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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!princeton!eosp1!robison
From: robison@eosp1.UUCP (Tobias D. Robison)
Newsgroups: net.auto,net.legal,net.politics
Subject: Re: Laws Nobody Obeys
Message-ID: <1243@eosp1.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 8-Nov-84 13:26:30 EST
Article-I.D.: eosp1.1243
Posted: Thu Nov  8 13:26:30 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 10-Nov-84 07:05:04 EST
References: <545@charm.UUCP>
Reply-To: robison@eosp1.UUCP (Tobias D. Robison)
Organization: Exxon Office Systems, Princeton
Lines: 25
Xref: princeton net.auto:759 net.legal:179 net.politics:1442
Summary: 

In article <545@charm.UUCP> mam@charm.UUCP (Matthew Marcus) writes:
>[cop> - - - - - - [me> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - (destination)
>
>	A thought for the assembled masses:
>
>What should the status be of a law which is habitually disobeyed by a large
>fraction of those to whom it applies?

In general the status of such laws is that since they are on the books,
they can be successfully enforced, even selectively.  Obviously such
cases breed contempt for government, when people are aware of them.
The following were illegal in New York City in the 1950's, according
to "blue laws" enforced only very selectively:

- Operating any elevator, except for certain genuine emergencies.

- Opening a store to sell anything, except for medicines and a few
necessaries.

- operating a public vehicle ( I think).

	- Toby Robison (not Robinson!)
	allegra!eosp1!robison
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