I was reading a history of the local library and found out it used to have a 'silent reading room' with a rule against turning pages too loudly.

It made me think about how much our idea of a quiet place has changed, and if anyone else has stumbled on a weird old rule like that.

4 comments

4 Comments

jennifer8331mo ago

It's funny how many old rules were just about controlling tiny bits of noise and style.

allen.kai2mo ago

My grandma's church had a rule about women's hats blocking the view during sermons. They actually had a sign listing the maximum brim size. I guess every place had its own strange little law back then.

viola_allen2mo ago

Oh man, that reminds me of my friend's old town. They had a law against wearing suspenders on Sundays, something about it being "too casual for the Lord's day." The local barber would actually remind guys about it if they came in for a trim. It's wild what communities decided to focus on.

paige3312mo ago

Did the barber ever actually refuse to cut someone's hair if they were wearing suspenders, or was it just a friendly warning? I'm trying to picture how serious they were about enforcing it.