No Warming Up Your Car This Winter and Other Ridiculous Massachusetts Laws
Did you know warming up your car in Massachusetts can be illegal?
Yup!
This is one of the ridiculous laws on the books here in Massachusetts.
The law, Chapter 90, Section 16A, states that “No person shall cause, suffer, allow or permit the unnecessary operation of the engine of a motor vehicle while said vehicle is stopped.”
Huh?
The main reason for this new law in Massachusetts is to lower air pollution. The state has found that unnecessarily idling your car can lead to significant air pollution.
No idling please!
If you let your car idle unattended for more than five minutes in Massachusetts, you can be subjected to a $100 fine for the first incident.
After being fined once, you can be fined $500 for each subsequent offense. Even though it’s tempting to start your car in the winter, it could cost you.
According to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, there is an exception for idling a car in order to de-ice a windshield.
Other RIDICULOUS LAWS?
According to the website onlyinyourstate.com, there are a TON of nutty laws here in the Baystate. Here are some other ridiculous Massachusetts laws that are still on the books:
1. At a wake, mourners may eat no more than three sandwiches.
No eating your feelings, folks!
2. In the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, it is illegal to scare a pigeon.
You could face a $20 fine or a month of jail time, according to Massachusetts General Law, Chapter 266 Section 132
(Photo by Scott Eisen/Getty Images)
3. If you live in Hingham, houses that are seen from Main Street must have white lights only.
SNOBBY!
(Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images)
4. It's Illegal to own more than three cats in Dudley.
This one is new!
A kennel license is now required for anyone who wants to have more than three cats in Dudley, Massachusetts. If a cat owner of more than three cats refuses to pay for the license which costs $50, a fine of $100 per day will be issued to the person. The vote came about after residents complained about the damage done to a neighbor’s yard due to a few cats let out by a cat owner.
(Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)
5. In Attleboro, it's forbidden for children to play tag or other running games.
In 2006, Willett Elementary School in Attleboro, Massachusetts instituted a new rule that banned the game of Tag on school grounds. Yes, seriously. The then-president of the school’s PTO and the school’s President enforced the rule sighting children’s safety as their top concern.
(Photo by Paula Bronstein /Getty Images)
6. It's illegal for dogs to ride in ambulances.
UNLESS you are a police dog:
“EMS personnel shall provide emergency treatment to a police dog injured in the line of duty and transport such police dog by ambulance to a veterinary care facility equipped to provide emergency treatment to dogs; provided, however, that EMS personnel shall not transport an injured police dog if providing such transport would inhibit their ability to provide emergency medical attention or transport to a person requiring such services.”
No dogs in ambulances
7. It is illegal to give beer to hospital patients.
“Whoever, except under the direction of a physician, gives, sells or delivers alcoholic beverages, as defined in section one of chapter one hundred and thirty-eight, or a narcotic drug to a patient in any hospital who is suffering from inebriety or from the effect of inebriety, or from excessive use of narcotic drugs or from the effect of such use, and whoever has in his possession within the precincts of any hospital any such beverage or drug with intent to convey or deliver it to any such patient, except under direction as aforesaid, shall be punished by a fine of not more than fifty dollars or by imprisonment for not more than two months.”
FAIRFIELD, CA – JUNE 10: Jelly beans are shown at the Jelly Belly candy factory June 10, 2004 in Fairfield, California. The late former U.S. President Ronald Reagan was known for his fondness for jelly beans during his political career and claims the candy helped him quite smoking when he was governor of California. (Photo by David Paul Morris/Getty Images)
8. Candy may not contain more than 1% alcohol.
“Chapter 270: Section 8. Selling candy containing alcohol. Section 8. Whoever sells to a person any candy enclosing or containing liquid or syrup having more than one per cent of alcohol shall be punished by a fine of not more than one hundred dollars.”
(Photo by David Paul Morris/Getty Images)
9. Concord: One may not sell or distribute bottled water in Concord, Sudbury or Great Barrington
The US town of Concord in Massachusetts has banned the sale of bottled water. The law came into effect on January 1, 2013 after a three-year campaign to reduce waste and encourage tap water use.
First offenders will get a warning. Anyone caught selling the banned bottles a second time will be fined $25, with $50 for further offences.
(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
10. It is illegal to keep a mule on the second floor of a building
Unless there are two exits! That’s safe! (MGL Chapter 272 Section 80D)
(Photo by David Silverman/Getty Images)