The Strangest Traffic Law In Iowa Involves A…BB Gun
We've covered an endless amount of strange, bizarre, and dangerous laws/activities with you over time but I think I've found, possibly, the weirdest Iowa law yet. When a law like this is created, normally it's because there is clearly a problem with people doing this far too often. For the life of me, I can't figure out why this was ever a problem in the first place and I have no idea why anyone would want to do this. This has got to be the strangest Iowa traffic law I've ever come across.
I was scrolling through the internet last night when I came across an article from Odometer, which has some of the craziest traffic laws in all 50 states.
Did you know in Alabama, it's illegal to drive blindfolded? Why would anyone attempt to do this in the first place? In Arkansas, if you honk your horn anywhere that serves sandwiches or cold drinks after 9 p.m. you could pay the price.
In Colorado, you might have to leave your car in the garage on a Sunday, if it's painted black. Supposedly, In Denver, you can't take your black car for a joyride on Sundays. In Virginia, a women's husband must walk in front of their car waving a red flag if they're cruising down Highway 46.
Here's one of my favorites from the article. You can't shoot any game besides whales, while in a moving vehicle, in Tennessee. HOW WOULD THAT EVEN BE POSSIBLE?! I digress.
Strangest Driving Law In Iowa
I really wanted to double-check this so I looked at multiple sources...According to Odometer and Nationwide, "In Mount Vernon, Iowa, it is illegal to throw a Red Ryder BB-gun onto the highway."
Yes, we're talking about that Red Ryder. The BB gun Ralphie wants as a Christmas gift in A Christmas Story. The one he uses to almost shoot his eye out!
First off, who tosses a perfectly good BB gun out of their car window onto the highway? I grew up shooting BB guns from time to time and it was fun. Why would someone want to just chuck one onto the highway? Secondly, how many people were doing this that they needed to create this law in the first place?
Did they not want people to travel with them? How many BB guns were being tossed out of car windows? Was there a massive pile of BB guns laying around on the sides of the roads in Mount Vernon? Was this to prevent kids from sticking guns out of their car windows and confusing police officers? There had to have been some kind of reason for this law to be created.
We haven't even gotten into the question of what if it's a BB gun made by someone else. Is it only Red Ryder brand BB guns? What if it's a Crosman, Remington, Walther, Ruger, or Smith & Wesson BB gun? Is it illegal to throw one of those onto the highway?
Of all of the interesting Iowa laws I've come across, this one surely is the most bizarre. I'm completely dumbfounded at why and how this could've been a problem in the first place.