# What was legal "back in the day" that is illegal now? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 6, 2005, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-legal-back-in-the-day-that-is-illegal-now/307078 "2005-06-06T02:09:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2005, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-legal-back-in-the-day-that-is-illegal-now/307078/41 "2005-06-06T17:18:12Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > My father once told me that parents could go into a drugstore and pick up peregoric for a teething baby. > > But since it contained opium, I’m sure the medical community today frowns on such measures today. I don’t think it’s so much the medical community that frowns on that as it is the law enforcement groups and such organizations as the Partnership for a Drug Free America. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2005, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-legal-back-in-the-day-that-is-illegal-now/307078/42 "2005-06-06T21:40:52Z")
> [@Spectre of Pithecanthropus](#): > > I don’t think it’s so much the medical community that frowns on that as it is the law enforcement groups and such organizations as the Partnership for a Drug Free America. …Yes because giving opium to a baby is perfectly great. ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2005, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-legal-back-in-the-day-that-is-illegal-now/307078/43 "2005-06-06T21:43:55Z")
> [@Push You Down](#): > > …Yes because giving opium to a baby is perfectly great. Yeah, I would say there is nothing wrong with giving small, controlled doses of a eupohric drug to a child with a tooth ache. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2005, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-legal-back-in-the-day-that-is-illegal-now/307078/44 "2005-06-06T22:26:14Z")
> [@Push You Down](#): > > …Yes because giving opium to a baby is perfectly great. It’s not perfectly great, but could be indicated in some circumstances. If the correct dose for an adult was _x_ grains of paregoric, then what was so horrible about giving a baby _x/20_ grains? And in any event I didn’t mean to imply that ethical doctors, in the era of unregulated drugs, advocated their indiscriminate or excessive use. I was just pointing out that the push toward prohibition and regulation really didn’t come from the medical profession. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2005, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-legal-back-in-the-day-that-is-illegal-now/307078/45 "2005-06-06T22:33:09Z")
Slavery and indentured servitude. Prostitution. ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2005, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-legal-back-in-the-day-that-is-illegal-now/307078/46 "2005-06-06T22:50:00Z")
It was legal to sell you all kinds of tools and not include a 200 page manual describing how you should not use your genitalia to stop the chainsaw. We also had common sense and used it. Kids carried pocket knives to school. In areas where deer hunting is popular, they also took their firearms and camo in their cars to school. Pharmacies sold booze. (Some still do, depending on your state). ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2005, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-legal-back-in-the-day-that-is-illegal-now/307078/47 "2005-06-07T00:25:57Z")
In the movie Double Indemnity, Fred McMurray goes to a drive-in restaurant and orders a beer. It is delivered opened to him in his car. (1944) It was legal for states to have ‘blue’ laws that made businesses close on Sunday because it was the Lords day. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2005, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-legal-back-in-the-day-that-is-illegal-now/307078/48 "2005-06-07T02:37:03Z")
Iowa in the 1950s: (courtesy **Papa Doug** ) State Beer & Liquor Control Commission operated all bottle stores. On going to your local store, you were issued a monthly ration ticket that indicated how much booze you could buy that month. Iowa’s Native American populations were not entitled to buy, because everybody knew them Redmen couldn’t hold their liquor. Neither were bottle stores allowed in college towns, forcing Iowa State students to drive 7 miles out of Ames to the county seat at Nevada for the hard stuff. All too often containers were opened en route, resulting in an unfortunate accident now and then. Oh, did I mention the state speed limit at the time was “Reasonable and Proper”? ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2005, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-legal-back-in-the-day-that-is-illegal-now/307078/49 "2005-06-07T02:41:18Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > It was legal for states to have ‘blue’ laws that made businesses close on Sunday because it was the Lords day. FWIW, they still exist. PA has them, as does NJ, the worst being in Ocean City, NJ. ---
**Author:** ![Renob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8c91f0/32.png) [@Renob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renob)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2005, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-legal-back-in-the-day-that-is-illegal-now/307078/50 "2005-06-07T16:09:55Z")
> [@Audrey Levins](#): > > Up until pretty recently (three/five years ago?), it was still legal in the state of Texas to drive around with open containers of alcohol in the vehicle. It’s still legal in Virginia. ---
**Author:** ![Agent\_Foxtrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Agent\_Foxtrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Foxtrot)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2005, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-legal-back-in-the-day-that-is-illegal-now/307078/51 "2005-06-07T16:15:23Z")
Liquor laws are pretty tough in Maryland. Convenience stores can’t sell, and most places who do sell close up shop at 9-10 p.m. to avoid heavy taxes they’d have to pay if they wanted to stay open later. In Montgomery County it’s even worse – you have to buy wine and hard liquor at stores run by the county government. It’s hard to get a good buzz here. ☹ Adam ---
**Author:** ![Renob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8c91f0/32.png) [@Renob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renob)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2005, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-legal-back-in-the-day-that-is-illegal-now/307078/52 "2005-06-07T16:44:32Z")
> [@Agent Foxtrot](#): > > Liquor laws are pretty tough in Maryland. Convenience stores can’t sell, and most places who do sell close up shop at 9-10 p.m. to avoid heavy taxes they’d have to pay if they wanted to stay open later. In Montgomery County it’s even worse – you have to buy wine and hard liquor at stores run by the county government. > > It’s hard to get a good buzz here. ☹ > > Adam Come on down to D.C. I have four liquor stores within two blocks of my apartment. ---
**Author:** ![rackensack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@rackensack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rackensack)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2005, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-legal-back-in-the-day-that-is-illegal-now/307078/53 "2005-06-07T18:15:36Z")
> [@percypercy](#): > > Well, now remember, this was small town Arkansas in the 50’s, but both my dad and aunt were behind the wheel before they were 14, enough so they’d drive from town to town on the back roads. > -Lil Still happened in small-town Arkansas in the 1970s and 1980s; I’ve been known to joke that when a kid turned 10 in some places I’d lived their dad would flip them car keys and tell them to get him a pack of smokes, and that’s not far from the truth. But it wasn’t technically any more legal then than it is now (aside from some provision for 14-year-olds to drive alone for the purpose of performing agricultural work). It was just one of those things that law enforcement generally decided to turn a blind eye to. ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2005, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-legal-back-in-the-day-that-is-illegal-now/307078/54 "2005-06-07T23:08:29Z")
You could smoke in restaurants and bars in New York City. (Honestly, haven’t missed that.) You could pack sharp objects in your airline carry-on luggage. In 1999, I traveled with a bag full of unhilted knife blades and a full set of razor-sharp woodworking tools. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2005, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-legal-back-in-the-day-that-is-illegal-now/307078/55 "2005-06-07T23:20:02Z")
Just last week one of Cincinnati’s councilmen was arrested for beating his son with a belt. Back in my day, your dad could take you to the woodshed and beat the crap out of you without fear of being arrested or having to answer to CPS. Fisticuffs were common and no one worried about getting sued. My 7th grade teacher used to paddle “bad” students. Man, it was a violent time, them 70’s. On a non-violent note, my dad used to let us drive his truck for short stretches. Or sit on his lap. In that big old Buick. And steer while we drove through town. ---
**Author:** ![Nvme77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c89c15/32.png) [@Nvme77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nvme77)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2005, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-legal-back-in-the-day-that-is-illegal-now/307078/56 "2005-06-08T06:03:45Z")
Prostitution is still legal in some counties in my home state. Something I teach every week in my job is that prior to 1978- debt was resolved using unscrupulous means such as threatening to garnish your wages, verbal abuse and harrassment, bodily harm, as well as calling you repeatedly outside of reasonable hours. Its against the law now- punishable by $1000 per act, $500,000 or 1% net worth in a class action lawsuit and of course, you get fired. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2005, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-legal-back-in-the-day-that-is-illegal-now/307078/57 "2005-06-08T06:08:45Z")
> [@Nvme77](#): > > Something I teach every week in my job is that prior to 1978- debt was resolved using unscrupulous means such as threatening to garnish your wages Is it illegal in your state to garnish someone’s wages? Or just illegal to warn someone that you are about to garnish his wages? ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2005, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-legal-back-in-the-day-that-is-illegal-now/307078/58 "2005-06-08T06:33:47Z")
In my state, at least, it’s now illegal to own Nunchaku. I don’t know when they were outlawed, or if they’re banned anywhere else. It also used to be legal to buy .50 BMG ammunition in this state, up until a couple of months ago. ---
**Author:** ![liirogue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dbc845/32.png) [@liirogue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/liirogue)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2005, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-legal-back-in-the-day-that-is-illegal-now/307078/59 "2005-06-09T15:57:09Z")
Blue laws are in effect here in Oklahoma, as well. Until very recently (the last year or two?) Missouri had a law on the books persecuting Mormons. ---
**Author:** ![waits](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/df788c/32.png) [@waits](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waits)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2005, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-legal-back-in-the-day-that-is-illegal-now/307078/60 "2005-06-09T17:07:11Z")
> [@PunditLisa](#): > > On a non-violent note, my dad used to let us drive his truck for short stretches. Or sit on his lap. In that big old Buick. And steer while we drove through town. We used to do that too in my hometown. 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-legal-back-in-the-day-that-is-illegal-now/307078.md?page=2)