Town Has Become Real-Life "Footloose" By Banning Swearing, Spitting, And Yelling

    Dancing seems to still be legal... for now.

    Tanya Chen
    by Tanya Chen

    BuzzFeed Staff, Canada

    The town of Taber, a small municipality in Alberta, Canada, has outlawed swearing, spitting, and creating "loud noises."

    Creative Commons / Flickr: fracture

    The town's council has just passed a bylaw that makes it illegal for residents to curse, spit, and yell publicly. Those who commit any of these new offenses could be fined.

    The council decided someone's first offense will cost $150, and a second will reach $250. There is also an automatic fine of $75 for spitting in public.

    These new initiatives were first recommended by the local police. "We just felt that ... by putting them into our bylaw here, it seemed to align better with our community policing principles here," Taber police Chief Alf Rudd told CBC News.

    People in and outside of the southern Albertan town are, unsurprisingly, baffled and embarrassed by the moral policing.

    Dave Breakenridge @SUNBreakenridge

    WTF Taber? http://t.co/tBfTVR4p2C

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    Bruce Fanjoy @brucefanjoy

    Alberta's got a $7 billion hole in it's budget. #Taber 's solution is fine people for swearing. So come to Taber and #giveafuck

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    Bruce Fanjoy @brucefanjoy

    Alberta doesn't have a sales tax, but if you spit in #Taber in will cost you $75. That's roughly a trillion % of the value of your spit.

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    Paul Fairie @paulisci

    Can anyone imagine a realistic scenario where the Taber by-law isn't unconstitutional?

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    Mike Morrison @mikesbloggity

    Worst job in Alberta today: Taber's tourism department.

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    With some sadly and hilariously alluding to a real-life imitation of Footloose.

    Jason Filiatrault @jfiliatrault

    BREAKING: Taber Alberta officially changing its name to "That Town From Footloose".

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    Josh B @JoshYEG

    So is dancing allowed in Taber?

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    Daniel MacEachern @DanMacEachern

    Taber has also banned rock and roll and dancing, but one charismatic teenager won't stand for it! http://t.co/9mUAh7llnF

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    But Taber is no stranger to strict rules for residents: The town also has a lockdown and curfew for teens from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m., daily.

    Paramount Pictures

    Srsly.