Strange Law: The Odd Focuses of American Policy Makers

On a recent trip to the Stop and Shop located in the south end of town with my 17-year-old brother (who recently graduated from Simsbury High School and will be attending Hobart College in the fall), I was surprised to learn that he would be unable to assist me in returning empty cans and bottles from a recent backyard party.  Being surprised, I asked him why he would not be able to help me complete this tedious chore, to which he pointed to a sign stating “It’s the law – under 18 years of age do not operate this equipment”.  I immediately took out my IPhone and snapped a quick picture of the sign, which can be found attached to this blog post.

In immediate reaction to this posted sign (which can be found on all bottle return machines in various grocery stores), I thought it was a bit strange that an American governing agency would find the operation of such a machine (which is also referred to as a reverse vending machine) by a young adult or teenager to be unacceptable.  Although it would certainly make sense to limit the operation of heavy machinery and potentially dangerous pieces of equipment to individuals of appropriate age, I cannot see why anyone would view such a machine as a risk to the well being of a 17 year old operator (such as my brother). 

The presence of this notice on (what I consider to be) a relatively safe piece of machinery made me question the misconstrued priorities that various government agencies throughout the United States hold regarding public safety.  Although I entirely understand that prior events may lead to the development of law, some laws (such as the reverse vending machine age requirement I’ve described) seem to be outlandish and, in my opinion, very unnecessary.

My observation of this particular law made me wonder what other sorts of obscure laws exists here in Connecticut.  Using the peculiar website www.realstrangelaws.com (who would have guessed that such a site even existed), I came across a list of other user-submitted strange laws we have at the state level.  Did you know that “In the State of Connecticut, selling a spool of thread without stating its length can earn three months in prison” or that “in Connecticut, it’s illegal to cut down a tree to catch a raccoon”?  Although such laws certainly appear to be ridiculous, my prior statement that all laws are the consequence of past events remains relevant.  With this being said, individuals throughout the state must have acted in certain ways that caused various governing agencies at the state and national levels to draft (and ultimately incorporate) laws to prevent such actions from taking place in the future. 

In conclusion, I consider this law to be unnecessary as there doesn’t seem to be a great deal of danger in the task at hand, nor a difference in ability of individuals under and above the age threshold of 18.  However, laws are laws and exist in order to permit a more civil society.  Thus, civilians in Simsbury, Connecticut, and the United States as a whole are left no choice but to abide by all laws, no matter how unusual they may be.  After all, at least we don’t live in Waterbury, where “it is illegal for any beautician to hum, whistle, or sing while working on a customer”.