still on-the-books

Last week in this space I posted a piece called "You Probably Didn't Know These Things are Against the Law in Illinois." To be honest, I thought that would be the end of it. I mean, how many bizarro-world laws can one state have? Turns out, thanks to some research by alert listener Mike, we've got more. Plenty more.

When we get into late December and early January of any given year, many news outlets publish lists of new laws and regulations that go into effect at the beginning of the new year. What you don't often see are lists of the odd, archaic, or just plain weird old laws that are still around on the books throughout the state. Let's fix that.

Granted, some of the laws I'll share with you here are rarely enforced, but...engaging in some of the things on our list could find you in a bit of a jam depending on where you are in the state of Illinois.

Ever since I was a kid and saw the Academy Award winning documentary "Scared Straight," I've had a pretty simple goal: Don't go to jail. Period. Full stop. However, it's difficult to avoid trouble with law enforcement if you aren't aware of the goofy little things that can be illegal in one municipality but not another. Illinois has several of those goofy little laws.