Posted in Rhode Island February 20, 2016 by

These 10 Crazy Laws in Rhode Island Will Leave You Scratching Your Head In Wonder

Each state has its own obscure and bizarre laws that just aren’t very relevant anymore. Some of them are so strange it can be difficult to imagine why they were ever passed in the first place. Here are 10 Rhode Island laws that are hard to believe actually exist!

1. Throwing pickle juice on a trolley is an offense in Rhode Island.
Flickr/leezie5
We're not sure why someone would do such a thing, but it must have been common enough to become law.
2. Intentionally biting off someone's limb is understandably illegal in the Ocean State.
Flickr/Tambako The Jaguar
What sorts of things were happening in little Rhody that created a need to clearly make biting off someone's limb illegal? Hopefully we'll never know.
3. In case you were considering stringing rope lower than 14 feet across a highway in the state, don't. It's illegal.
Flickr/Mathias Liebing
The penalty is a fine between $100 and $500.
4. Riding a horse on the highway for the purpose of testing its speed is not allowed either.
Flickr/Rayand
You'll have to find another way to test your horse's speed in Rhode Island.
5. Professional sports, with the exception of hockey and ice polo, need a special license to play on Sundays.
Flickr/Slidingsideways
I guess football and baseball just didn't make the cut.
6. There is a law requiring loud noises to be made whenever you're passing someone on the left.
Flickr/Peasap
A turn signal just doesn't cut it in Rhode Island, apparently.
7. It is illegal to coast downhill in neutral in the state.
Flickr/Brownpao
Who doesn't love coasting in neutral from time to time?
8. Both challenging, or accepting a dual is illegal in the state.
Flickr/Basegreen
Even if the fight never happens, this offense is still punishable by law. Punishment includes a prison sentence between one and seven years.
9. Did you know it's illegal in Providence for a store to sell a toothbrush and toothpaste to the same customer on a Sunday?
Flickr/Kenneth Lu
We're not sure exactly why, but it is definitely illegal in the city.
10. Smoking a pipe after sunset in the city of Newport is not allowed.
Flickr/Dana
This is a highly bizarre punishable offense.

Know the origin of any of these laws? Please tell us in the comments.