Things That Feel Illegal But Are Totally Normal in Illinois

There are certain things that, if you didn't grow up in Illinois, would absolutely feel illegal.  Or at the very least, suspicious.  But if you live here?  Completely normal.  Barely even worth mentioning.

Things That Feel Illegal But Are Totally Normal in Illinois

First up: Checking the weather like it's a full-time job.  Not once a day.  Not twice a day.  I'm talking morning, noon, and right before bed.  And even then, we still leave the house prepared for any kind of weather.  Don't tell me you don't have tons of blankets in your car "just in case."

Another thing that feels illegal?  Driving in the snow when you can't see the lines on the road.  By the fourth or fifth snowfall, we're casually doing 60 miles per hour in a 35 zone.  We simply don't care.  I mean, that's illegal to drive that much over the speed limit but driving in the snow feels illegal sometimes.

Leaving your house with shorts and a t-shirt when it's below 50 degrees.  That should totally be illegal.  I get that we live in the Midwest and our bodies have adapted to this all-seasons weather, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't dress for the weather.  Especially kids at bus stops!  They NEVER dress right for any kind of weather.

And finally, planning your entire commute around road construction.  Cones everywhere.  Workers... lanes are closed... detours.  You don't question it, you simply adapt and find new routes.  It shouldn't be the norm, period.

So no, these things aren't illegal, they're just second nature to us Illinoisans.  We adapt, we complain, we layer up, and keep on moving.  If you know, you know.