Cook County Forest Preserves Now Safe for "Acrobatic Feats," "Known Thieves"

By Chuck Sudo in News on Jul 14, 2011 1:35PM

There's a lot of things we don't know about the Cook County Forest Preserves and probably for good reason. For instance, did you know that there was a rule that prohibited juggling and doing somersaults?

There was also an ordinance that prevented “all persons who are known to be thieves, burglars, pickpockets, robbers or confidence men, either by their own confession or otherwise or by having been convicted of larceny, burglary, or other crimes against the laws of the State of Illinois, who are found lounging in or prowling or loitering around any house, barn, building or other structure within any forest preserve, and who are unable to give a reasonable excuse for being so found.”

Those have all been stricken from the books in a major cleanup by the Forest Preserve District yesterday. Now you can go ahead and turn flips, juggle chainsaws, lift the wallets from joggers and do fortune tellings (which were also prohibited).

County Commissioner Larry Suffredin said the changes were necessary to bring the Forest Preserve District out of medieval times and into the 21st Century. (Not to mention that simply ticketing someone visiting the forest preserves for having an arrest record is illegal.)

The District also clearly defined what constitutes indecent exposure in the forest preserves and on district golf courses. Hint, hint, golfers - check your flies and keep your pants on

So rejoice, gypsies, tramps and thieves. The forest preserves now welcome you with open arms. (Witches may still have to pass a float test.)