# Having a boner in public is illegal. Just thought you'd like to know. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 24, 2000, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/having-a-boner-in-public-is-illegal-just-thought-youd-like-to-know/42593 "2000-11-24T23:38:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Milossarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Milossarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Milossarian)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2000, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/having-a-boner-in-public-is-illegal-just-thought-youd-like-to-know/42593/1 "2000-11-24T23:38:31Z")
I was doing some internet research for my job today, and while looking for something on the U.S. Supreme Court on a search engine, I came across the amazing information that a guy sporting wood in public, even if he is fully clothed, is technically violating the law in at least the State of Indiana. Indiana state law 35-45-4-1, enacted 1976, amended 1984, section 1b, defines for the purposes of indecency:“the showing of covered male genitals in a discernibly turgid state.” [Schwing!](http://www.state.in.us/legislative/ic/code/title35/ar45/ch4.html) Santa Monica, California’s Municipal code 9.44.030 10 C similarly deems indecent “human male genitals in a discernably turgid state, even if completely and opaquely covered.” Although there, the code is part of the planning and zoning laws regarding adult-oriented businesses. [Schwing!](http://pen2.ci.santa-monica.ca.us/city/municode/codemaster/Article_9/44/030.html) A few points, uh, spring to mind: - Why does this information, uh, come up, when searching for U.S. Supreme Court info? And does Clarence Thomas have anything to do with it? - This is an outrage! Don’t we have a constitutional right to keep and bear wood, so long as we don’t _bare_ wood? - This law seems highly discriminatory. What about women in tight blouses in highly air-conditioned rooms? That’s legal? (Wait; did I just complain about that? Uh, never mind.) - “Discernably Turgid” would make a killer band name. Remember, kids, keep it limp. It’s the law. Hey, what you packin’ there, convict? (Or, in Mr. Cynical’s case, “Move along, folks. Nothing to see here.”) 😃 ---
**Author:** ![\_hijack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/c0e974/32.png) [@\_hijack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_hijack)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2000, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/having-a-boner-in-public-is-illegal-just-thought-youd-like-to-know/42593/2 "2000-11-24T23:42:06Z")
I love the paintings of Brueghel, with codpieces erect at a wedding reception. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2000, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/having-a-boner-in-public-is-illegal-just-thought-youd-like-to-know/42593/3 "2000-11-24T23:58:07Z")
I believe it’s to protect children from being exposed to this sort of thing. ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2000, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/having-a-boner-in-public-is-illegal-just-thought-youd-like-to-know/42593/4 "2000-11-25T00:09:50Z")
I used to work for a legal tech firm that processed transcripts from a malpractice lawsuit involving inflatable penile prostheses. One of the most common complaints was “spontaneous inflation” – usually triggered by coughing or sneezing. One wonders how the courts in Indiana would deal with that one. ---
**Author:** ![Milossarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Milossarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Milossarian)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2000, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/having-a-boner-in-public-is-illegal-just-thought-youd-like-to-know/42593/5 "2000-11-25T00:20:52Z")
Don’t we have Alan Greenspan to prevent spontaneous inflation? ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2000, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/having-a-boner-in-public-is-illegal-just-thought-youd-like-to-know/42593/6 "2000-11-25T00:37:55Z")
Ah, but the US Federal Government overrides state law. So, all we have to do is convince Clinton to lobby Congress for a mandate that it be illegal NOT to sport wood in public. I have no doubts that it would be an easy sell to Slick Willy. If only Viagra Dole was still on board… ---
**Author:** ![SanibelMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@SanibelMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanibelMan)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2000, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/having-a-boner-in-public-is-illegal-just-thought-youd-like-to-know/42593/7 "2000-11-25T00:38:51Z")
I know listening to or looking at Alan Greenspan for any length of time keeps my inflation rate down. ---
**Author:** ![Fairy\_Princess\_Kitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/df705f/32.png) [@Fairy\_Princess\_Kitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fairy_Princess_Kitty)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2000, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/having-a-boner-in-public-is-illegal-just-thought-youd-like-to-know/42593/8 "2000-11-25T03:01:09Z")
Oh dear! I do believe that means that I’ve been an accessory to a crime. _ducks and hides_ Kitty ---
**Author:** ![Rysdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7cd45c/32.png) [@Rysdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysdad)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2000, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/having-a-boner-in-public-is-illegal-just-thought-youd-like-to-know/42593/9 "2000-11-25T03:21:00Z")
What was really embarrassing was breaking the law in front of your Civics class in 9th grade. Damn hormones. ---
**Author:** ![magdalene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df788c/32.png) [@magdalene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magdalene)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2000, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/having-a-boner-in-public-is-illegal-just-thought-youd-like-to-know/42593/10 "2000-11-25T04:32:47Z")
LOL - when I saw the subject line my first thought was “Did Milo get arrested?” I guess you can cross Indianapolis off your list of potential “Big Cities”, or else resign yourself to life as a career criminal. 😉 However, I don’t believe that _Chicago_ (just for example) has any such laws… Does that search engine have any info about the legality of T[sub]itty[/sub]H[sub]ard-[/sub]O[sub]n[/sub]? ---
**Author:** ![nashiitashii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7c8e57/32.png) [@nashiitashii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nashiitashii)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2000, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/having-a-boner-in-public-is-illegal-just-thought-youd-like-to-know/42593/11 "2000-11-25T04:34:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fairy Princess Kitty \* > \*\*Oh dear! I do believe that means that I’ve been an accessory to a crime. _ducks and hides_ > > Kitty \*\* Don’t worry sweetie, I’ve done it too, and well, making it go away is the hard part. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2000, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/having-a-boner-in-public-is-illegal-just-thought-youd-like-to-know/42593/12 "2000-11-25T04:44:14Z")
ehehe…ehehehe…you said ‘hard’… ---
**Author:** ![Fairy\_Princess\_Kitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/df705f/32.png) [@Fairy\_Princess\_Kitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fairy_Princess_Kitty)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2000, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/having-a-boner-in-public-is-illegal-just-thought-youd-like-to-know/42593/13 "2000-11-25T05:52:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ssskuggiii \* > Don’t worry sweetie, I’ve done it too, and well, making it go away is the hard part. \*\* Oh, making it go away isn’t really what I’m interested in, that’s usually his problem. Of course when you’re being told to “Keep your hands to yourself” on a regular basis during class, making it go away could get rather important. Kitty ---
**Author:** ![nashiitashii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7c8e57/32.png) [@nashiitashii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nashiitashii)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2000, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/having-a-boner-in-public-is-illegal-just-thought-youd-like-to-know/42593/14 "2000-11-25T05:56:28Z")
But the process of making it go away is kinda fun when the end result is in place. [Some people make the most amusing orgasm faces.] ---
**Author:** ![TVeblen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@TVeblen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TVeblen)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2000, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/having-a-boner-in-public-is-illegal-just-thought-youd-like-to-know/42593/15 "2000-11-25T06:07:19Z")
Is anyone else entranced by the image of **Milo** wailing along to “\*Indiana wants me; Lord, I can’t go back there”? For non-US Dopers or those lucky/sophisticated enough not to catch the reference, it’s from a dweebish old pop song (worse than _Western Union!_) about a youthful offender who breaks Da Law and but yearns to go back home anyway. The song ends in a chorus of police sirens. Oh, well, back to the OP–why did this have to made a law? Didn’t their mamas teach 'em it was rude to point? Veb ---
**Author:** ![dpr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8797f3/32.png) [@dpr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dpr)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2000, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/having-a-boner-in-public-is-illegal-just-thought-youd-like-to-know/42593/16 "2000-11-25T06:08:56Z")
I KNEW I was a lawbreaker… Which means I can be a bastard which means I can get more women!!! Woo! And is making it go away then the equivalentof a citizen’s arrest. Or civic duty perhaps… ---
**Author:** ![NothingMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b77776/32.png) [@NothingMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NothingMan)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2000, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/having-a-boner-in-public-is-illegal-just-thought-youd-like-to-know/42593/17 "2000-11-25T14:30:11Z")
yeah _dpr_, you let me know if that works for you . . . Sheesh, as if 16 year old guys don’t have enough to worry about : “Would you please come up in front of the class and work this problem on the board ?” “Uhhhhh, I can’t - I’d be breaking the law.” I wonder what the police code is for that particular offense. “I got a hard 6.5 in progress !!” ---
**Author:** ![nebuli](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/0ea827/32.png) [@nebuli](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nebuli)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2000, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/having-a-boner-in-public-is-illegal-just-thought-youd-like-to-know/42593/18 "2000-11-25T15:10:08Z")
“Is that a gun in your pocket or are you just in violation of Municipal code 9.44.030 10 C?” ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2000, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/having-a-boner-in-public-is-illegal-just-thought-youd-like-to-know/42593/19 "2000-11-25T15:44:14Z")
Cripes, it’s almost impossible for a male _not_ to be in violation of law in Santa Monica in the summertime. [sub]We got pretty, scantily clad girls here.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2000, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/having-a-boner-in-public-is-illegal-just-thought-youd-like-to-know/42593/20 "2000-11-25T16:42:43Z")
Recently on some spanish tv I saw a candid camera like show where they gave this guy a permanent hardon & he went around asking people to do things for him, pick up bags, weights, etc. That was the funniest candid camera like skit that I have ever seen. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/having-a-boner-in-public-is-illegal-just-thought-youd-like-to-know/42593.md?page=2)