From coast to coast, the United States has its fair share of peculiar laws that will leave you scratching your head. However, some familiar stories about strange laws are myths, others refer to repealed laws, and a local ordinance is not the same as a statewide rule. The examples below separate those cases instead of presenting them all as laws still on the books.
Backward Donut Walking — Marion, Ohio: Unverified
The story says it is illegal to eat a donut while walking backward on a city street in Marion. No supporting ordinance citation has been established here. Searches for “donut” and “doughnut” in the city's published Traffic Code and General Offenses Code did not locate that rule. This does not prove that no historical rule ever existed, but the story should not be treated as an established ban.
Bear Wrestling — Alabama: Repealed Provision
Alabama did have a specific provision about bear wrestling, Section 13A-12-5. However, the legislature repealed that section in 2015. An old code reference does not establish that the same provision is still in force. Its repeal also does not establish that an event would be lawful under every other applicable animal-welfare or public-safety rule.
The Bounce Test — Connecticut: A Myth
The Connecticut State Library calls this the pickle-law myth. Its research found no law specifically requiring a pickle to bounce. The library's resources connect the story with 1948 newspaper reports and food-adulteration laws. That is different from a legal definition of a pickle based on how well it bounces.
Camels on the Highway — Nevada: Repealed 1875 Act
There was an 1875 Nevada act about camels and dromedaries running at large on or about public highways. The legislature's 1875 index identifies that restriction. It concerned animals running loose, rather than a blanket ban on riding a camel. The act appears among the laws repealed in 1899. The old act is not a current rule for a camel commute in Las Vegas.
Bigfoot — Skamania County, Washington: Local Ordinance History
The relevant example is a county ordinance, not a Washington-wide ban on harassing any undiscovered species. A 2017 City of Stevenson draft planning report describes Skamania County's 1969 and 1984 ordinances, a countywide Sasquatch refuge, and penalties concerning the killing of Sasquatch. That report documents the local ordinance history; it does not establish a general statewide harassment law or prove that Bigfoot exists.
Protected Saguaros — Arizona: Rules and Exceptions
These iconic desert plants can live for over 150 years and are protected by state law. However, “cutting down any saguaro is automatically a felony” is too broad. Arizona's protected-plant collection and transport rules include permit requirements and exceptions. Its landowner provisions allow destruction in specified circumstances, with notice requirements and exemptions. The penalty statute distinguishes theft, permit violations and other offenses; the classification depends on the conduct, value and prior convictions. If you're tempted to lop off a cactus arm as a souvenir, think twice.
Conclusion
A strange-law story needs more than a memorable description. The jurisdiction, wording and date matter. Here, the pickle rule is a myth, the bear-wrestling provision and camel act were repealed, the Bigfoot example concerns local ordinance history, and Arizona's plant protections have specific conditions. The donut story remains unverified.