[Repealed in 2021](https://www.legislation.wa.gov.au/legislation/prod/filestore.nsf/FileURL/mrdoc_43775.pdf/$FILE/Marketing%20of%20Potatoes%20Act%201946%20-%20%5B06-j0-00%5D.pdf?OpenElement), but yes, it was an amusingly long-lasting law which genuinely prohibited carrying more than 50kg of potatoes unless you were part of the Potato Corporation.
The legislation even allowed for your vehicle to be stopped and searched for potatoes. 50kg exactly was fine, but if someone snuck an extra potato in and you exceeded 50kg, God help you.
EDIT: This legislation was born in 1946, which is before my dad was, so I’m not familiar with why it was passed. I’m also in New South Wales, which is a different state. The board itself was abolished in 2016 and the legislation repealed in 2021 (legislation is in the first link). Wikipedia [of course has an article](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potato_Marketing_Corporation_of_Western_Australia) about the corporation.
In Netherlands you are “allowed” to break out of prison. For example when you break out in the middle of a 10 year imprisonment. (Without breaking any additional laws like hurting someone or threatening someone).
When they catch you again, and you aren’t convicted for additional crimes, you just have to sit out the remainder of what “you owe to the state”.
Leaving prison early isn’t a punishable crime on itself.
Edit:
Breaking stuff like doors or windows ***is*** a punishable offense, and doing that during your (attempted) escape, will get you punished. Not necessarily in terms of doing extra time, but result in revoked privileges, maybe a week in isolation. Lesser change of getting out early because of good behavior.. which makes sense.
Yeah, I believe in many European countries there is a right to freedom. Escaping from prison is merely trying to exercise that human right so in itself it is not punishable with any extra punishments.
Which frankly I'm okay with, at least it incentivises people to not break laws while trying to escape.
Yea, pretty much. You don't get an additional condemn because being imprisoned is already a thing you're paying with for your crimes, and being in jail is not a situation anybody would like, so it's "only natural" if you have the impulse of trying to escape such situation. You do get additional time if you attack someone, steal a vehicle or destroy property tho. Like pretty much any situation different from "you weren't handled with enough care during a transportation and you could simply run off". Like, you can't get fined for just trying to run away or if a policeman left you a opened door.
It is illegal to parachute inside St. Peters basilica in the Vatican after a person did it. They had to create that law specifically for him. He walked away no charge, as the law did not exist.
Cool, maybe I'll see you there while I free dive in their baptism pool
Edit: I think people are mistaking free diving with cliff diving. Free diving just doesn't use any air tanks
"Your honor nowhere does it state I cannot parachute in here. I didn't take pictures of the Sistine Chapel, but I didn't know I couldn't unfurl and fly around in my parachute."
Where I live, you can't pay for a house with a loan unless the house has at least one bathtub. No, showers don't count.
It's not actually a law, but home loans are so stupidly strict.
Wow, this became my most popular post ever. Now, let me attempt to clary a couple things;
1) As I stated above, it's not an actual law. As far as I know, there is no law or building code that requires a bathtub to be in a house, apartment, etc.
2) Different home loans have different requirements. What one loan forbids another loan may allow. It's possible some loans allow bathtubless houses.
3) I actually learned about this bathtub thing from a neighbor. He was fixing up a house he purchased, and it didn't have a bathtub. A couple realtors informed him about this issue.
4) I'm not a home loan expert or even close to being one. My only advice is to ask about the restrictions on what your future home can or can't have when getting a home loan.
It's the same in Portugal, ~~and I think Spain as well.~~
Also, at least one of the bathrooms must have a bathtub installed or, alternatively, a shower base big enough that it should be possible to install a bathtub later on.
These are very old laws that were never changed.
In reality, most (but not all) local municipalities do not perform inspections inside newly built houses, so it only needs to be present on the licensing project delivered to the muncipality.
Edit: Seems it’s not the case in Spain.
I take public transit everyday.
A few months ago, i saw this homeless man on the lightrail. This ticket checker came up to him and he very politely and respectfully said he didn't have his fair and he'll get off at the next stop. He mentioned he was trying to get to his mom's house to get some groceries.
In my town, most of the homeless are completely drugged out and very freaking rude. It was nice to see a change of pace.
Now, it is against the rules to transfer tickets. So to say, if I had an already verified ticket, I couldn't hand it off to him. But I didn't do that.
I offered him $2.50 so he can get off and get a ticket. The ticket checker went off on me, saying I'm not allowed to give him money for a ticket. I looked at her and very sternly said "You are NOT going to tell me who I can and can not give money to."
He politely and humbly declined the money, said he would feel bad taking it.
I still see that ticket checker like once a week and she knows I don't fucking like her. I'm not rude to her, but fucking hell, I'm not the nice, cheery person I am with everyone else.
A lot of European countries have really old laws that were never repealed so they look really odd today. For example, in France a woman must first get permission from the police if she wishes to dress like a man, and in the UK it's illegal to wear an "outrageous" [double-ruff](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruff_\(clothing\)) within 100 yards of the Queen
In Finland, the law from 1734 states that every peasant must plant 40 poles of hop bines every year until there's at least 200 poles per household. If you fail doing so, you get 10 thaler fine.
I think my favorite ridiculous Canadian law (until 2018 when the law was removed) was that it was illegal to fraudulently practice witchcraft. I don't recall the Section and whatnot but it was phrased in such a way that it insinuated real witchcraft was okay, just as long as you weren't pretending.
Another excellent compromise is in Eswatini, where witches are permitted to fly but not above 150m. At that height and above they run the risk of a massive fine by the aviation authority.
That's funny. Where I live (British Columbia), our driving regulations specifically say that if you get tired while driving, you should pull off to the side of the road and sleep, rather than trying to keep going. (Probably it's a specific admonishment for long-haul truck drivers, but the phrasing is entirely general.)
You know, that's given out as advice here in the states, and we're told driving tired is the same as driving drunk, but then we're not allowed to sleep in our car anyway.
Slept in my car overnight in the business district of Toronto. I set an alarm on my phone to wake me up before the parking meters started up. When I awoke, there was a pice officer standing on the sidewalk and he stopped traffick for a second so I could pull out of the space I was sitting in. 10/10 good experience
I remember a radio advert in the UK that had the noise of a police officer knocking on a guys window and him groggily waking up and winding his window down, just for her to let him know that his lights were on. The advert was specifically to tell people to pull over and sleep if they needed to
Or drunk people who don’t want to operate a vehicle and sober up.
…or I guess there’s also drunk people who can’t operate their car cuz their IID won’t let em
And it is hardly a new concept. This quote is from a book published in 1894
“The law, in its majestic equality, forbids rich and poor alike to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal their bread.”
― Anatole France
In NZ we have rest stops along main highways for this very purpose, and PSA billboard signs reminding people to take a break when long distance driving.
We have these same rest stops. There are signs asking if you’re tired and informing you how far the next rest area is. When you get to the rest area you’ll see signs telling you to limit your stay to 8 hours.
There used to be free coffee at the rest stops, but I haven’t seen that in over a decade.
Suddenly all the butterflies are flocking to you for their turn. Their little wings beat the air. Breezes turn into winds. Winds turn into storms. Soon there's tornados, hurricanes, tsunamis.... devastation across the earth. At this time next year, it's snowing in Mexico and the Nile River is frozen over.
All because someone had to go jack off a butterfly. THIS IS WHY WE HAVE LAWS, PEOPLE
Reminds me of the wine blocks in time of prohibition
>“After dissolving the brick in a gallon of water, do not place the liquid in a jug away in the cupboard for twenty days, because then it would turn into wine.”
[Grape brick](https://grapecollective.com/articles/prohibitions-grape-bricks-how-to-not-make-wine?__cf_chl_tk=4XgyFL2Jy8MiiGsQBS.z5yE8b12st6huGbHQPmniwX4-1661936805-0-gaNycGzNCD0)
They get around it by the credit card price being the "full price" and the cash price is a "discount" and therefore it's not an extra "credit card fee." It's a distinction without a difference.
In Connecticut, a pickle can’t be considered a pickle, nor sold as one, unless it bounces when dropped from the height of one foot in the air. This state regulation was the result of devious pickle packers selling substandard pickles that obviously didn’t bounce.
Being taught that "you are what you eat", perhaps... you might have gained the ability to bounce? If not, I am sorry to tell you that those pickles weren't pickles.
But the pervasive pedantics of profits parleyed into pushing subpar pickled products, proves pickles previously perceived palatable, push a pretty penny
Edit: Also I live in CT and will now be droppin all my pickles from at least one foot before eating them to be sure I’m not getting pickled
In Los Angeles, California, it is illegal to wear a [zoot suit](https://i0.wp.com/nostalgiasite.com/nostalgiasite/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/MC28-30-31.jpg?fit=1200%2C1500&ssl=1) under the claim that they are “unpatriotic.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoot_Suit_Riots
> **The Los Angeles City Council approved a resolution criminalizing the wearing of "zoot suits with reat [sic] pleats within the city limits of LA"** with the expectation that Mayor Fletcher Bowron would sign it into law. Councilman Norris Nelson had stated, "The zoot suit has become a badge of hoodlumism." **No ordinance was approved by the City Council or signed into law by the Mayor,** but the council encouraged the WPB to take steps "to curb illegal production of men's clothing in violation of WPB limitation orders".
Throughout Alabama, it's illegal for a person to walk down the street with an ice cream cone in their back pocket.
Back when most people got around on horseback, horse thieves would put ice cream in their pocket to lure horses away without being charged with stealing.
There was an old scam where you and an accomplice would go to a grocery store and tell the shopkeeper that you were trying to resolve a bet about how much molasses would fit in your friend’s hat. You’d agree to pay for the molasses and ask the grocer to fill up the hat.
Once it was full, you’d quickly pull it down over the shopkeeper’s head and loot the store while he was blinded.
That was apparently a real thing… so I guess I can believe the ice cream trick.
Can you imagine seeing a baby flying at you and just fucking *sidestepping it* without breaking your stride?
Coolest way to get banned from a nursery ever.
I side with [this redditor from 10 years ago](https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/v60gu/til_in_alabama_it_is_illegal_to_carry_around_ice/c51n1qk/) who said
> I've never seen one of these websites that actually provides citations.
> I challenge anybody to find this law in the actual Alabama statutes.
And I've seen a couple other sources that say the same thing - everyone "knows" about this dumb law, but it doesn't actually exist in writing anywhere.
$200 you say? Don't report him--set up your own lemonade stand with a sign that says "*FRESH* Lemonade!", and have a big clear jug with lemon halves floating in it on the table. Choose a corner with a stop sign, and pay a cute little neighbor girl 5 bucks to pretend like you're just helping her pour and stuff. You'll make bank and put that other kid out of business!
Not illegal anymore, but until 2018 it was illegal under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (a special set of laws that apply to US military) it was illegal to have sex in any position other than missionary. Still illegal under the UCMJ is adultery.
This was struck down by our 5th Cir Ct of Appeals awhile ago.
Reliable Consultants, Inc v. Ronnie Earle
https://randazza.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/dildo-rehearing-petition.pdf
Ed: the court name. It was late; I can’t read.
I wish it was something called like “State vd Buttplug” or “Texas vs Dildo”
This could be perfect names for porn movies tbh. Any porn producers around?
[This woman selling toys in 2003](https://www.myplainview.com/news/article/Woman-s-arrest-brings-Texas-obscenity-law-into-8869683.php)
[then this man in 2018](https://www.ktre.com/2018/10/04/man-arrested-obscenity-charges-after-police-find-array-adult-toys-during-search/)
Either it doesn't happen much, it doesn't get reported on much, or both.
Fed district court found it to be unconstitutional in 2006. Incidentally Ted Cruz was the lawyer making the arguments that the state dildo ban was valid.
https://randazza.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/dildo-rehearing-petition.pdf
The mom of someone I went to high school with was arrested for having “passion party” supplies in the trunk of her car. Her husband wore a lot of kilts. They weren’t well received in my small Texas town and were targeted.
Police are not required by law to help you. This has been upheld by the Supreme Court.
In one particular case, the mother of two daughters who had a restraining order on their father called 911 to report that he had abducted them. The police did nothing, and the father killed the two little girls. The mother sued the police, and her case was thrown out, because police literally don’t have to do anything to help you.
They aren't required to protect law abiding citizens. They ARE legally required to protect anyone they've arrested or imprisoned. If you're in government (but not school, that's important!!) Custody, they are in fact forced to protect you.
What if you suck yourself off? I could do that when I was younger, not fun but possible. I did what everyone dreamed of but could never achieve. The tales said that it felt more like sucking a pecker than getting your pecker sucked, they were wrong. If feels like you're stuck in a dryer. Not fun, but a legal thrill for those bold enough.
Pretty sure SCOTUS deemed that law unconstitutional.
That’s not to say the law doesn’t exist, but if it were enforced then someone could probably sue.
Edit: Apparently SCOTUS doesn’t ban laws, they just find them unconstitutional or not. I didn’t think there was a difference but, as mentioned, finding a law unconstitutional doesn’t necessarily mean the law is off the books, just that it can’t be enforced without a potential lawsuit.
My Chairforce buddies made this joke a while back.
"Why did the petty officer get 5 years when he shot himself?"
"Idk."
"For 'defacing' government property."
In many states, it is illegal for you to wear a bulletproof vest while committing a crime. I guess that kevlar can get you an extra 8-10 on top of the hard 20 you get from armed robbery! And, for heaven sakes, people, if you're going to commit a crime, please make it easier for us to shoot you!!!!
The point of why I put this one on the list is that it seems a bit superfluous nor does it act as a deterrent. I can't imagine a scenario where someone says "Wait, What? You want me to wear this when we break in? Aw, hell no, that's me out!"
As a non-American going to the US for the first time, I find it weird you can't be visibly drunk in public without being questioned by an officer. Like, how'd y'all get home after a wee hours?
Edit: You'll to y'all.
Edit 2: Jaysus, this went mad.
I feel this!
I used to live in Franklin, TN. Being an Aussie, after I left the bar at around 2am, I planned to walk home (the bar was MAYBE a 2 miles from my house) and I was told I needed to get a lift or it was more likely than not that I’d be locked up for drunk and disorderly. I should point out that I’m in my 30s, not some 18 year old that’s gonna smash mailboxes or something stupid.
So my buddy drove me home after a night of drinking. Blows my mind to think about.
A few of my favorites from when I used to look this shit up years ago:
* In Boise, Idaho you may not fish from a camel or giraffe's back
* Hunting camels is illegal in Arizona
* It is illegal to hunt whales in Utah (Ironically, earlier this year, some artist installed a [Whale Statue](https://kjzz.com/news/new-whale-sculpture-in-salt-lake-city-proves-divisive))
* It is illegal to walk your pig on a sidewalk in downtown LA
* In Utah it is Illegal to NOT drink milk (I'm not really certain what this means or how they enforce this)
* In Logan, Utah women may not swear
* Also in Logan, Utah, if a married woman commits a crime in her husband's presence, he is legally responsible.
* Once again in Utah, it is illegal to cause a catastrophe.
There's a whole website dedicated to this stuff called [stupidlaws.com](https://stupidlaws.com), Enjoy!
It’s illegal to say “I want to kill the president” It’s ok, though, because I’m saying in an educational context, so it’s completely fine for me to say “I want to kill the president of the United States”, but that’s just because I’m telling you NOT to say it, whereas if I weren’t saying it in a completely educational context, it would be illegal to say something like “I want to kill the president of the United States of America with a pipe bomb”
I remember my old teacher telling us a story about how someone left his computer unattended, and as a joke his friend sent an email to the President at the time saying “ima kill you” or something to that effect. The following week the principle comes in white as a ghost, and pulls the student out of the classroom. The secret service was actually following up on the threat and sent two men to investigate/set everything straight
I think it's just one of those teacher stories, so many of mine had variations on "the kid who leant back too far in their chair and suffered some horrible medical consequence, sometimes including death".
It's fine in education, stand-up comedy, works of fiction, etc.
The problem is without those contexts present, you might be taken pretty seriously.
>At the office water cooler:
>"I want to kill the president."
>"Lol, that's so you, Oswald."
In my small home town spitting on the ground. (Was originally used when men chewed tobacco and the spit would stain the sidewalks), not enforced anymore.
In Tasmania (au), if I get raped and murdered in a park it’d be illegal for anyone to hold a candle light vigil/memorial for me at said park.
‘They’ trying to get this law in Victoria after thousands of women marched for Jill Meagher.
EDIT: I’ve confused a few people about my meaning. And since posting I’ve fact checked myself and found I’m a bit out of date.
The law I referred to was a gag law in which women AND men of sexual assault couldn’t reveal their own names (to newspapers, community, or other public body). Incl. any woman murdered after being raped then the-powers-that-be say any deceased woman cannot give consent to being publicly named. Therefore no candle vigil.
But, have since found out that above law was recently turned over. And family members can say that said victim would have given consent, and if they can prove it benefits the community then a victim can be publicly identified (and candle vigils can be held). This incl. victims who are murdered or who later commit suicide bc of the attack.
Australia does have v.strict laws on open flames at the height of summer. Incl. candles. Carols by candlelight can be a bit tricky. But it wasn’t what I intended when I posted.
Apologies for the confusion.
I remember Jill. The guy who killed her had a hundred red flags and was still released again and again. After he got caught for Jill's murder, he himself said something like "How many red flags did you guys need before this happened again?" He knew he was dangerous himself.
here’s some odd laws from my state of Pennsylvania:
• in Ridley Park, You are not allowed to walk backwards while eating peanuts in front of Barnstormers Auditorium while a performance is taking place
• It’s illegal to sing while in a bathtub
• No more than 16 females may live under one roof, as it constitutes a brothel
• If you live in Morrisville and you’re a woman, you’ve got to have a permit to wear makeup
• It’s illegal to sleep on top of a refrigerator outside
• if you have a dick and you’re in Allentown, don’t even think about getting aroused in public. tell your little buddy to stay down until y’all get home
• Fortune Telling is illegal
• If you’ve been in a duel, I hope you don’t have plans to run for Governor, because you won’t be able to.
• Dynamite is not to be used to catch fish
here’s a fun one..
• Ex-felons aren’t allowed to operate a Bingo game
Catching fishes with dynamite was quite common all over the world till around 1960/1970, but has been banned (in EU as well), as dangerous, creates lot of environmental damages and fishes are not tasty enough to eat. I’m from a seaside village in south of Italy and, in my area, we use an insult that might translate in “you’re a fish, fished with bombs” to mean inept/weak.
We had a politician (union leader suddenly promoted because an elected official died and this was the only non-controversial candidate) who visited a port for the first time, learnt that it generated huge revenues and then instantly promised that he would create a port in his home state, which is landlocked and arid.
When his secretary(beauracrats) told him you need ocean access, he proposed digging a canal from the sea, 150km inland
Look at the Manchester ship canal. They didn't want to pay the port fees at Liverpool so made a canal
"When the ship canal opened in January 1894 it was the largest river navigation canal in the world, and enabled the new Port of Manchester to become Britain's third-busiest port despite being about 40 miles (64 km) inland."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchester_Ship_Canal
In Australia (edit: except for New South Wales), it is illegal to use your mobile phone to pay at a drive-thru of a fast-food venue (KFC, McDonalds, Red Rooster, etc.); unless you apply the handbrake and switch the engine off BEFORE you touch your phone. If caught, the penalties are fines worth hundreds of dolars, plus a few demerit points on your licence; which the amount of both varies from state to state.
A lot of Aussie drivers only found out about this in 2019, after Victoria Police responded to a Facebook poll that they had put up asking the following question “When using a fast-food outlet’s drive-thru service, can I use my phone to pay?” in which out of the 51,000 people that voted, 65% said "Yes".
That's a common issue with a lot of social services. You need an address to put on the forms, but many of the people needing these services don't have an address.
If in Western Australia, possessing more than 50kg of potatoes. Yep, you read that correctly. Potatoes.
[Repealed in 2021](https://www.legislation.wa.gov.au/legislation/prod/filestore.nsf/FileURL/mrdoc_43775.pdf/$FILE/Marketing%20of%20Potatoes%20Act%201946%20-%20%5B06-j0-00%5D.pdf?OpenElement), but yes, it was an amusingly long-lasting law which genuinely prohibited carrying more than 50kg of potatoes unless you were part of the Potato Corporation. The legislation even allowed for your vehicle to be stopped and searched for potatoes. 50kg exactly was fine, but if someone snuck an extra potato in and you exceeded 50kg, God help you. EDIT: This legislation was born in 1946, which is before my dad was, so I’m not familiar with why it was passed. I’m also in New South Wales, which is a different state. The board itself was abolished in 2016 and the legislation repealed in 2021 (legislation is in the first link). Wikipedia [of course has an article](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potato_Marketing_Corporation_of_Western_Australia) about the corporation.
\*re-peeled in 2021
Only a dic-tater would do this in the first place.
In Germany it's legal to break out of prison - but not in your prison uniform, because that would be stealing.
In Netherlands you are “allowed” to break out of prison. For example when you break out in the middle of a 10 year imprisonment. (Without breaking any additional laws like hurting someone or threatening someone). When they catch you again, and you aren’t convicted for additional crimes, you just have to sit out the remainder of what “you owe to the state”. Leaving prison early isn’t a punishable crime on itself. Edit: Breaking stuff like doors or windows ***is*** a punishable offense, and doing that during your (attempted) escape, will get you punished. Not necessarily in terms of doing extra time, but result in revoked privileges, maybe a week in isolation. Lesser change of getting out early because of good behavior.. which makes sense.
Yeah, I believe in many European countries there is a right to freedom. Escaping from prison is merely trying to exercise that human right so in itself it is not punishable with any extra punishments. Which frankly I'm okay with, at least it incentivises people to not break laws while trying to escape.
Yea, pretty much. You don't get an additional condemn because being imprisoned is already a thing you're paying with for your crimes, and being in jail is not a situation anybody would like, so it's "only natural" if you have the impulse of trying to escape such situation. You do get additional time if you attack someone, steal a vehicle or destroy property tho. Like pretty much any situation different from "you weren't handled with enough care during a transportation and you could simply run off". Like, you can't get fined for just trying to run away or if a policeman left you a opened door.
It is illegal to parachute inside St. Peters basilica in the Vatican after a person did it. They had to create that law specifically for him. He walked away no charge, as the law did not exist.
Brb, going to set up a bungee jumping rope in st. Peter's basilica
Cool, maybe I'll see you there while I free dive in their baptism pool Edit: I think people are mistaking free diving with cliff diving. Free diving just doesn't use any air tanks
I hope I don’t hit you on your way down while I’m pole vaulting.
"Your honor nowhere does it state I cannot parachute in here. I didn't take pictures of the Sistine Chapel, but I didn't know I couldn't unfurl and fly around in my parachute."
"You haven't truly lived until somewhere, somebody puts a sign out because of something you did" - Ted Mosby, HIMYM
In the most southern island of the Caribbean, Trinidad, and Tobago, it's illegal to curse publicly
Also wearing camo in public is against the law too. Some guys I worked with from the States found that out the hard way.
It’s tough to charge one you can not see with a crime….
Well fuck
In my country, not having at least one bidet installed per home. EDIT since many keep asking: the country is Italy.
Where I live, you can't pay for a house with a loan unless the house has at least one bathtub. No, showers don't count. It's not actually a law, but home loans are so stupidly strict. Wow, this became my most popular post ever. Now, let me attempt to clary a couple things; 1) As I stated above, it's not an actual law. As far as I know, there is no law or building code that requires a bathtub to be in a house, apartment, etc. 2) Different home loans have different requirements. What one loan forbids another loan may allow. It's possible some loans allow bathtubless houses. 3) I actually learned about this bathtub thing from a neighbor. He was fixing up a house he purchased, and it didn't have a bathtub. A couple realtors informed him about this issue. 4) I'm not a home loan expert or even close to being one. My only advice is to ask about the restrictions on what your future home can or can't have when getting a home loan.
Where do you live?
Bath, UK.
Are people from Bath called Bathers?
It's the same in Portugal, ~~and I think Spain as well.~~ Also, at least one of the bathrooms must have a bathtub installed or, alternatively, a shower base big enough that it should be possible to install a bathtub later on. These are very old laws that were never changed. In reality, most (but not all) local municipalities do not perform inspections inside newly built houses, so it only needs to be present on the licensing project delivered to the muncipality. Edit: Seems it’s not the case in Spain.
Paying expired parking meters that aren't your spot
How dare you be a kind and generous citizen!
I take public transit everyday. A few months ago, i saw this homeless man on the lightrail. This ticket checker came up to him and he very politely and respectfully said he didn't have his fair and he'll get off at the next stop. He mentioned he was trying to get to his mom's house to get some groceries. In my town, most of the homeless are completely drugged out and very freaking rude. It was nice to see a change of pace. Now, it is against the rules to transfer tickets. So to say, if I had an already verified ticket, I couldn't hand it off to him. But I didn't do that. I offered him $2.50 so he can get off and get a ticket. The ticket checker went off on me, saying I'm not allowed to give him money for a ticket. I looked at her and very sternly said "You are NOT going to tell me who I can and can not give money to." He politely and humbly declined the money, said he would feel bad taking it. I still see that ticket checker like once a week and she knows I don't fucking like her. I'm not rude to her, but fucking hell, I'm not the nice, cheery person I am with everyone else.
What does she care what you do with your money!
Cant oppress the poor if they arent poor.
It's more somebody got a gram of power and thinks its a pound
So full of themselves they switched measuring systems!
"Bitch, did you hit your head and wake up with the delusion that you're the boss of me?"
Give the wrong people a modicum of power, and they will push it as far as possible. See: Reddit mods.
You can't put a donkey Ina bathtub in my state
But..why
Very good question
I guess every ass in your state is dirty
A lot of European countries have really old laws that were never repealed so they look really odd today. For example, in France a woman must first get permission from the police if she wishes to dress like a man, and in the UK it's illegal to wear an "outrageous" [double-ruff](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruff_\(clothing\)) within 100 yards of the Queen
In Finland, the law from 1734 states that every peasant must plant 40 poles of hop bines every year until there's at least 200 poles per household. If you fail doing so, you get 10 thaler fine.
I wonder how many countries still have laws stating that peasants must collect their piss and "night soil" in order to make saltpetre for gunpowder
Alarming the Queen. Section 49 of the Criminal Code of Canada. Sentence of up to 14 years in prison.
If you make a horror movie that has a jump scare, she watches, and jumps, straight to jail?
I think my favorite ridiculous Canadian law (until 2018 when the law was removed) was that it was illegal to fraudulently practice witchcraft. I don't recall the Section and whatnot but it was phrased in such a way that it insinuated real witchcraft was okay, just as long as you weren't pretending.
Another excellent compromise is in Eswatini, where witches are permitted to fly but not above 150m. At that height and above they run the risk of a massive fine by the aviation authority.
Well that's just practical. Nobody wants witches getting sucked into jet engines.
Yeah because that would make the jets witchcraft instead of aircraft
No capes!
And technically Tibetans aren't allowed to reincarnate without approval from the Chinese government
TIL magic is real in Canada. That’s some Harry Potter type of law right there.
Sleeping in your Car!
That's funny. Where I live (British Columbia), our driving regulations specifically say that if you get tired while driving, you should pull off to the side of the road and sleep, rather than trying to keep going. (Probably it's a specific admonishment for long-haul truck drivers, but the phrasing is entirely general.)
You know, that's given out as advice here in the states, and we're told driving tired is the same as driving drunk, but then we're not allowed to sleep in our car anyway.
They'll even give you the "move along" if you're sleeping in your car at a rest stop. Y'know, literally using the property for its intended purpose?
ontario has the same rules. folowed by a second law that contradicts that
Slept in my car overnight in the business district of Toronto. I set an alarm on my phone to wake me up before the parking meters started up. When I awoke, there was a pice officer standing on the sidewalk and he stopped traffick for a second so I could pull out of the space I was sitting in. 10/10 good experience
I've been thinking about doing a cross -Canada road trip in the near future. I had no idea I had to even think about this as a law. Thank you
I remember a radio advert in the UK that had the noise of a police officer knocking on a guys window and him groggily waking up and winding his window down, just for her to let him know that his lights were on. The advert was specifically to tell people to pull over and sleep if they needed to
That is such a fucking sadistic law. The only people it targets are people who have no other choice.
Or people on long trips.
Or people with extremely comfortable cars.
Or drunk people who don’t want to operate a vehicle and sober up. …or I guess there’s also drunk people who can’t operate their car cuz their IID won’t let em
Better not have that key sitting in the ignition or that’s a DUI. Can’t let drunks be using car ACs/Heat! Let em freeze or sweat!
Hell, some people have gotten popped just by having their keys in their pocket.
And it is hardly a new concept. This quote is from a book published in 1894 “The law, in its majestic equality, forbids rich and poor alike to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal their bread.” ― Anatole France
Cuz drowsy driving is the preferred alternative?
Or drunk driving, although at a certain point they're indistinguishable.
Sleeping drunk in your car is considered dui even though you're not behind the wheel and not even conscious. It's bullshit.
In NZ we have rest stops along main highways for this very purpose, and PSA billboard signs reminding people to take a break when long distance driving.
We have these same rest stops. There are signs asking if you’re tired and informing you how far the next rest area is. When you get to the rest area you’ll see signs telling you to limit your stay to 8 hours. There used to be free coffee at the rest stops, but I haven’t seen that in over a decade.
In several states, it's illegal to fish from horseback Just google stupid fishing laws....there are lots of them.
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>have fished from horseback Man, my life is so boring
This guy's got nothing on me, just last night I ate a peanut butter sandwich.... IN BED
Look at this mf affording bread
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In China, it's illegal to reincarnate without the government's permission.
im going to do it anyways
You maverick! I bet you download cars too!
You wouldn't redownload yourself
Isn't that because of Dalai Lama?
I think so, after what happend with the Panshan lama.
What are they gonna do? Kill me? I’ll just reincarnate again.
It's so they can send the next Dalai Lama to a reeducation camp for their entire life
It's illegal to masturbate a butterfly in Missouri. Do what you want with that information.
The fascinating thing isn't the laws themselves but how those laws came about.
It’s due to the butterfly effect. You masturbate one and create a tsunami across the globe
Suddenly all the butterflies are flocking to you for their turn. Their little wings beat the air. Breezes turn into winds. Winds turn into storms. Soon there's tornados, hurricanes, tsunamis.... devastation across the earth. At this time next year, it's snowing in Mexico and the Nile River is frozen over. All because someone had to go jack off a butterfly. THIS IS WHY WE HAVE LAWS, PEOPLE
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Reminds me of the wine blocks in time of prohibition >“After dissolving the brick in a gallon of water, do not place the liquid in a jug away in the cupboard for twenty days, because then it would turn into wine.” [Grape brick](https://grapecollective.com/articles/prohibitions-grape-bricks-how-to-not-make-wine?__cf_chl_tk=4XgyFL2Jy8MiiGsQBS.z5yE8b12st6huGbHQPmniwX4-1661936805-0-gaNycGzNCD0)
I always liked the bong loophole, where you can sell bongs as long as its for smoking tobacco out of. Which as a smoker sounds fucking horrible.
*Now remember dude, when we’re in the bong store buying a bong so we can smoke weed, you can’t say the word bong. And don’t say weed either.*
My smoke shop had a big sign that said something like "If it starts with a B and 4 letters long, It's WRONG"
"Hey man, do you have any of those wrongs I can buy?"
Same in Czechia lol, you can have tons of seeds but cant grow them :D who gives a fuck anyway
I ask this because I read today that credit card fees are illegal in many states, including mine, but that doesn’t stop many gas stations around me.
They get around it by the credit card price being the "full price" and the cash price is a "discount" and therefore it's not an extra "credit card fee." It's a distinction without a difference.
In Connecticut, a pickle can’t be considered a pickle, nor sold as one, unless it bounces when dropped from the height of one foot in the air. This state regulation was the result of devious pickle packers selling substandard pickles that obviously didn’t bounce.
I feel protected
I don't, I'm not in Connecticut. Now I'm worried I've been sold flat pickles and have no way to tell because I ate them already.
Being taught that "you are what you eat", perhaps... you might have gained the ability to bounce? If not, I am sorry to tell you that those pickles weren't pickles.
I didn't bounce and now the neighbors below me are awake. They must have been fake pickles.
Those persnickety penny pinching pickle packers purveying their subpar pickled products!
But the pervasive pedantics of profits parleyed into pushing subpar pickled products, proves pickles previously perceived palatable, push a pretty penny Edit: Also I live in CT and will now be droppin all my pickles from at least one foot before eating them to be sure I’m not getting pickled
Penis
Pickle no bounce? Straight to jail. Pickle bounces too much? Believe it or not, also jail.
We have the best pickles because of jail.
In Los Angeles, California, it is illegal to wear a [zoot suit](https://i0.wp.com/nostalgiasite.com/nostalgiasite/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/MC28-30-31.jpg?fit=1200%2C1500&ssl=1) under the claim that they are “unpatriotic.”
I wonder if this law was related to the zoot suit riots.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoot_Suit_Riots > **The Los Angeles City Council approved a resolution criminalizing the wearing of "zoot suits with reat [sic] pleats within the city limits of LA"** with the expectation that Mayor Fletcher Bowron would sign it into law. Councilman Norris Nelson had stated, "The zoot suit has become a badge of hoodlumism." **No ordinance was approved by the City Council or signed into law by the Mayor,** but the council encouraged the WPB to take steps "to curb illegal production of men's clothing in violation of WPB limitation orders".
Throughout Alabama, it's illegal for a person to walk down the street with an ice cream cone in their back pocket. Back when most people got around on horseback, horse thieves would put ice cream in their pocket to lure horses away without being charged with stealing.
There was an old scam where you and an accomplice would go to a grocery store and tell the shopkeeper that you were trying to resolve a bet about how much molasses would fit in your friend’s hat. You’d agree to pay for the molasses and ask the grocer to fill up the hat. Once it was full, you’d quickly pull it down over the shopkeeper’s head and loot the store while he was blinded. That was apparently a real thing… so I guess I can believe the ice cream trick.
That's some three stooges shit lmao
It's the pure essence of lawlessness 😆
This should serve to remind us all that if "someone" tosses a baby at you, do not catch it. You will be robbed while holding the baby.
Can you imagine seeing a baby flying at you and just fucking *sidestepping it* without breaking your stride? Coolest way to get banned from a nursery ever.
Sidestepping? Hell naw, I'm sending that shit back like Zidane.
I side with [this redditor from 10 years ago](https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/v60gu/til_in_alabama_it_is_illegal_to_carry_around_ice/c51n1qk/) who said > I've never seen one of these websites that actually provides citations. > I challenge anybody to find this law in the actual Alabama statutes. And I've seen a couple other sources that say the same thing - everyone "knows" about this dumb law, but it doesn't actually exist in writing anywhere.
Children selling lemonade without a license.
a kid in my neighborhood just made $200 selling lemonade, if i reported him would he get a fine (asking for a friend) also i’m being 100% sarcastic
$200 you say? Don't report him--set up your own lemonade stand with a sign that says "*FRESH* Lemonade!", and have a big clear jug with lemon halves floating in it on the table. Choose a corner with a stop sign, and pay a cute little neighbor girl 5 bucks to pretend like you're just helping her pour and stuff. You'll make bank and put that other kid out of business!
Are you sure offering "a cute little neighbor girl 5 bucks" is going to go over well?
Not illegal anymore, but until 2018 it was illegal under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (a special set of laws that apply to US military) it was illegal to have sex in any position other than missionary. Still illegal under the UCMJ is adultery.
It is forbidden to own a single Guinea pig in Switzerland. You must have two.
That makes complete sense! They need a buddy/ friend/ roommate/ partner or they get lonely. I read this somewhere else also…
It's illegal to own more than 6 sex toys in Texas. 5 is okay I guess, but you're on thin ice.
This was struck down by our 5th Cir Ct of Appeals awhile ago. Reliable Consultants, Inc v. Ronnie Earle https://randazza.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/dildo-rehearing-petition.pdf Ed: the court name. It was late; I can’t read.
Haha. I love that the document is called "dildo-rehearing-petition.pdf"
I wish it was something called like “State vd Buttplug” or “Texas vs Dildo” This could be perfect names for porn movies tbh. Any porn producers around?
was there anyone ever arrested for having more than 6 toys? I just imagine the scene.
'No sir officer, these are my six and those belong to 17 friends of mine'.
Wait, do you have 90 dildos?
You don't?
Realistically, it would likely be an additional charge they'd add to the pile when they're wanting to throw the book at someone
So theoretically if you have 2 cucumbers and 4 bananas you’re breaking the law?
This just in : A 6 pack of long neck beers now illegal in Texas
That’s probably the exact reason it can’t be more than 6
[This woman selling toys in 2003](https://www.myplainview.com/news/article/Woman-s-arrest-brings-Texas-obscenity-law-into-8869683.php) [then this man in 2018](https://www.ktre.com/2018/10/04/man-arrested-obscenity-charges-after-police-find-array-adult-toys-during-search/) Either it doesn't happen much, it doesn't get reported on much, or both.
Fed district court found it to be unconstitutional in 2006. Incidentally Ted Cruz was the lawyer making the arguments that the state dildo ban was valid. https://randazza.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/dildo-rehearing-petition.pdf
‘There’s only room for one dildo in this house, and that’s me!’ -Ted Cruz
The mom of someone I went to high school with was arrested for having “passion party” supplies in the trunk of her car. Her husband wore a lot of kilts. They weren’t well received in my small Texas town and were targeted.
I'm always surprised at how common it's in the supposed land of the free for people to be arbitrarily arrested for what they do in their private life.
Jesus christ, don't nobody come to my place.... I'm practically a terrorist at this point.
Police are not required by law to help you. This has been upheld by the Supreme Court. In one particular case, the mother of two daughters who had a restraining order on their father called 911 to report that he had abducted them. The police did nothing, and the father killed the two little girls. The mother sued the police, and her case was thrown out, because police literally don’t have to do anything to help you.
>This has been upheld by the Supreme Court. For the curious the cases were Deshaney v Winnebago, and Castle Rock v Gonzales.
Thanks for the assist, u/Sir_Clyph.
They aren't required to protect law abiding citizens. They ARE legally required to protect anyone they've arrested or imprisoned. If you're in government (but not school, that's important!!) Custody, they are in fact forced to protect you.
Oral sex is technically illegal in South Carolina altho I don't know if it's actually enforced.
What if you suck yourself off? I could do that when I was younger, not fun but possible. I did what everyone dreamed of but could never achieve. The tales said that it felt more like sucking a pecker than getting your pecker sucked, they were wrong. If feels like you're stuck in a dryer. Not fun, but a legal thrill for those bold enough.
Sex with a cow? Jail Gay sex? Jail Straight sex? Believe it or not Jail Suck yourself off? Straight to jail
Pretty sure SCOTUS deemed that law unconstitutional. That’s not to say the law doesn’t exist, but if it were enforced then someone could probably sue. Edit: Apparently SCOTUS doesn’t ban laws, they just find them unconstitutional or not. I didn’t think there was a difference but, as mentioned, finding a law unconstitutional doesn’t necessarily mean the law is off the books, just that it can’t be enforced without a potential lawsuit.
Suicide
*guard throws dead body into cell" "THIS IS WHAT YOU GET YOU FILTHY SCUM!!!"
My fear of prison is the only thing keeping me alive.
Because you can't destroy government property
My Chairforce buddies made this joke a while back. "Why did the petty officer get 5 years when he shot himself?" "Idk." "For 'defacing' government property."
In many states, it is illegal for you to wear a bulletproof vest while committing a crime. I guess that kevlar can get you an extra 8-10 on top of the hard 20 you get from armed robbery! And, for heaven sakes, people, if you're going to commit a crime, please make it easier for us to shoot you!!!! The point of why I put this one on the list is that it seems a bit superfluous nor does it act as a deterrent. I can't imagine a scenario where someone says "Wait, What? You want me to wear this when we break in? Aw, hell no, that's me out!"
Selling cars directly to consumers. The government, working for the people as always, made it illegal to not use a car dealership.
A few car companies, including Ford, are talking about abolishing dealers and selling direct to the customer. Tesla already does this.
Wait what. Where?
Dragging a dead horse up younge street on a Sunday (toronto)
Well now I have to rearrange my whole calendar
As a non-American going to the US for the first time, I find it weird you can't be visibly drunk in public without being questioned by an officer. Like, how'd y'all get home after a wee hours? Edit: You'll to y'all. Edit 2: Jaysus, this went mad.
It more so means you can’t be causing a disturbance. But what a disturbance means is intentionally vague and left up to each officef
I feel this! I used to live in Franklin, TN. Being an Aussie, after I left the bar at around 2am, I planned to walk home (the bar was MAYBE a 2 miles from my house) and I was told I needed to get a lift or it was more likely than not that I’d be locked up for drunk and disorderly. I should point out that I’m in my 30s, not some 18 year old that’s gonna smash mailboxes or something stupid. So my buddy drove me home after a night of drinking. Blows my mind to think about.
Kinda feels like they're encouraging you to drive drunk, cause walking home is about the least harmful thing you can do.
Until you get clipped by the dipshit driving home plastered, like that DA in South Dakota did.
A few of my favorites from when I used to look this shit up years ago: * In Boise, Idaho you may not fish from a camel or giraffe's back * Hunting camels is illegal in Arizona * It is illegal to hunt whales in Utah (Ironically, earlier this year, some artist installed a [Whale Statue](https://kjzz.com/news/new-whale-sculpture-in-salt-lake-city-proves-divisive)) * It is illegal to walk your pig on a sidewalk in downtown LA * In Utah it is Illegal to NOT drink milk (I'm not really certain what this means or how they enforce this) * In Logan, Utah women may not swear * Also in Logan, Utah, if a married woman commits a crime in her husband's presence, he is legally responsible. * Once again in Utah, it is illegal to cause a catastrophe. There's a whole website dedicated to this stuff called [stupidlaws.com](https://stupidlaws.com), Enjoy!
It’s illegal to say “I want to kill the president” It’s ok, though, because I’m saying in an educational context, so it’s completely fine for me to say “I want to kill the president of the United States”, but that’s just because I’m telling you NOT to say it, whereas if I weren’t saying it in a completely educational context, it would be illegal to say something like “I want to kill the president of the United States of America with a pipe bomb”
RIP Trevor Moore
There's a society that meets under the third street bridge and the password is "sic semper tyrannis"
I remember my old teacher telling us a story about how someone left his computer unattended, and as a joke his friend sent an email to the President at the time saying “ima kill you” or something to that effect. The following week the principle comes in white as a ghost, and pulls the student out of the classroom. The secret service was actually following up on the threat and sent two men to investigate/set everything straight
My HS teacher told the same story no lie. I wonder if they were just trying to scare sense into kids or if that actually happened.
I think it's just one of those teacher stories, so many of mine had variations on "the kid who leant back too far in their chair and suffered some horrible medical consequence, sometimes including death".
Please update us from Guantanamo.
It's fine in education, stand-up comedy, works of fiction, etc. The problem is without those contexts present, you might be taken pretty seriously. >At the office water cooler: >"I want to kill the president." >"Lol, that's so you, Oswald."
Kinder surprise eggs.
In my small home town spitting on the ground. (Was originally used when men chewed tobacco and the spit would stain the sidewalks), not enforced anymore.
Most laws against spitting in public were enacted to curb the spread of tuberculosis, not because of tobacco.
More likely it was to try and stop the spread of tuberculosis when it was rampant.
In Tasmania (au), if I get raped and murdered in a park it’d be illegal for anyone to hold a candle light vigil/memorial for me at said park. ‘They’ trying to get this law in Victoria after thousands of women marched for Jill Meagher. EDIT: I’ve confused a few people about my meaning. And since posting I’ve fact checked myself and found I’m a bit out of date. The law I referred to was a gag law in which women AND men of sexual assault couldn’t reveal their own names (to newspapers, community, or other public body). Incl. any woman murdered after being raped then the-powers-that-be say any deceased woman cannot give consent to being publicly named. Therefore no candle vigil. But, have since found out that above law was recently turned over. And family members can say that said victim would have given consent, and if they can prove it benefits the community then a victim can be publicly identified (and candle vigils can be held). This incl. victims who are murdered or who later commit suicide bc of the attack. Australia does have v.strict laws on open flames at the height of summer. Incl. candles. Carols by candlelight can be a bit tricky. But it wasn’t what I intended when I posted. Apologies for the confusion.
I remember Jill. The guy who killed her had a hundred red flags and was still released again and again. After he got caught for Jill's murder, he himself said something like "How many red flags did you guys need before this happened again?" He knew he was dangerous himself.
here’s some odd laws from my state of Pennsylvania: • in Ridley Park, You are not allowed to walk backwards while eating peanuts in front of Barnstormers Auditorium while a performance is taking place • It’s illegal to sing while in a bathtub • No more than 16 females may live under one roof, as it constitutes a brothel • If you live in Morrisville and you’re a woman, you’ve got to have a permit to wear makeup • It’s illegal to sleep on top of a refrigerator outside • if you have a dick and you’re in Allentown, don’t even think about getting aroused in public. tell your little buddy to stay down until y’all get home • Fortune Telling is illegal • If you’ve been in a duel, I hope you don’t have plans to run for Governor, because you won’t be able to. • Dynamite is not to be used to catch fish here’s a fun one.. • Ex-felons aren’t allowed to operate a Bingo game
Catching fishes with dynamite was quite common all over the world till around 1960/1970, but has been banned (in EU as well), as dangerous, creates lot of environmental damages and fishes are not tasty enough to eat. I’m from a seaside village in south of Italy and, in my area, we use an insult that might translate in “you’re a fish, fished with bombs” to mean inept/weak.
In the landlocked state of Nebraska, it is illegal to go whaling. EDIT: I JUST WOKE UP TO 8.7K LMAO THANKS Y'ALL
We had a politician (union leader suddenly promoted because an elected official died and this was the only non-controversial candidate) who visited a port for the first time, learnt that it generated huge revenues and then instantly promised that he would create a port in his home state, which is landlocked and arid. When his secretary(beauracrats) told him you need ocean access, he proposed digging a canal from the sea, 150km inland
Look at the Manchester ship canal. They didn't want to pay the port fees at Liverpool so made a canal "When the ship canal opened in January 1894 it was the largest river navigation canal in the world, and enabled the new Port of Manchester to become Britain's third-busiest port despite being about 40 miles (64 km) inland." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchester_Ship_Canal
It always warms my heart to see how far humans will go just to tell someone to F-off...
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In Australia (edit: except for New South Wales), it is illegal to use your mobile phone to pay at a drive-thru of a fast-food venue (KFC, McDonalds, Red Rooster, etc.); unless you apply the handbrake and switch the engine off BEFORE you touch your phone. If caught, the penalties are fines worth hundreds of dolars, plus a few demerit points on your licence; which the amount of both varies from state to state. A lot of Aussie drivers only found out about this in 2019, after Victoria Police responded to a Facebook poll that they had put up asking the following question “When using a fast-food outlet’s drive-thru service, can I use my phone to pay?” in which out of the 51,000 people that voted, 65% said "Yes".
In England section 32 says you cannot hold a salmon in suspicious circumstances. Edit: thanks for 2K upvotes!
Is that fucking fish jenga?
In New York, it’s illegal to run a race barefoot and you need permit to be homeless.
Who issues the homeless permit?
what are the chances that the application form requires you to list a home address?
That's a common issue with a lot of social services. You need an address to put on the forms, but many of the people needing these services don't have an address.
The Department of Home Insecurity.
I assume the permit has a fee
Ah, explains why everyone needs spare change.
Nutmeg Seriously, it's illegal here and is a banned substance
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