# Why a duck? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 15, 2005, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-a-duck/308324 "2005-06-15T03:15:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![RandomLetters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8edcca/32.png) [@RandomLetters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandomLetters)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2005, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-a-duck/308324/21 "2005-06-15T17:16:29Z")
Well, the Federal government does have some laws pertaining to migratory waterfowl (this being the Fed’s domain, as these animals routinely cross state lines) that might apply here. Anyone know of any Federal laws in this area that could be stretched to meet the OP’s question? Maybe a law that prohibits moving a certain type of duck common to Minnesota over state lines? ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2005, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-a-duck/308324/22 "2005-06-15T18:15:29Z")
> [@Mtgman](#): > > I’ve seen a couple. From [http://www.dumblaws.com/](http://www.dumblaws.com/), the biggest offender of the “creative interpretation” of law I’ve personally found You don’t even have to check up to see that this website has bogus laws. They list a “city law” for Hollywood. Hollywood isn’t a city; it’s a district of Los Angeles. There is no law-making authority for Hollywood, other than the city of Los Angeles. ---
**Author:** ![5que](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/3bc359/32.png) [@5que](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5que)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2005, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-a-duck/308324/23 "2005-06-15T18:23:19Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > (_Somebody_ had to say it.) Can. Not. Resist. > [@](#): > > Hammer [Groucho Marx]: … Now here is a little peninsula, and here is a viaduct leading over to the mainland. > > Chico: Why a duck? > > Hammer: I’m all right. How are you? I say here is a little peninsula, and here’s a viaduct leading over to the mainland. > > Chico: All right. Why a duck? > > Hammer: I’m not playing Ask-Me-Another. I say, that’s a viaduct. > > Chico: All right. Why a duck? Why a— why a duck? Why-a-no-chicken? > > Hammer: I don’t know why-a-no-chicken. I’m a stranger here myself. All I know is that it’s a viaduct. You try to cross over there a chicken, and you’ll find out why a duck. It’s deep water, that’s viaduct. > > Chico: That’s-why-a-duck? > > Hammer: Look … Suppose you were out horseback riding and you came to that stream and wanted to ford over there, you couldn’t make it. Too deep. > > Chico: But what do you want with a Ford when you gotta horse? > > Hammer: Well, I’m sorry the matter even came up. All I know is that it’s a viaduct. > > Chico: Now look … all righta … I catcha on to why-a-horse, why-a-chicken, why-a-this, why-a-that. I no catch on to why-a-duck. > > Hammer: I was only fooling. I was only fooling. They’re going to build a tunnel in the morning. Now, is that clear to you? > > Chico: Yes. Everything—excepta why a duck. ---
**Author:** ![Mathochist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c89c15/32.png) [@Mathochist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mathochist)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2005, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-a-duck/308324/24 "2005-06-15T19:13:42Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > (_Somebody_ had to say it.) Yes, but the question is vy _not_ a duck? ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2005, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-a-duck/308324/25 "2005-06-15T19:41:38Z")
Here we go: Minnesota statue, section 324.24: Cruelty in Transportation > [@](#): > > Subdivision 1. Penalty. Any person who does any of > the following is guilty of a misdemeanor: > > ``` > (a) carries or causes to be carried, any live animals upon > > ``` > > any vehicle or otherwise, without providing suitable racks, > cars, crates, or cages in which the animals can both stand and > lie down during transportation and while awaiting slaughter ---
**Author:** ![Mtgman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Mtgman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mtgman)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2005, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-a-duck/308324/26 "2005-06-15T20:50:31Z")
> [@Captain Amazing](#): > > Here we go: > > Minnesota statue, section 324.24: Cruelty in Transportation So I guess that would also mean it is illegal to carry a sperm whale in one’s pants in Minnesota? Enjoy, Steven ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2005, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-a-duck/308324/27 "2005-06-15T21:10:43Z")
What duck? ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2005, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-a-duck/308324/28 "2005-06-15T22:58:45Z")
> [@Mtgman](#): > > So I guess that would also mean it is illegal to carry a sperm whale in one’s pants in Minnesota? > > Enjoy, > Steven I shot a sperm whale in my pants once. What he was doing… 🙂 If I built a nice comfy rack for the whale, would I be allowed to carry him across state lines in my pants? As long as he wasn’t turgid? ---
**Author:** ![Mtgman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Mtgman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mtgman)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2005, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-a-duck/308324/29 "2005-06-15T23:34:20Z")
Sperm whale nestled in a nice rack. Sounds good to me, turgid or not! Enjoy, Steven ---
**Author:** ![rjk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@rjk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjk)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2005, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-a-duck/308324/30 "2005-06-16T12:25:13Z")
> [@Mtgman](#): > > … > Specifically making whaling illegal in a land-locked state would be pretty stupid. Restricting the species and manner of fishing is perfectly normal. The restrictions include bans on speargun fishing for most species, with only a handful of exceptions. Since **there is really no way to take down a whale without spearguns** I think this may be the origin of the claim that whaling is illegal. It is true that if there were a whale somewhere in Oklahoma then the methods necessary to kill it would be illegal under the fishing and game regulations. > … Tell it to Ishmael! Call him! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Wonko\_The\_Sane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/258eb7/32.png) [@Wonko\_The\_Sane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wonko_The_Sane)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-a-duck/308324/31 "2005-06-17T20:00:41Z")
> [@Captain Amazing](#): > > Here we go: > > Minnesota statue, section 324.24: Cruelty in Transportation > Quote: > Subdivision 1. Penalty. Any person who does any of > the following is guilty of a misdemeanor: > > (a) carries or causes to be carried, any live animals upon > any vehicle or otherwise, without providing suitable racks, > cars, crates, or cages in which the animals can both stand and > lie down during transportation and while awaiting slaughter So technically you -can- carry a duck on your head, as long as you don’t kill it later? ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-a-duck/308324/32 "2005-06-17T20:57:01Z")
**Jayrot,** you asked about blue laws. Indiana once had a passel of things forbidden on Sundays. Now it comes down to three things, two of them about alcohol. You can’t buy a motor vehicle. The lawmakers asked the car dealers association if they wanted to strike the rule, and they said, “No thanks.” On alcohol, you need a Sunday license to serve booze on Sunday, and if you want carry-out booze, you have to wait until Monday. Now, **Whaling In Oklahoma…** I’m a little embarrassed to point this out, but whales are mammals. Fishing laws don’t apply, as in “non-game fish” and speargunning fish. You’d have to check the hunting regs to see if there’s any ban on taking a whale. ---
**Author:** ![Mtgman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Mtgman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mtgman)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-a-duck/308324/33 "2005-06-17T21:26:33Z")
> [@AskNott](#): > > I’m a little embarrassed to point this out, but whales are mammals. Fishing laws don’t apply, as in “non-game fish” and speargunning fish. You’d have to check the hunting regs to see if there’s any ban on taking a whale. True, it was the prohibition on the use of spearguns except in certain circumstances(which did not include whaling) that I figured the “Dumb Laws” summary was based on. Well, that and the assumption that whaling is done with spearguns. The classification of the prey may come into play as well though. I wouldn’t be suprised it it were “outlawed” in a couple of different ways. By not having whales on the list of “game mammals” or by using the fishing regs because they generally have jurisdiction over the waterways where a whale would be. A brief look at some previous sections of the code shows they include water-based or amphibious mammals and reptiles like beavers and turtles so the fishing regs may well cover whales as well. I’m guessing there is no caselaw on this point. Enjoy, Steven ---
**Author:** ![Civil\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d78d45/32.png) [@Civil\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Civil_Guy)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2005, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-a-duck/308324/34 "2005-06-18T05:22:31Z")
Another example of “dumb laws” and where they come from. The city of Chico, California still has - I think - a law against setting off nuclear devices within city limits. It’s a misdemeanor. You could get fined. As I’ve heard it, the law was intended as general protest against nuclear weapons. ---
**Author:** ![Khampelf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Khampelf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khampelf)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2005, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-a-duck/308324/35 "2005-06-18T21:48:27Z")
Another of those Dumb Laws you see often is ‘It’s against the law in Arizona to refuse someone a glass of water.’ I’ve done a search of AZ statutes and found no such law. However, I have a theory. I’m wondering if there was once a case where someone in control of water refused it to someone in dire circumstances who later died. If that person was charged and found guilty of negligent homicide, it could well have mutated to “It’s illegal to refuse anyone a glass of water.” just a theory. There’s also no mention of Red Masks, let alone any crime being commited wearing one becoming an automatic felony. ---
**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:** [October 20, 2005, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-a-duck/308324/36 "2005-10-20T17:06:26Z")
> [@5que](#): > > You try to cross over there a chicken, and you’ll find out why a duck. If you any words out of a post, make sure they’re not in the punch line. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-a-duck/308324.md?page=1)