Laws are made to protect us. If there were no laws, there would in turn be no safeguard against the chaos and destruction humanity is capable of, such as taking a pack of gum without paying for it. Furthermore, when it comes to such rules, a common category involves the banning of certain actions or items. Some of these restrictions, such as the inability to drive alone without a license or the prohibition of certain drugs, make sense. However, the United States is a large place, so there are bound to be some restrictions on things that we may never have guessed. Because of this, it would be interesting to take a look at some of these strange laws found throughout the country.

Massachusetts: Prohibition of Exploding Golf Balls- This seemingly random law bans all golf balls containing a substance that would cause it to explode, and violating such a rule only once will result in a max fine of $500. While this law does make sense, it also makes the game of golf a lot less epic, so I guess it’s a win/lose situation.

Colorado: No Missiles Can be Thrown at Cars- Have you ever been subjected to an obnoxious driver on the road and just wished you could blow them to kingdom come? Well, you’re out of luck when driving through Alamosa, Colorado, as pelting a missile on a trajectory toward another automobile is explicitly banned under the law. While missile in this context most likely refers to the traditional definition of a projectile in general, the “military-grade explosive” interpretation is a lot cooler.

Maryland: No Vulgar Language in a Public Park- In the state of Maryland, it is illegal to perform any “improper language or behavior” in any public playground or park. So, next time you’re in the Old Line State and think about cussing out somebody else’s infant for taking too long on the see-saw, you may want to be careful.

Louisiana: No Goatees- If you are a facial-hair fan of the goatee variety, than I suggest avoiding Louisiana. This is because the growing of a goatee in the state is illegal. However, there is an exception. One can actually pay the state a fee to be granted their very own “goatee license” that allows them to don the look.

California: No Dictionaries- That’s right, in some schools in southern California, the dictionary was actually stripped from the shelves and denied from students. The reason for this absurd regulation: one student looked up an inappropriate (sexual) term. Dang teens and their hormones!