Unusual Fines Given to Individuals for Surprising Infractions
Lighten up with this fun, unconventional journey through history, as we uncover some unbelievable tales of fines bestowed upon the notorious—and not so notorious!
1 Time Traveling in 1789: George Washington's Faux Pas
This founding father casually borrowed a couple books from the New York Society Library, only to leave them behind during his lifetime. The library ledger vanished until 1934, and his estate returned an exact copy of one book in 2010. With the fine amounting to a whopping $300,000 in 2010, the library decided to let sleeping dogs lie. But we wonder if Washington, with his edgy sense of humor, would've found it quite amusing.
2 President Ulysses S. Grant's Leadfoot
In 1872, Grant was caught using his speedy horse-drawn carriage way beyond the speed limit. Police Officer William H. West halted Grant and handed him a $20 ticket. Quite the dichotomy, as fines could make or break people in those days, and Grant had to be one of the wealthiest individuals in the nation.
3 George Lucas Steps on Hollywood Toes
In the land of dream makers and doers, George Lucas caused quite a stir in 1980. He placed the credits at the end of his film, "The Empire Strikes Back," which was a no-no according to the Writers and Directors Guild. Lucas ended up paying a hefty $250,000 fine to protect his former professor and director, Irvin Kershner, from receiving the brunt of the backlash. Lucas even parted ways with the guilds and the Motion Picture Association in the process. Talk about battle scars!
4 Jason Humphreys' Questionable Form of Driving Etiquette
Humphreys made some waves in 2014 when he deployed an illegal cellphone jammer each day during his morning commute. Metric smensures aside, Humphreys' actions resulted in a $48,000 fine from the FCC for potentially interfering with emergency communications and other crucial signals.
5 Lawrence Richard Walters' Unconventional Balloon Ride
In 1982, Walters grabbed the world's attention when he ascended to the skies using 43 weather balloons attached to a lawn chair. While floating 4,600 meters above the earth, he broke a power line, causing a blackout and incurring a $1,500 fine. Despite his clash with the law, Walters proved that sometimes, you just have to follow your dreams—literally!
6 The Swedish "Name That's Easy to Remember" Debacle
In 1996, a Swedish couple had quite the linguistic escapade when they decided to name their child "Brfxxccxxmnpcccclllmmnprxvclmnckssqlbb11116." The couple chose this odd assortment of letters as a protest of a law that fined parents if their children didn't register their names by the age of five. The court rejected the name, upholding the fine, and Elisabeth Hallin and David Diding's child lived with a generic moniker instead.
As history continues to unfold, we can only imagine what weird and wonderful fines the future will bring!
In the realm of social media, one might ponder if George Washington, with his edgy sense of humor, would've found amusement in posting about his 2010 book fine, a whopping $300,000 equivalent, as a nod to his 1789 unpaid library debt.
In the world of pop-culture, had President Ulysses S. Grant's speeding ticket in 1872 been shared on entertainment platforms, it would've made for quite the viral clip—a renowned president breaking the speed limit and receiving a $20 fine. Such incongruities between wealth and punishment might still catch our eye today.
