporting events. Don’t know if this ever really happens.
I believe there are several states that ban ferrets as pets.
Lots of communities (including mine) have ordinances about sleeping or covering up with a blanket outdoors that are aimed at homeless people. Trying to legislate bodily functions has got to be one of the most futile things I can think of.
I found out recently that the community I live in (Bellevue, WA) has a city ordinance forbidding the sale of cut Christmas trees before Thanksgiving. You can buy an artificial tree or a live, potted tree, but not a real, cut tree.
In some cities in CA, foam-type food containers are banned, even to the point that some dudes think (and in some areas they may be right) that Styrofoam coolers and such are also banned.
In TX and other states, they have “Blue Laws” that ban the selling of certain things on Sundays. In one area, my freinds were told that selling tires was illegal on a Sunday!:eek:
There’s at least one community in New Hampshire that regulates outdoor Christmas decorations. Christmas lights are only supposed to be white or blue; all other colors are banned.
Celebration, Florida is notorious for its community regulations. There are laws on subjects prohibiting things like what color you can paint your house or parking your car in the driveway instead of the garage or having your garbage can out on the curb too many hours before or after the pick-up.
My community just banned parking boats or watercraft anywhere within the jurisdiction. You can still have big ugly SUVs, but not a little plastic boat.
I used to live in a Florida municipality (not Celebration) that forbade highway billboards and car dealerships. This was years ago and I’m not sure if the regulations are still in place.