In a lot of cities all across the world, local governments have enacted some peculiar laws. While most of the time these ordinances are amusing, they can also be very odd. If you frown in Pocatello, Idaho, you’re breaking a city ordinance, regardless of how horrible your day is going.

You shouldn’t kick a vending machine that eats your money in Derby, Kansas. Physically abusing the machine is a violation of a town ordinance.  Residents of Rumford, Maine, are prohibited from biting their landlords. This one is still on the books, believe it or not.

It is against the law in Natchez, Mississippi, to “offer an elephant a pint.” At some time in Natchez’s history, someone must have realized the folly of getting an elephant intoxicated. Residents in Wilber, Washington, could face a $300 fine if they ride an ugly horse.

We’re not sure who makes these determinations in Wilber, Washington, for what constitutes equine beauty. However, if you think your horse is ugly, it may be less costly to throw on a little makeup; on your horse.

In Quitman, Georgia, if your “chicken crosses the road”, it will “get more than just to the other side”. If spotted, your little feathered friend could get you charged with a crime for allowing him or her to meander across the road. It’s a law.

Silly String is banned in Southington, Connecticut, thank God. If you live in Nucla, Colorado, you’d better have a legal right to own a firearm. Not owning a gun is a town violation. There’s no ice skating allowed in Moline, Illinois, between June and August.

That sounds fairly logical, if not an ordinance more useful as common sense. Gainesville Country, Georgia residents give a new meaning to “finger licking good”. If you elect to keep your paws clean by eating your chicken with a fork, you’re in violation of a countywide ordinance.

If you enjoy “whistling while you work”, make certain not to do it too loudly in Waterbury, Connecticut. In Thailand, better “keep your shirt on”, especially when you’re driving. Driving shirtless in the city is forbidden.

Switzerland’s residents must seriously take “if it’s yellow, let it mellow” very, very seriously. It is against the law to flush a commode after 10:00pm. We’re not sure what the procedure is if you experience another bodily emergency.

When someone offends you in Kenya, better curtail your retaliation. Swearing or sneering at someone in Kenya could get you tossed in prison or deported. There’s an old saying, “keep your pants on”. In Greece, they’re serious.

Dropping your drawers and “mooning” in Greece, the Hellenic Republic specifically, could earn you some jail time. There are other ordinances that we maybe should be thankful exist. Only women can belly dance in Egypt.

If you’re planning to pull off a crime, please notify police in Seattle, Washington before passing through. French people are prohibited from naming a pet pig after a dignitary or head of state. Sometimes, that law may be a tough one to follow.

Another especially strange rule in Thailand is the requirement that everyone must wear underwear, but we’re not sure who’s checking. Now, many of these bizarre local ordinances are truly weird.

Likewise, a few seem perfectly suited to their region. Others are equally perfect solutions to solve locally unique problems. There is one such law in a small town in Antarctica. To live in Villa Las Estrellas, you must have an appendectomy.

Yes, that’s correct. Before you can be one of the few residents in this small town, you must have your appendix yanked. There is a rather logical reason for this strange requirement, when presented with the geographical facts about the town.

The closest hospital to Villa Las Estrellas is 625 miles away. Since a sudden acute attack of appendicitis is life-threatening, the 100 or so residents of Villa Las Estrellas are required to remove such before living there. Residents are likewise encouraged to avoid getting pregnant.

Most of these 100 residents are environmentally touch researchers and military personnel. Temperatures in Villa Las Estrellas can dive as low as -100 degrees Fahrenheit. Peak temperatures in the little community may hit a whopping 36 degrees in the summer season.

There is some tourist allure to the predominantly frozen little community. Skiing, snowmobiling and penguin gazing are local attractions. However, heading off to vacation in Villa Las Estrellas to “catch some rays” will probably not prove very satisfying.

It’s also a town law that you better leave your appendix somewhere else, if you, by chance still own it. Sometimes, local laws and ordinances are sincerely strange. However, in other situations, outsiders may not fully understand the real need for an otherwise odd ordinance.

In Villa Las Estrellas, there is one such law. As bizarre as forcing residents to have their appendix yanked before moving in, this ordinance could save a life. PS: Heed the underwear law in Thailand and bring your thermals.