You can’t drag a dead horse down Yonge Street in Toronto on a Sunday. [Such action is not prohibited on other days of the week, so the Sunday restriction may simply be another example of the Toronto the Good mentality of a century ago which did not countenance any horsing around.]
The City of Guelph is classified as a no-pee zone. [Not in the privacy of one’s home, I would hope.]
In Etobicoke, no more than 3.5 inches of water can be in a bathtub. [And you wonder why politicians don’t come clean with the voters!]
Not to be outdone, American municipalities featured the following provisions:
Monkeys are forbidden to smoke cigarettes in South Bend, Indiana. [Although they are probably able to pee in Guelph, Ontario.]
Cats and dogs require a permit to have sex in Ventura County, California. [It is not clear whether this permit is required only when dogs and cats want to mate together or whether it is for any sexual activity. Apparently, however, some type of permit provision is also needed for Police Officers in Kansas, as noted above.]
It is illegal to fish in your pajamas in Chicago, Illinois. [This was probably intended to prevent the possibility of the following conversation between friends. “I caught a fish in my pajamas this morning?” “Amazing, what was a fish doing wearing your pajamas?” Those who have watched the movie Mary Poppins will recognize this exchange as a variation on the story about the man with a wooden leg named Smith – but I digress]
Firefighters in Fort Madison, Iowa must practice for 15 minutes before going to a fire. [This requirement must wreak havoc with their response time.]
Before leaving this trip down by-law fantasy lane, I must offer one more. It was found in an Eastern Ontario City and it prohibited resorting to the hills and woods for wanton or immoral purposes. It is not known if this was an early ban on camping – or whether it was intended to catch other inappropriate behaviour such as fishing in one’s pjs!