Yes that’s right. No more x-rays at shoe stores, darn! How will we fit our shoes now? I can’t tell if they fit without an x-ray!
In Wisconsin X-ray machines may not be used to fit shoes. Yes, this is a real law. And almost as funny as the actual law itself is the fact that it is in the fluoroscopic shoe-fitting machines section of the law books. So not only is this a ridiculous law that is totally insane to begin with, but there is also an entire section of law in Wisconsin devoted wholly to these types of fluoroscopic machines.
However, don’t be alarmed because the law only prohibits you from fitting shoes with them. Cause that’s totally what x-ray machines were designed for in the first place right?
This became a law in 1977 and as far as I could find out was never repealed or changed. The law says,
“Whoever uses, possesses, or controls with intent to so use, any fluoroscopic or x-ray machine for the purpose of shoe-fitting or attempting to fit shoes, or who knowingly permits such machine, whether in use or not, to remain on his or her premises, is subject to a Class B forfeiture.”
Translation: Anyone who has an x-ray machine and wants to fit shoes with it or owns one at all, even if they’re not using it, will get their x-ray machine taken away.
Well, who knows why anyone would even think to make this a law or attempt it in the first place? I certainly don’t. In my mind this law led me to several questions. What would possess someone to try this? Who has an x-ray machine in a shoe store? Isn’t it just easier to try them on and feel them to see if they fit? Wouldn’t this be a really slow way to do business? How in the world did anyone see this as a criminal activity?
These are the questions I will be pondering this weekend, but for some reason I don’t think anyone has the answers to most of them.
Sigh...This is why our country is going to pot. Legislators spend too much time and effort passing stupid resolutions or laws, like the x-ray law, instead of attempting to fix the nation's problems.
ReplyDeleteSome of the laws you've posted before were pretty ridiculous, but this one is just pretty stupid in my opinion. I would never think to use an x ray to see what shoe size I should wear. I thought that's what we tried them on for!
ReplyDeleteI have severe nerve damage in both feet from the excessive usage of those machines. Maybe not so stupid
DeleteAn x-ray? In a shoe store? How does an x-ray help anyone do anything that doesn't involve needing a look at bones? And our feet have muscle and skin surrounding the bones, so I don't understand how this ever helped anyone fit shoes in the first place.
ReplyDeleteActually, it was fairly common in the 1950s to fit children's shoes with specially made X-Ray machines called Flouroscopes. Google image search "x ray shoe fitting machine" and you'll see what I mean. why they're illegal is because as all those X-Rays go into your feet, just as many are hitting your brain. it caused a lot of cancer.
ReplyDeleteI have severe nerve damage in both feet that can be blamed on those machines. I also have other feet problems that seem to have no explanations.
DeleteA quick google would reveal that this law was passed to curtail the very prevalent use of unregulated shoe store foot fluoroscopes that leaked X-rays all over the store and quite possibly had deleterious health effects upon users and (more likely) store employees. The law is less "dumb" and more "duh."
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