Massachusetts was first settled by pilgrims in 1620, so residents have had plenty of time to legislate what irritates them right now. Massachusetts, and Boston in particular, were also very different when many of these laws were introduced. The cows roamed Boston Common, grazing as they pleased, and people were generally quite tense and puritanical. A law is often confusing because it does not allow a gorilla to be transported in the back seat of your car. What the law actually does, however, is stipulate that animals are not allowed to enter the cargo hold of a vehicle (think the back of the van) without proper care. Which is not so strange. While Massachusetts and Berkshire County in particular have a lot to love and appreciate, whether it`s culture and arts, beautiful scenery, a less hectic lifestyle, or our passion for our local teams, there are indeed strange laws. These laws simply do not apply to Berkshire County, they apply to the state or majority of Massachusetts. In some cases, the laws only apply to one city in the Bay State, so even though the law is not a law in Berkshire County, we still included it for entertainment purposes. Most of them don`t make much sense to me as to why these are laws. I understand that it was a different time when they were written and enacted, but it still seems that legislators banded together and said, “Okay, we have our serious laws ready to pass now, let`s do a little haha to dodge our citizens.” Was a word even avoided at the time? We studied some of these strange laws with Dan Farbman, a law professor at Boston College, and evaluated them on how absurd they are compared to modern standards. Farbman also describes why some of these laws were made and why some probably don`t make sense in the modern world. We`re all just a bunch of outlaws here in Massachusetts who harass pigeons, swear on the street, and deface the damn carton of milk.

These are just two of Massachusetts` strangest laws — most of which, though still in effect, have long been forgotten and rarely, if ever, enforced. The law can be a steamy mistress. One moment you use a spray gun in Marlboro (technically illegal!), and the next day you`re hit in the iron. To help you avoid such unfortunate legal mistakes, we`ve compiled a list of things that seem to go perfectly too far until you learn which strange Massachusetts laws are actually in effect. From parking tickets to children`s eggs, the law sometimes works in mysterious ways. With a little help from Dumblaws.com, we`ve rounded up some of Massachusetts` weirdest laws and regulations. Most of these laws are still in place, although they may not be enforced much these days, we hope. Look at these strange laws in Massachusetts and make sure you live within the law.

Pilgrims first landed in Massachusetts in 1620 and immediately began to create a structured society. Since the state was just rough ground back then, and Boston was still a fairly rural city later, many laws created to maintain order in society no longer make sense today. For example, people in Boston Common rarely have cows, although I wouldn`t rule it out completely. Of course, most of these laws are not enforced in today`s life, although they remain technically in the books of the state`s legal system. Imagine if Massachusetts were just an organized society, we had rules like no roots for New York sports teams and no Starbucks franchises within the state boundaries. So grab your lawyer and see in the video above how many laws you may have broken without realizing it. When a state legislature passes laws, they often remain on the books long after they are relevant. This leads to very strange laws that are still technically enforceable.

While we may not understand them, at one point these laws made sense. Massachusetts has its fair share of such laws. Here are some examples of laws that seem very strange or out of place in modern times. According to DumbLaws.com, these laws still exist in Massachusetts. Have you broken up lately? The Bay State, like any other state, has its fair share of strange laws that can make you scratch your head and wonder why they were made in the first place.