# Is i illegal to fart? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 25, 2004, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-i-illegal-to-fart/266080 "2004-09-25T21:29:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2004, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-i-illegal-to-fart/266080/21 "2004-09-26T17:54:46Z")
> [@Gary T](#): > > Not all farts can be held. It would be like making it illegal to cough. No. Those are the accidental ones. I’m talking about the guys who slightly raise one leg, angle their butt, and scrunch up their faces as they strain to crank out an extra loud stinker. Then, in the most insincere of voices proclaim, “I couldn’t help it, it’s a natural body function!” Those guys deserve _some_ sort of punishment. A cold, disgusted stare doesn’t do it. They thrive on that. ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2004, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-i-illegal-to-fart/266080/22 "2004-09-26T18:42:29Z")
Either way, it’s comming out. You can’t makes laws on that just because a leg is lifted. But I guess in California they have. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2004, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-i-illegal-to-fart/266080/23 "2004-09-26T18:59:05Z")
> [@ParentalAdvisory](#): > > Either way, it’s comming out. You can’t makes laws on that just because a leg is lifted. But I guess in California they have. Sooner or later I’m going to have to piss, but it doesn’t _have_ to be on your Wheaties. And no, we haven’t passed any laws on this. But we have some municipalities that have passed some pretty bizarre laws, so anything is possible. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2004, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-i-illegal-to-fart/266080/24 "2004-09-26T19:10:02Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > Sooner or later I’m going to have to piss, but it doesn’t _have_ to be on your Wheaties. > > And no, we haven’t passed any laws on this. But we have some municipalities that have passed some pretty bizarre laws, so anything is possible. Ah. **PA** is suffering from fly-over angst. Ignore it. ---
**Author:** ![beagledave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@beagledave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beagledave)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2004, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-i-illegal-to-fart/266080/25 "2004-09-26T22:13:09Z")
Outlaw farts and then only outlaws will… Nope. ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2004, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-i-illegal-to-fart/266080/26 "2004-09-26T22:34:10Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > No. Those are the accidental ones. I’m talking about the guys who slightly raise one leg, angle their butt, and scrunch up their faces as they strain to crank out an extra loud stinker. Then, in the most insincere of voices proclaim, “I couldn’t help it, it’s a natural body function!” > > Those guys deserve _some_ sort of punishment. A cold, disgusted stare doesn’t do it. They thrive on that. Ah, but you’ve missed the point. The body movement, the facial expression, the tone, and duration is all part of _The Art of the Fart_. A true professor of flatulence has a varied repertoire, including a high pitched trouser oboe tone, the sharp ‘tearing canvas’ delivery, as well as the ever-amusing ‘dog-growling-under-the-couch’ rumble. Afford them the respect they so richly deserve-they got game! 😉 Could we get ‘Pull my Finger’ accepted as an Olympic event? ---
**Author:** ![bdandhr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9d8465/32.png) [@bdandhr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bdandhr)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2004, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-i-illegal-to-fart/266080/27 "2004-09-26T23:25:51Z")
Quote: Originally posted by **Gary T** : Not all farts can be held. It would be like making it illegal to cough. I have no control over my farts about 50 percent of the time. They just come out of their own volition. Would that make me eligible for arrest? I certainly hope not! But yeah, those people who screw their faces up and angle it towards you, yeah, those people oughta serve the time… Let’s all line them up and “fire” at 'em! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-i-illegal-to-fart/266080/28 "2004-09-27T00:08:44Z")
> [@Gary T](#): > > Not all farts can be held… Hard to imagine getting a grip on any of 'em. ---
**Author:** ![ltfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@ltfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ltfire)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-i-illegal-to-fart/266080/29 "2004-09-27T00:37:07Z")
It is said that the sound of a homosexual persons fart is… Pffttt. ---
**Author:** ![bughunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@bughunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bughunter)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-i-illegal-to-fart/266080/30 "2004-09-28T02:04:17Z")
Well, in my opinion, outlawing farts would be against the 1st amendment. Because farts are just jokes that come out of your ass. Yes, I know, there are some of you who would invoke the 2nd amendment with regard to some farts, but I’m talking about all farts. ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-i-illegal-to-fart/266080/31 "2004-09-28T18:05:23Z")
> [@ExTank](#): > > Being stuffed into the breech and launched out the main gun like a circus act. Considering the barrel diameter of your average tank cannon, that sounds awfully painful. Particularly with the rifling. ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-i-illegal-to-fart/266080/32 "2004-09-28T20:02:03Z")
What did one burp say to the other burp? Let’s be stinkers and sneak out the back. ---
**Author:** ![sqweels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@sqweels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sqweels)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-i-illegal-to-fart/266080/33 "2004-09-28T21:29:32Z")
> [@](#): > > Yeah-light a match! What’s all this about lighting a match? While it may be _de riguer_ for drunken fraternity brothers at 3AM to take turns actually igniting their flatulence, how does a small flame in the vicinity of an already-loosed fart help? ---
**Author:** ![Chastain86](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Chastain86](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chastain86)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-i-illegal-to-fart/266080/34 "2004-09-28T21:39:33Z")
I can’t wait until a lawyer, in full open court, posits the “he who smelt it dealt it” gambit to foil the prosecuting attorney’s “he who denied it supplied it” defense. God I love this country. ---
**Author:** ![Washoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecae2f/32.png) [@Washoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washoe)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-i-illegal-to-fart/266080/35 "2004-09-28T21:49:25Z")
> [@sqweels](#): > > how does a small flame in the vicinity of an already-loosed fart help? It doesn’t, according to Dr. Fart: [http://archive.salon.com/health/feature/2000/02/24/farts/print.html](http://archive.salon.com/health/feature/2000/02/24/farts/print.html) ---
**Author:** ![bughunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@bughunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bughunter)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-i-illegal-to-fart/266080/36 "2004-09-28T22:09:18Z")
> [@sqweels](#): > > how does a small flame in the vicinity of an already-loosed fart help? It’s not the flame, but the odor from extinguishing the match. Presumably the burnt sulfur odor from the match overpowers the hydrogen sulfide stink from the flatus. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-i-illegal-to-fart/266080.md?page=1)