It is illegal to spit upon any public sidewalk or into a public garbage can.

The Law

Drafted during the tuberculosis outbreaks of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, this hygiene law was meant to curb the spread of deadly airborne diseases. Though the public health crisis has long passed, the law remains on the books as a general anti-nuisance code. It is a historical artifact of how cities used the law to mandate sanitary etiquette.