Last week’s blog about laws you didn’t know existed got us thinking about ideas and practices that are commonly mistaken for laws but really aren’t. Often, we hear about current laws through the community we live in and from family, friends, and the media. Somehow, these “laws” that aren’t really laws become something that people start to believe. From driving without shoes to writing on a US dollar, these “myths” have us believing these practices are illegal. Some of these are strange while, the other ones probably should be illegal.
1. Defacing US currency- Most people assume that it is a crime to write on US currency. Contrary to popular belief, there are no laws prohibiting you from writing on a US dollar or drawing on the face of George Washington. Most recently people have been writing on dollars in order to track and see all the places it travels. The only time it’s illegal to write on currency is if it’s for fraudulent purposes or to change the value of the currency. Otherwise, anything else you want to write or draw on currency is perfectly OK.
2. Riding in the bed of a pickup truck- In Illinois it is perfectly legal to ride in the bed of a pickup truck. There are no laws stopping you and your friends from hopping in the back of a truck and driving around. But, you can be ticketed in Illinois for not wearing a seat belt so police may be able to ticket you if the bed of the truck is not equipped with seat belts.
3. Radar detectors- Radar detectors are commonly used by those who are driving long distances in order to detect police radar used to determine speed. Those using radar detectors will then slow down to avoid being pulled over and ticketed. Having radar detectors while driving is perfectly legal in Illinois. On the other hand, radar/laser jammers are illegal in Illinois because they prevent the police scanner from recording your speed by interfering with police radar. The only states that laws against radar detectors are Washington D.C, Virginia, and all military bases across the United States. All other states have no such laws on the books prohibiting radar detectors.
4. Recording phone conversations- Recently Illinois passed a statute that required the consent of both parties in order to legally record a phone or other recordable conversation. This statute was deemed unconstitutional by the Illinois Supreme Court and therefore means that you can legally record a conversation with another person without their permission and whatever they say in that conversation may be used against them.
5. Undercover police officer- Movies and TV shows often portray the idea that upon being asked, an undercover police officer must identify as so. But in reality, an undercover police officer does not have to identify as police if they are questioned by someone. Due to the undercover nature of his/her work, and their safety, if they are questioned by someone involved with the case (or anyone for that matter), they do not have to tell them that they are a police officer.
The following myths are stranger than the others but, nonetheless are still legal:
6. Counting cards- There are no laws that prohibit counting cards. Some believe this practice gives an advantage to those who are counting cards and is therefore unfair. One things for sure, it definitely angers the casino. But, there is nothing illegal about counting cards because it doesn’t guarantee a win or advantage over the other players. A casino may kick you out and ban you for doing this, but you can’t be charged with a crime.
7. Driving barefoot- Your Driver’s Ed teacher probably told you that driving barefoot is illegal and dangerous, but there are no such laws against driving barefoot in any of the 50 states. The only time that driving without shoes is illegal is if in some way, your lack of shoes causes an accident or contributes to reckless driving. So if you like driving barefoot but always thought it was against the law, go ahead and take your shoes off.
8. Cannibalism- Besides the fact that eating human flesh is socially unacceptable, there are no laws prohibiting you from doing so. Although it’s probably very unlikely that you’ll find someone whose willing to let you to eat their flesh.
9. Driving with sunglasses at night- You may legally drive with sunglasses at night, although this will probably greatly impair your vision and make it difficult to see minor details. Always be safe and take precautions while driving at night. Many people feel that driving with sunglasses shields the glare from oncoming car’s headlights. This practice is dangerous, but there’s no law in Illinois against this.
As always don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions regarding these practices or others and we here at LauraLaw will be happy to assist you.
