Apparently there has been a survey in the UK of the most ridiculous laws still on the statute books. What crazy laws! (from news.bbc.co.uk) The UK's top 10 most ridiculous British laws were listed as: 1. It is illegal to die in the Houses of Parliament (27%) (so what would the punishment be?) 2. It is an act of treason to place a postage stamp bearing the British king or queen's image upside-down (7%) 3. It is illegal for a woman to be topless in Liverpool except as a clerk in a tropical fish store (6%) 4. Eating mince pies on Christmas Day is banned(5%) 5. If someone knocks on your door in Scotland and requires the use of your toilet, you are required to let them enter (4%) 6. In the UK a pregnant woman can legally relieve herself anywhere she wants, including in a policeman's helmet (4%) 7. The head of any dead whale found on the British coast automatically becomes the property of the King, and the tail of the Queen (3.5%) 8. It is illegal not to tell the tax man anything you do not want him to know, but legal not to tell him information you do not mind him knowing (3%) 9. It is illegal to enter the Houses of Parliament wearing a suit of armour 10. It is legal to murder a Scotsman within the ancient city walls of York, but only if he is carrying a bow and arrow (2%) The top 10 bizarre foreign laws as voted by those polled: 1. In Ohio, it is illegal to get a fish drunk (9%) 2. In Indonesia, the penalty for masturbation is decapitation (8%) 3. A male doctor in Bahrain can only examine the genitals of a woman in the reflection of a mirror (7%) 4. In Switzerland, a man may not relieve himself standing up after 10pm (6%) 5. It is illegal to be blindfolded while driving a vehicle in Alabama (6%) 6. In Florida, unmarried women who parachute on a Sunday could be jailed (6%) 7. Women in Vermont must obtain written permission from their husbands to wear false teeth (6%) 8. In Milan, it is a legal requirement to smile at all times, except during funerals or hospital visits (5%) 9. There is no age of consent in Japan (5%) 10. In France, it is illegal to name a pig Napoleon (4%)

Oh gosh, I love these things! It's amazing how many silly laws are on the books. For more weird law fun, check out this website: http://www.lawguru.com/weird/part01.html (scroll down for the link to international laws)

Originally posted by meridianday 2. In Indonesia, the penalty for masturbation is decapitation (8%)

WOW! That's pretty Draconian! HONESTLY OFFICER! I WAS JUST SCRATCHING!

Pretty stupid laws. Wonder what was in the mind of the ones who have promulgated them. In my country the Micky Mouse comics were forbidden till '90s because they were considered dangerous and scary for children!

But Mickey Mouse is scary and dangerous! While these are a fun read, some of them set off my BS detector (I'm sorry but whales don't have bones in their tails). I just did a quick Google search and the bit that says... "There is no age of consent in Japan" is wrong. A quick search reveals that by the Japanese Constitution, the Age of Consent is 13 but each Prefecture can regulate its own age of consent so the actual Age of Consent ranges from 13 to 18 depending on where you are in Japan. Most places also have an additional law that makes it illegal for an adult (age 20 and up in Japan) to have sex with anyone under the age of 17. I'll have to check snopes.com to see if any of these "laws" show up there.

Some of these are pretty funyy, but sites like that have been known to be wrong.

The smiling in Milan one is setting off my BS detector a lot. But the thing is they're all completely plausable and a lot are based on cultural mores (for example - the examining a woman's genitals in a mirror - that actually happened in England, Australia & the US during the Victorian era). I can also see the Blindfold one being passed after some jackass successfully argued in court that it wasn't illegal to do so.... Silly laws passed because of even sillier people.

Mickey mouse scary! LOL Some of those laws look to be outdated...Who wears a suit of armour these days! But then some idiot will try it...or just someone with a sense of humour taking the Mickey out of the laws...heheee

I recall reading about the whale tail one before, in a book I had while I was in my teens. That said that the reason was for the whalebones to be used in the queen's corsets, but that the relevant bones were only in the head. I looked at the lawguru link, and it's odd, but the UK laws in there all make perfect sense to me - must be because I'm so used to them.

Another big list of strange laws, both US and International sections. http://www.dumblaws.com/

Originally posted by meridianday I recall reading about the whale tail one before, in a book I had while I was in my teens. That said that the reason was for the whalebones to be used in the queen's corsets, but that the relevant bones were only in the head. I looked at the lawguru link, and it's odd, but the UK laws in there all make perfect sense to me - must be because I'm so used to them.

It's the baleen (sp?), the comb-like "teeth" (though I think it's cartilage) of krill-eating whales like the Right Whale, that used to be used in corsets. The oil from the blubber was used for lamps, and pretty much anything we use the underground oil for. If you've ever smelt genuine ambergris, (I believe it's an enzyme from the guts), you'll understand why it is so highly valued by the perfume industry. It's really indescribable...kind of a musky vanilla...without being sickly-sweet. The synthetic forms have nothing on this. And let's not forget that whales used to be a major food source for many cultures, that's alot of meat to feed many people. So overall, head to tail, that's one extremely valuable carcass and I can see why the royalty would lay claim to it.

OK I can vouch for some of the Canadian ones: The one about Comic books is true. The "Canadian Content" on radio stations is true. Thanks to the CRTC (Canadian Radio and Television Commission) I have a useless & illegal USSB (Direct TV) satellite dish! The pennies thing is true. Actually saving a large amount of pennies in your piggie bank is illegal because the value of the copper is worth more than the penny itself and some people have been taking their pennies to the metal recycling plants and making a profit. The government is considering discontinuing the penny because of this. The one about the caffeine/clear soda sounds familiar. Businesses must supply posts to tie horses to...true...I've seen cute little decorative ones in front of some shops in downtown Burlington. Never using dice to play craps, (I don't know how you'd play craps without them), the government in Ontario anyway has just recently allowed the game to be played in Casinos (which are run by the government). Watering your lawn when it's raining...true..(though common sense...it's a waste of water!)..complete watering bans were in place this summer. It IS legal in Ontario to turn right on a red light unless it is posted that you cannot at particular intersections, but you must come to a full stop first! In Quebec (though they don't know what a stop sign is or speed limits and think they're all F-1 drivers..LOL) and other provinces it is illegal. Well my margerine is yellow ...so I'd have to say that one is wrong... Quebec and their french signs...true...Bill 101..french must prevalent over english or any other language. Some businesses have been taken to court by the "language police" for using their family name with an apostrophe...eg the now defunct retailer EATON'S (french doesn't use the 'S) and italian "ristorantes" etc. Actually all federal signs across Canada are to be bi-lingual (our official languages being english and french) eg. government buildings, courts, military bases, major hwys..etc.. Homeowner's are responsible for clearing the snow off the sidewalks in front of their houses. The city is a no-pee zone...duh... The colour of your house and garage doors are regulated by city by-laws...purple or red are argued to be distracting to passing motorists... You can't work on your car on the street...with exception of emergency flat tire change. My dad has had to deal with this annoyance. My parents live in a townhouse complex and even though it is not a city street he can't do his own brakes in his parking spot because it is considered a "fire zone"...but his spot is not near a fire hydrant, but yet he can park there...Go figure... Can't say about the other ones...

Originally posted by kimiko Well my margerine is yellow ...so I'd have to say that one is wrong...

I thought that Law was Margerine could not be WHITE, it had to be yellow. The dairy farmers complained because they did not want people to confuse Margarine with Butter.

Originally posted by clouddancer

Originally posted by kimiko Well my margerine is yellow ...so I'd have to say that one is wrong...

I thought that Law was Margerine could not be WHITE, it had to be yellow. The dairy farmers complained because they did not want people to confuse Margarine with Butter.

That's what I recall too. Growing up, butter was always pale yellow and margerine bright yellow. It still freaks me out that they have fake butter and margerine that is pale yellow, here in the US.

re:Canadian Laws Comic books which depict any illegal acts are banned. I remember reading a newspaper article many years ago where the Police Chief (of Kingston, Ontario) stated that technically comics broke the law because they weren't allowed to show illegal acts but no one paid any attention to them (the comics) or it (the law) - take your pick. I think this may have been true at one point in the US as well. That's why so many comic villains try to take over the world - it isn't illegal. It is illegal for clear or non-dark sodas to contain caffeine. That might be why Mountain Dew in Canada has no caffeine. I have seen the real stuff recently but it is labeled as "Dew Fuel" here. I think I prefered the non-caffiene version actually.

Can actually vouch that most of the uk laws are correct also because I have access to these given my working environment. There are so many silly ones. Number 10 on the Uk list I used for training