1

Fact: Presidents can drive

Image: Jessica Furtney

It sounds fun to imagine the president taking the wheel for a spin around town, right? Maybe a quiet drive to clear their head or grab a meal in secret behind the tinted glass. But can they really do that?

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Answer: False

Image: Rolando Garrido

Presidents haven’t been allowed to drive on public roads since Lyndon B. Johnson, but they can still enjoy a little time behind the wheel inside fenced areas like Camp David or their own ranch. George W. Bush often drove around his property in Texas, with the Secret Service keeping a close watch, of course!

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Fact: Presidents can’t attend their kids’ plays or games

Image: Philip White

Yes, we know presidential tasks are of utmost importance, but we can all agree family moments matter just as much, even in the White House. So, do you think the president can really attend a school play or a kid’s soccer game?

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Answer: True

Image: Ludo Poiré

It’s true, they can’t unless it’s under very controlled conditions . Public outings cause too much security chaos, so these events usually happen privately. Some presidential kids even had classrooms right inside the White House so their parents could drop in for a visit without turning it into a national operation.

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Fact: Presidents can open the windows whenever they want

Image: Da-shika

Opening a window is one of the most innocent acts one can carry out, and surely, after long meetings and speeches, a little fresh air would be nice. Can the president roll down a window in the White House or a car?

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Answer: False

Image: Gabriele Proietti Mattia

That simple act is off-limits for security reasons , of course. Michelle Obama once said her security team gave her a five-minute "window treat" on a drive to Camp David, and it felt like freedom. The rest of the time, those windows stay shut tight.

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Fact: Presidents can’t use commercial airlines

Image: Shutr

You know Air Force One is specifically designed for the President, and you also know that every president travels constantly , but can they ever hop on a regular American Airlines flight like the rest of us?

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Answer: True

Image: avid Lusvardi

They absolutely can’t fly commercial, but they do take plenty of flights on Air Force One and Marine One. These aircraft are packed with communication systems , security measures, and comfort most travelers can only dream about. It’s safe to say they don’t miss boarding lines.

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Fact: Presidents can use regular gadgets from the store

Image: Azwedo L.LC

Whoever the president is, when they get to the White House, they already have a phone. So, they must be able to use regular phones . Or, for example, a brand-new iPhone or tablet seems harmless enough. Surely the president can pick one up and start scrolling. Do you think this is true or false?

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Answer: False

Image: Eirik Solheim

Standard devices aren’t secure enough. Presidents use specially modified versions that can’t be hacked. Barack Obama had a limited-access BlackBerry, and Joe Biden’s smartwatch and the Peloton were both customized for safety. Even the leader of the free world has tech limits.

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Fact: Presidents can block people on social media

Image: Swello

Alright, so a new president is in office, and they get a brand new secure phone. But with millions of online followers, it must be tempting to block a few loud voices . Surely the president has that right.

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Answer: False

Image: Daniel Romero

Nope. A federal court decided that official social media accounts are public forums , which means blocking users violates the First Amendment. Presidents have to let everyone speak their mind, even if the comments section gets a little rowdy.

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No blindfolded driving in Alabama

Image: Kirill Balobanov

As we said in the introduction, these situations are likely born out of real incidents. At some point, someone must have driven blindfolded in Alabama , and the consequences were serious enough for state legislators to enact a law preventing it from happening again—a reasonable measure if you ask us.

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No driving with dogs on the roof

Image: Tadeusz Lakota

As terrible and infuriating as it may sound, there is a very real possibility that someone drove with a poor dog tied to the roof of a car in chilly Alaska . Thankfully, local legislators passed a law prohibiting this dangerous and cruel situation.

3

No reverse driving

Image: Hunter Wiseley

This law makes no sense, and we bet—or at the very least hope—that it’s no longer enforced. Otherwise, how would Arizonans back out of their driveways without breaking the law?

Believe it or not, traveling in reverse on an Arizona road is illegal .

4

No horn honking at the sandwich joint

Image: Simon Daoudi

While it can certainly be an annoyance to hear cars honking when you’re trying to enjoy a Croque Monsieur and a diet soda at your favorite spot, most of us wouldn’t expect a state law banning it.

But in Arkansas, it’s illegal to honk a horn after 9 p.m. outside an establishment that serves sandwiches and cold drinks .

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No jumping out of the car at 65 mph or faster

Image: Mathias Arlund

This one seems more like common sense than anything else, but apparently, enough people attempted this stunt in California for state legislators to pass a law making it illegal to leap out of a moving vehicle traveling at 65 mph or faster .

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No black vehicles on a Sunday

Image: Steven Erixon

But what if your car is black and you need to drive somewhere? Hopefully, this law is no longer enforced in Colorado. Yet, for some reason lost to time, it’s illegal in this state to drive a black vehicle on a Sunday .

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No speeding tickets for politicians

Image: Sumeet Kapadia

This one is downright infuriating. In Georgia, it’s illegal to ticket a member of the assembly for speeding while the assembly is in session. It should come as no surprise—after all, those same assembly members are the ones responsible for this law.

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No driving with a gorilla in the backseat

Image: MARIOLA GROBELSKA

People in Massachusetts don’t need a law to tell them that driving around with a living gorilla in the backseat is a bad idea—that’s just common sense. But just in case, there’s a state law explicitly prohibiting it.

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No camel-ridding on the highway

Image: Oskars Sylwan

Camels are great for desert travel but not so much for highway traffic. And no US state is more certain of this than Nevada, where it’s illegal to ride a camel on a highway .

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No driving around the town square

Image: Felix Mittermeier

Driving around the town square can be a popular Saturday night activity in some towns, but someone in Ohio must have taken it to the extreme. In this state, it’s illegal to circle the town square more than 100 times in a row .

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No reading comic books while driving

Image: Erik Mclean

For public safety alone, reading while driving should be illegal everywhere. But in Oklahoma, it’s specifically illegal to read comic books while driving —not newspapers, not hardcover novels—just comic books.

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No driving with intoxicated passengers

Image: Jamie Street

Driving under the influence of alcohol is highly dangerous and, fortunately, banned almost everywhere. But in Texas, legislators have taken it a step further, making it illegal to drive if any alcohol is within arm’s reach of the driver —including if that alcohol is in another person’s bloodstream.

1

Los Angeles, California

Image: Venti Views

The Spanish settlers who arrived in the area in the 18th century originally named it El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles , which translates to "The Town of Our Lady the Queen of the Angels." Elegant, but kind of a mouthful for a town name! Over time, the Spanish name stuck, but it was shortened to the more practical "Los Angeles." The city officially adopted this name when it was incorporated in 1850, the same year California became a state.

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New York City, New York

Image: Colton Duke

Before becoming the one and only New York we know today, the city went by a different name. In the 17th century, the Dutch settlers who arrived in the area called it New Amsterdam . However, when the English seized control in 1664, they renamed it New York in honor of the Duke of York.

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Seattle, Washington

Image: Michael Discenza

Seattle is more than its iconic Space Needle; it has a long history that shaped the city we know today. When European settlers arrived in the area in 1851, they named their settlement New York and added the Chinook word Alki , meaning "by and by," "someday," or "later," suggesting it would one day become as big as New York City. However, in 1852, they changed the settlement’s name to Seattle in honor of Chief Sealth, a Duwamish and Suquamish leader.

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Portland, Oregon

Image: Zack Spear

Early settlers referred to the area as The Clearing because it stood out from the dense forests typical of the Pacific Northwest. But in 1845, an event occurred that would change everything. Portland’s two founders, Asa Lovejoy from Boston, Massachusetts, and Francis W. Pettygrove from Portland , Maine, each wanted to name the new settlement after their hometown. So how did they decide? Simple: they flipped a coin . Of course, you know who won!

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Kansas City, Missouri

Image: Farhodjon Chinberdiev

Kansas City was originally founded as the Town of Kansas in 1850, named for its location near the Kansas River. As it quickly grew, it was reincorporated just three years later as the City of Kansas . Finally, in 1889, it officially became Kansas City.

Fun fact: Kansas City, Missouri, was actually founded before the state of Kansas!

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Charleston, South Carolina

Image: Tyrone Sanders

Before it became the city we know today, Charleston had another name, though not so different. When it was first settled in 1670, the English named it Charles Town in honor of King Charles II. However, over time, the name gradually evolved in pronunciation to Charleston. In 1783, after the Revolutionary War, the city was officially renamed Charleston.

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San Diego, California

Image: Sean Mullowney

San Diego was the first site on the US West Coast settled by Europeans, which is why it's often called "the Birthplace of California." When Spanish explorers arrived in the area in 1542, they named the bay after a different saint: San Miguel . But years later, in 1602, explorer Sebastián Vizcaíno renamed it San Diego, in honor of San Diego de Alcalá (Saint Didacus of Alcalá).

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Orlando, Florida

Image: Aditya Vyas

In 1840, the first settlers arrived in what we know today as Orlando. They were the Jernigan family, who named the place after themselves. A post office with that name was even established in 1850. However, about 6 years later, Jernigan officially changed to Orlando. Although the exact reason isn't entirely clear, there are several theories. A popular one claims it was named after Orlando Reeves, a soldier who may have died in the area during the Seminole Wars. Another well-known theory suggests the name came from Orlando , a character in Shakespeare’s As You Like It .

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Cincinnati, Ohio

Image: Matt Koffel

In the 1780s, the first settlement in this area was called Losantiville , a name created from a mix of words meaning "The town opposite the mouth of the Licking River." But in 1790, the first governor of the Northwest Territory, who was also a member of the Society of the Cincinnati (named in honor of the Roman general Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus), disliked Losantiville and decided to change it to its present name.

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Atlanta, Georgia

Image: Christopher Alvarenga

Atlanta didn't just have one or two names; it had three! By the mid-19th century, the area where the city stands today had become a transportation hub where several railroad lines converged. Because of this, in 1837, the area was called Terminus , meaning "the end of the line." Then, in 1843, the name was changed to Marthasville , in honor of Martha, the daughter of Georgia Governor Wilson Lumpkin. Finally, just two years later, the city was renamed Atlanta. This name is believed to be a shortened form of "Atlantic," referring to the Western and Atlantic Railroad.