The United States is no stranger to bizarre laws, and West Virginia is right there in the mix.
Did you know that it’s illegal to flirt with a fireman in the state? Or, in Nicholas County, for a clergy member to tell a joke during a service? And don’t you dare think about making fun of someone for turning down your proposal to duel.
The list goes on, but one that really stands out for its absurdity is this: It is illegal to whistle underwater in the state of West Virginia.
Which begs the question… why?
There is no shortage of places that tell you whistling is prohibited in the state. But there isn’t much information out there as to how this law came into existence or why it’s a law in the first place. Common sense tells us that we probably shouldn’t attempt whistling underwater unless we’ve got some kind of death wish (though it is possible), so maybe that’s it. Maybe it’s just supposed to act as some sort of deterrent against trying to accidentally kill yourself in a pool.
At least West Virginia isn’t the only state where they spent actual time worrying about something like this; Vermont is also coming for you if you even think about trying to whistle underwater. Fun fact: An original script for Minority Report centered the plot on the PreCrime Division hunting down a man who saw a wide open lake and thought, “You know, I might just try to whistle the alphabet down there.”
So that’s just one of the many odd laws oppressing the people of West Virginia. You might not be able to whistle underwater, but hey, at least you can eat roadkill in the Mountain State.
