What life is like on USA town with insane 25-year waitlist to own a car

There exists a small island off the coast of Los Angeles that seems like the perfect place to relax by the sea, yet it comes with one major caveat as residents have to submit to an insane 25-year waitlist if they want to own a car.

You might never have even heard of Catalina Island but it's one of America's most beautiful yet strangest towns, joining one of the most isolated islands as somewhere you might want to consider putting on your bucket list.

Many have remarked that it's coastal views and stunning landscapes remind them of Italy's Amalfi Coast, and that understandably captures the interest of many that are looking for something extravagant that's still rather close to home.

Catalina Island is one of America's most beautiful travel destinations, yet it does have one absurd rule (Bob Riha, Jr./Getty Images)

It's also home to a 3,000-person-strong wine mixer event that sees travelers from all across America descend on the small island, inspired by an unlikely source in the 2008 Will Ferrel comedy film Stepbrothers, yet you might be turned off the concept of living there by one rather unusual rule.

As reported by USA Today, Catalina Island has specific laws that restrict the number of cars that are allowed to be owned on, as they believe it would harm the peaceful ambiance if vehicles were allowed to roam free.

It's certainly something that makes sense considering the car-dominated culture of the United States as a whole, yet it does make getting around a little more difficult, especially for those used to the convenience of the mainland.

Thankfully longtime residents have been 'grandfathered' into the rule, meaning that they can happily keep their vehicles, yet anyone moving to the island now will need to abide by a lengthy 25-year waitlist for the opportunity to ship their car over, and who knows where vehicle technology will be by that point.

You have to wait around 25 years in order to earn the right to have your own car as a Catalina Island resident (Bob Riha, Jr./Getty Images)

There are some handy alternatives though for those who haven't yet received their opportunity to drive, as while there's no official public transport on the island, residents are allowed to take their very own golf cart for a spin, making getting from point A to point B a lot quicker.

Even if you do decide to walk though the island itself only takes around 20 minutes to walk from one end to the other, so it's not really that big of a deal and most car journeys would take a matter of minutes once you have finally been able to get your hands behind the wheel.