If you've lived in Rhode Island for all, if not most, of your life, then you know that our tiny state can be a little strange. As a lifelong Rhode Islander, it's hard to say that our many oddities phase me anymore, and it wasn't until I wrote this article that I realized Rhody is so much stranger than many of us natives realize. From unusual laws to inanimate state ambassadors, here are 21 strange facts about Rhode Island that you have to see to believe:
1. It's illegal to intentionally bite off another person's limb.
2. There are more donut shops per capita in the Providence metro area than anywhere else.
3. In Newport, it's illegal to smoke a pipe after sunset.
4. Mr. Potato Head is the official "family-travel ambassador" of the state.
5. Almost four thousand Rhode Island's can fit in America.
6. Our official state drink is coffee milk.
7. It's against the law to wear see-through clothing in Providence.
8. Our state motto, "Hope," is the shorter than any other state.
9. Professional sports (with the exception of hockey and ice polo) need a special license in order to play on Sunday's.
10. You'll be fined if you throw pickle juice on a trolley.
11. Rhode Island has more shipwrecks per square mile than any other state.
12. In Scituate, you'll get a ticket for driving with a beer in your car, even if it isn't open.
13. It's illegal to sell toothpaste and a toothbrush to the same Providence resident on a Sunday.
14. It is illegal to challenge or accept a duel in the state.
15. It's a misdemeanor if a Rhode Islander is caught having more than 11 permanent vehicles in front of their home.
16. Cap guns are illegal.
17. If you're passing on the left, you must make a loud noise.
18. Providence is home to the world's largest bug. He goes by the name of "Nibbles Woodaway."
19. In West Warwick, it's illegal to use water on even-numbered days for the sole purpose of watering plants, gardens, or lawns.
20. It is illegal to ride a horse on the highway for the purpose of testing its speed.
21. Rhode Island never approved of Prohibition.
