35. Until 1974, milking your neighbor’s cow was illegal in Texas
‘Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s ox’ is one of the 10 Commandments. In Texas, between 1866 and 1974, milking a neighbor’s cow could also land you in big trouble. ‘Whoever without the consent of the owner shall take up, use or milk any cow, not his own’ faced a $10 fine. This is another once-sensible, now hilarious, law that suffers only in hindsight. The only reason to milk your neighbor’s cow would be to pinch the milk. Although repealed in 1974, Texan law still prohibits illicit cow milking, albeit less specifically. Today, you’ll be charged with theft of property.
