4. The Florida elephant at a parking meter law
Among the most commonly found state laws claimed to remain on the books is this one, from Florida; “If an elephant is left at a parking meter, the owner is not exempt from the fees and will be ticketed if the meter has expired”. The law, or rather the myth of it being the law, emerged sometime in the 1930s, and probably evolved from local regulations from that time, possibly from the area around Sarasota. In 1927, the Ringling Brothers Circus moved to Sarasota during the winter, making that community its base of operations throughout the cold weather months.
The use of parking meters began to grow popular around the same time. In those days the circus traveled largely by railroad, and once off the boxcars was self-propelled, using its animals and in particular its elephants for the heavy lifting and moving work while erecting its tents, shelters, and other structures. Possibly elephants were left temporarily at metered parking spots, and possibly a local ordinance was passed ordering them to be liable for the fees, but there was no statewide law regarding elephants and parking fees in existence in 2010, and none exists today.