We've All Done It...

I was researching Salt Lake County Public Codes in preparation for digging a foundation for my house when I came across this:

14.32.150 - Games on sidewalks, curb ramps or streets.

It is unlawful for any person to obstruct any sidewalk, curb ramp or street by playing games thereon, such as ballgames, quoits, marbles, jumping, rolling of hoops, flying of kites, or coasting, or to annoy or obstruct the free travel of any pedestrian, team or vehicle.

(Ord. 1265 § 22, 1994: prior code § 10-12-6)

I haven't looked, but I suspect there are similar laws on the books in most places, perhaps even in Providence.  If that is the case, I think I've broken the law many times.  I suspect we all have.  I can see the utility of such a law, but can you imagine a policeman trying to enforce it?  Storming in like a bull and breaking up a kid's game of marbles?  Who knew jumping on a sidewalk was illegal?  What about hopping? Can a one legged man who's lost his prosthesis under his bed use the sidewalk?  Surely he'd be moving slowly, as he hopped along obstructing able bodied traffic.

And what's with the games?  Rolling hoops, coasting, quoits?  Can you imagine any kid doing any of these things on the sidewalk in front of you house this afternoon?  They're like a million years old.  Does anyone even remember what "Quoits" is?  I had to look it up.  Here's a lovely drawing of some people playing it.

It seems to me from the picture that it is clearly a game that originated at Hogwarts some time in the late 1700's.  Actually, I guess it is some kind of ring toss game.  

I think any cop who came for kids playing these games on the sidewalk would be wearing a mustache and a silly hat, and a huge double-breasted coat and clodhopper boots.  The ne'er-do-well that they've apprehended in this photo is probably a little old for our purposes, but it serves as illustration.

They'll be dragging any kid who gets nicked away in a horse drawn jail carriage.  The precursor of the paddy-wagon?  It's off to the workhouse for those urchins.

I'm totally going to call the cops and insist they enforce this law if I see any children playing on the sidewalk when I build my house.  I mean it must have current relevance   It was revised just in 1994.  There will be no quoits in my neighborhood.  No sir-ee.