This State Allegedly Made Taking A Bite Of Someone Else's Hamburger A Criminal Offense

Someone sneaking a bite of your unattended burger can feel like a crime, and in Oklahoma, apparently it is. Nearly every state has a number of ancient laws that seem ridiculous to us now, and the Sooner State has one that offers hamburger lovers' some much needed protection. Couples can happily share a milkshake in Oklahoma, but as rumor has it, a shared burger could land them in jail. Given how drool-worthy the state's famous onion burger is, an epidemic of stolen bites wouldn't be all that surprising. There are a lot of delicious burgers in the U.S. but Oklahoma's unspoken signature burger was enough to involve the state's government.

It might appear as a way to safeguard hamburger eaters, but allegedly the law was put into place for selfish reasons. According to the late Helen Krieble, there were too many folks splitting burgers and restaurant owners weren't too pleased. Their collective frustration was somehow enough to put an end to it, legally speaking. Oklahoma legislators were easily swayed to put the new sharing ban in place, likely to avoid ruffling any feathers in the state's profitable restaurant industry, but they claimed it was for public health reasons. 

The existence of this law, rumor or not, begs the question, how often were strangers sneaking bites of random burgers? The law is spoken of as an anti-theft move, and while stealing a bite of a burger is in fact stealing, it seems a bit of a dramatic consequence. The rarity of missing burger bites only solidifies the fact that the law was hardly pushed for health concerns. Whether it's about budget or appetite, there are plenty of reasons to split a burger with a pal. These days, it's common for menus to have hidden fine print noting a fee for sharing, but thankfully no threat of legal action. Trying to outsmart the waitstaff to dodge extra fees is nerve wracking, but nothing compared to the possibility of walking out in cuffs.

Claire Donnelly of KGOU did a deep dive to find the source of this Oklahoma lore but came up empty handed. Despite the complete lack of documentation on the anti-sharing law, nearly every local Okie seems to have heard of it. Oddly enough, this isn't Oklahoma's only hamburger related law. Apparently, it's also illegal to walk backwards while eating a burger. While that law does sound like a safety measure, Oklahoma residents can't seem to enjoy their burgers in peace. It's tough to gather how enforced these laws are today, but better to keep your perfect burger to yourself just to be safe.