The Strangest Things That Have Been Banned In The US

1. Being 'anonymous and annoying' on the internet

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It's really all thanks to George W. Bush that being annoying on the internet actually became banned. In his words, if someone was 'anonymous and annoying' it was illegal. The idea may be sound, but the reality is proving to be harder to enforce however, we definitely like the idea!

2. Onion breath!

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Yes, you heard it. In Indiana onion and garlic breath is banned. According to their rule, you cannot attend a public event or use public transport if you have eaten onion or garlic within four hours. If you love either of these veggies it's a real shame. Thankfully, this rule is pretty much impossible to enforce.

3. High heels

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And if you are thinking about heading out to Carmel, California in a pair of heels that are over two inches high without a permit you can think again. There has been a ban on high heels unless you have attained a permit. So sensible shoes it is when walking in Carmel!

4. Hairy Women

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This is pretty outrageous and infuriating for any woman to learn that in New Mexico they have banned women from having certain areas of the body unshaven being shown to the public. Excuse us for thinking that we could leave our naturally grown bodily hair on our own bodies.

5. Selling dog hair

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Why would you want to sell dog hair? Who knows. But apparently, people were trying because it had to be addressed and a ban had to be put in place to stop it, which worryingly tells you that this definitely wasn't an isolated incident. Leave those furry friends alone!

6. Brie cheese

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As a huge fan of brie cheese, to many of us, this ban is quite upsetting. The US principle is that there is a blanket ban on any cheese aged under 60 days as it must be made with pasteurized products. And so, if you want some creamy soft brie you cannot find it in the US.

7. Waking up a sleeping bear

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In Alaska, it is banned to wake a sleeping bear. There are a few things about this ban that raise some alarming questions. For one, WHY would anybody wake a sleeping bear? Two, do we really need to be banned to stop people doing it? How many people are waking sleeping bears for this to become a problem? And then there's the bizarre contradiction that also in Alaska shooting a bear is legal.

8. Haggis

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This ban comes as a huge disappointment to many Scottish people who love their national delicacy. But in the USA there is a widespread ban on products containing animal lungs. And as Haggis contains the lungs of sheep, it isn't actually allowed in the USA.

9. Frowning at a police officer

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It of course is not allowed to insult a police officer, and rightfully so. But in New Jersey, you can't even frown at a police officer. This is because it could show mal-intent or suggest that somebody isn't supportive of the system. So it's better to check your expression before passing the police.

10. Exploding golf balls

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In Massachusetts, it was written as an official ban that people were not allowed to use exploding golf balls. This rule came after a series of pranks gone wrong. People were using exploding golf balls to surprise unsuspecting friends. However, it led to casualties in some instances.

11. Sharing Netflix passwords

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It's an official ban in Tennessee, you aren't allowed to use somebody else's Netflix password. So from now on in Tennessee, there's no jumping on the Netflix of your ex-boyfriend's best friend's cousin. It's definitely time to acquire your own password from now on!

12. Pawning your dentures

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Don't even think about pawning your dentures in the state of Nevada (surely we never would?) because it's banned. Apparently, this is to ensure that dentures aren't stolen and sold for money. Nevada clearly had a denture problem that needed an urgent solution.

13. Amy Winehouse

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Yes, you heard that right. When Amy Winehouse was alive, she was denied a visa for entry 3 times. This was because of her history with drugs, the USA essentially banned Amy Winehouse from the USA. The same situation happened with Nigella Lawson who also had admitted to taking drugs.

14. Goatee beards

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Sit turns out that in some states, it's not a personal choice whether you shape your beard into a goatee or not. You've actually got to pay for that privilege, if you decide you want one you have to pay for a license. Otherwise, if you don't have one, goatees are banned!

15. snowball fights

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Snowball fights are super fun. Or, the concept it, then as soon as you actually get into one you realize that the ball of snow/ice seriously hurts, and if it hits the wrong place you're in a lot of pain. This is why in Aspen, Colorado, snowball fights were banned due to the amount of injuries they caused.

16. Trousers below the waist

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Don't head to Illinois with baggy trousers, or at least make sure you have a belt because it's banned to have your trousers drooping below your waist. Remember a few years ago when the fashion trend was to have huge trousers that drooped down low, admittedly, it wasn't a good look.

17. Taking a picture of a rabbit between the months of January to April

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Without an official permit, it is banned in Wyoming to take a picture of a rabbit between the months of January and April. It is thought that this has to do with rabbits breeding and the months when a lot of rabbits burrow and nest. To take a picture in these times you have to get a permit!

18. Pretending that your parents are rich

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When you're a kid you probably fantasize at some point that your parents are secret superstars or that they're actually secretly super rich. But, you're not allowed to actually pretend in Texas. Telling someone your parents are rich when they are not is very much banned.

19. Kinder eggs

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So Kinder Eggs were understandably banned because they contained small parts inside them which were a potential choking hazard for small children. But, even those kinder eggs that were changed to comply with the health standards were still not allowed as the ban was never lifted.

20. Casu Larzu

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Casu Larvu is considered as the most dangerous cheese. It is a Sardinian cheese filled with live insect larvae. It's a kind of specialty, however it is not allowed in the USA due to strict importation laws which will not allow the insect larvae as it does not pass regulations.

21. A laughter-inducing fake mustache in church

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In Alabama, you mustn't wear a fake mustache in church if it will cause laughter. That's the rule, written out in black and white. It's seen as super disrespectful to pull a prank or wear something that will cause laughter in a holy place. As for fake beards, the rules are unclear!

22. Lawn darts

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Lawn darts were one of many activities that made it to the banned list after they had caused many, many accidents. Statistics showed that when lawn darts became a popular activity, gardening injuries started to rise significantly. It was decided it was best for everyone to leave garden darts alone.

23. Whistling underwater

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In West Virginia, whistling underwater is one of many things listed as banned. It's a decision we can support because whistling underwater is actually pretty much impossible, not to mention dangerous. By the time you've whistled less than half a tune, you've got no air left!

24. Tying a giraffe to a street lamp

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In Georgia, there's a ban on typing a giraffe to a street lamp. The ban is perfectly understandable, the bizarre question is why did this particular situation, and a very niche situation ever occurred in the first place. If we ever (for whatever reason) acquired a giraffe, we would definitely NOT tie them up to a street lamp.

25. Flavored cigarettes

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You can understand the ban in the USA on flavored cigarettes. There's nothing against the different flavors, it's completely to do with the fact that these different flavors appeal to a younger audience. It was thought that it was encouraging young people to start smoking!

26. Couches on the front porch

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In Colorado, if you live within 1,000 feet of a school you are not allowed to have a couch on your front porch. This is to do with the school being in the view of the house and giving privacy to the children. When your house isn't near a school you are allowed to have an outdoor couch.

27. Hunting in a cemetery

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In Oregon, there is a ban on hunting in a cemetery. Which, is absolutely understandable and right. Yet WHY was this necessary? Of course, hunting in a cemetery is extremely disrespectful and inappropriate and Oregon felt the need to make this clear for those people who had made this error.

28. Monkeys smoking cigarettes

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Monkeys, of course, shouldn't be smoking cigarettes. It's considered animal cruelty because animals and monkeys only acquire cigarettes and learn how to smoke through humans. Therefore, it's not fair for the animal to suffer the consequences of cigarettes.

29. Women wearing a housecoat whilst driving

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Another super strange (and very unfair) Californian law is that women are not allowed to drive in a housecoat and if they are found doing so they could receive a penalty. What makes it even stranger is that there is no explanation, AND it doesn't state anywhere about men being included in this rule!

30. Donkeys sleeping in bathtubs

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In Arizona, it's banned to have a donkey sleeping in a bathtub. Whilst some people dump old bathtubs out and use them as containers for animals, it's not a suitable area for an animal and it's actually quite dangerous as the donkey can get trapped and slip. So, under Arizona law, it was banned outright!