Some Weird Laws Explained

The following is a list of some weird laws in California, both statewide and in individual towns/cities, that I pulled from various websites. I thought I’d take the opportunity to explain the probable origin of them in order to cast them in a more reasonable light.

“Sunshine is guaranteed to the masses.” It’s unclear whether this was taken from some sort of pronouncement such as in a foundational document or other such statute, or an environmental guarantee or what have you. A lesser well known established right is that landowners are entitled to maintain their access to air, water, and light. The most common example of this might be when a new hotel builds its structure in such a way as to block all the sunlight to the pre-existing hotel’s pool.

“No vehicle without a driver may exceed 60 miles per hour.” It’s unclear whether this is referring solely to cars or other passenger vehicles, such as in the case of those controlled remotely, or other vehicles, such as perhaps planes or trains?

“It is prohibited to sleep in a parked vehicle.” This one seems obvious, it is an attempt to prevent a transient population from a certain area. People who sleep in their cars may also become easy targets for criminal activity.

“All dog “waste” must be removed from any yard within seven days.” This law probably also arose out of a nuisance issue. While it has become increasingly common to institute laws regarding dog waste on public property, it can also become  a problem when homeowner’s allow the waste to accumulate on their front lawns.