Laws are passed to protect the environment or members of society. Curiously, these same supposedly progressive laws have sometimes backfired, hurting the very things or people they were supposed to protect.

This is obviously because every law has consequences. And unfortunately, it is often impossible to predict the intended and unintended effects of every law.

10 Thai Queen Drowns Because The Law Forbade Anybody From Touching Her

Nineteen-year-old Queen Sunandha Kumariratana was the queen consort and one of the three wives of King Chulalongkorn of Siam (now Thailand). In 1880, she drowned alongside her daughter after their boat capsized in Chao Phraya River. They could have been rescued but weren’t because the law forbade anybody from touching members of the royal family.

In May 1880, Queen Sunandha and her daughter were traveling to their summer palace, which was right across the Chao Phraya River. She and her daughter were put on a boat, which was tethered to another boat containing their guards and servants. The queen’s boat capsized after it was swept by strong currents.^[1]

The guards and servants watched as the queen and princess struggled in the water. They could have helped but didn’t. Apparently, the law forbade anybody from touching the royals under the threat of death. Nobody wanted to risk their lives, so they just watched the pregnant queen drown.

There are also claims that superstition may have discouraged the guards and servants from helping the queen. Thais believed that saving a drowning person could anger the spirits in the water. Nevertheless, the heartbroken king sent the lead attendant at the scene to prison.

9 Vietnam Rat Control Attempt Ends Badly

In 1902, the city of Hanoi, Vietnam, had a serious rat problem. Thousands of rats were popping up around the city and infecting residents with the deadly bubonic plague. Officials soon discovered that the rats were coming from the 14.5-kilometer-long (9 mi) sewer system under the city.

In April 1902, the French-led Vietnamese government set up a task force to kill the rats in the sewers. In the first week, 7,985 rats were killed. By May, the men were slaughtering 4,000 rats a day. On May 30 alone, they exterminated 15,041 rats. By June, the team was killing 10,000 rats a day, and on June 21, they eliminated a record 20,112 rats.

However, the city was still overrun with rats despite the mass killings. So the government asked regular civilians to destroy rats in exchange for money. The government paid one cent per rat killed. Officials did not want people bringing decomposing rats to their offices, so they just asked for the tails as evidence.

The scheme seemed to be working until the government realized that the city was filled with tailless rats. It quickly became obvious that people were cutting off the rats’ tails so that the rodents could continue to breed.

If that wasn’t enough, some enterprising citizens were importing rats from outside the city and selling the tails to the government. Some farmers even created rat farms where they bred rats and sold the tails to the government. Officials canceled the program.^[2]

8 Prohibition Led To The Rise Of Criminal Gangs And Unregulated Alcohol

On January 18, 1920, the US government banned the sale of alcoholic drinks within its territory. This period is remembered today as Prohibition. However, it was unsuccessful because the alcohol market went underground. If that was not enough, it also led to the rise of American criminal gangs.

These underground bars are called speakeasies and were fully controlled by criminal gangs. This included the infamous Al Capone, who supposedly made over $100 million each year from his casinos and illegal alcohol business.

Several criminal gangs realized that there would be a lucrative black market for alcohol once Prohibition began. So they stockpiled alcohol and opened shop the moment that Prohibition started. They replenished their supplies by smuggling alcohol from Canada and Mexico and stealing medicinal alcohol supplies transported through the US.^[3]

7 Plain Cigarette Packages Makes Smoking Cheaper For Smokers

The United Nations and the World Health Organization encouraged member states to make cigarette manufacturers adopt a plain cigarette pack in an attempt to discourage smoking. Australia, France, and the UK have passed laws to make cigarette packs plain. But it is not discouraging people from smoking.

As all the packages now look alike, smokers buy the cheapest cigarettes instead of preferred brands as they previously did. This means they spend less on cigarettes than they did when the packs were branded.

Australia noted that its smoking rate did not decline even after a tax hike. Instead, the country saw an increase in illegal cigarettes flowing in. The result was worse in France and the UK where the smoking rate increased after the introduction of plain packaging.^[4]

6 Abstinence-Only Sex Education Increases Teenage Pregnancy

The US government spends a fortune on preventing teenage pregnancy. Since 1996, the federal government has spent $2.1 billion on abstinence-only sex education. According to a study, that money was flushed down the drain because abstinence-only sex education does not reduce teenage pregnancy.

According to the research, this type of sex education has no effect on teenage pregnancy in most states in the US. The results are worse in conservative states where teenage pregnancy is actually on the increase. At the same time, abstinence-only sex education failed to reduce STDs or delay the first time when teenagers have sex.^[5]

5 China’s Attempt To Produce More Food Ends In Famine

In 1958, Chairman Mao Tse-tung launched the Four Pests Campaign to encourage Chinese citizens to kill animals and insects that were considered pests by the state. These animals were sparrows, rats, flies, and mosquitoes. Sparrows were regarded as pests because they often ate grain seeds.

Hundreds of millions of sparrows had been killed by 1960. But it would prove disastrous. While Chairman Mao was concerned with sparrows eating grain seeds, he did not realize that they also ate insects like locusts, which ate more grain seeds than sparrows. With the sparrows out of the way, the locusts freely bred and multiplied.

Locust swarms soon appeared across China, eating up every plant they could find. The result was a deadly famine that killed between 15 million and 78 million people. There were even reports of people turning to cannibalism to survive. A drought and a failed government farming policy worsened the famine, which was exacerbated when the government attempted to censor news about it.^[6]

4 Conservation Attempt Ends In Destruction

Macquarie Island is located between Australia and Antarctica. Soon after its discovery in 1810, rats sneaked out of ships to colonize the island. A lack of predators saw the rodents breed so fast that sailors brought in cats to control the rat population.

Sixty years later, some sailors dropped some rabbits on the island so that other seamen who got shipwrecked could feed on the rabbits. The cats soon turned on the rabbits. However, the rabbits survived the feline onslaught and continued to multiply rapidly. The abundance of food also caused the cats to proliferate.

The cats soon added the native birds to their diet and hunted some to extinction. The rabbits also ate some native plants to extinction. In the 1970s, the deadly myxomatosis disease was introduced to the island to keep the rabbit population in check.

The disease reduced the rabbit population from an all-high of 130,000 to fewer than 20,000 in just 10 years. However, the rapid decline in rabbits also caused the cats to eat more birds. Conservationists started to shoot the cats, and the last one was killed in 2000.

With the cats gone, the rabbit population soared again. The rabbits ate so many plants that the island’s penguins went extinct. The rabbits had eaten 40 percent of the island’s vegetation as of 2009. As a result, the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service decided to rid the island of all invasive species including 130,000 rabbits, 103,000 mice, and 36,000 rats once and for all.^[7]

3 Law To Help Ex-Convicts Become Employed Stops Them From Getting Jobs

Several US states have introduced ban-the-box laws to stop employers from asking prospective employees if they have been previously convicted of crimes. The laws are supposed to help ex-convicts find work, but they are quickly becoming a nightmare for black Americans.

According to a study, employers now guess whether prospective employees are ex-convicts through racial profiling. Considering that some employers believe that blacks are likelier to have been in prison, black job seekers have a lower probability of getting called for an interview than white applicants. This type of determination is often influenced by whether the applicant’s name sounds distinctly white or black.^[8]

Before ban-the-box laws were passed in New Jersey and New York City, white job seekers were 7 percent likelier to be called for an interview than black prospects. The probability shot up to 45 percent in favor of whites after the laws were passed in these locations. Interestingly, this means that convicted white job seekers were likelier to get jobs than blacks who had never been to prison.

2 You Cannot Buy Smart Guns In The US Because Of A Progressive New Jersey Law

Smart guns (aka personalized guns) can only be unlocked and used by the owner. (Think of guns that could be unlocked with fingerprints, just like our phones.) They have been invented and would be a win for gun control if they are introduced into the US.

However, they have not been introduced—and probably never will be—due to the Childproof Handgun Law that was passed in New Jersey in 2002. The law requires New Jersey gun stores to sell only smart handguns 30 months after the first smart gun is available for sale in any state within the US.

Progun advocates say the law is an attempt at gun control and are lobbying hard to stop smart guns from getting into the US market. In 2014, a gun store in Maryland and another in California drew the ire of progun advocates after revealing plans to introduce smart guns in the US. The stores backtracked after their owners received death threats.

In 2016, New Jersey passed a bill to amend the law. According to the bill, gun stores would not need to carry a smart gun–only inventory although they would be required to have at least one smart gun model in their inventory. Then-Governor Chris Christie refused to sign the bill into law.^[9]

1 The Creation Of The US Forest Service Led To More Devastating Wildfires

The US Forest Service was formed to prevent wildfires. Interestingly, its very existence is the reason that the US experiences devastating wildfires. Prior to the creation of the US Forest Service, small natural fires happened in the Southwest every five to 10 years on average. These fires often destroyed shrubs but left the bigger trees untouched.^[10]

However, the US Forest Service prevents these small fires from burning freely. So plants that would have been destroyed in the smaller natural wildfires are spared. As a result, these smaller plants and trees become bigger and more numerous. Worse yet, they become fuel for larger natural or man-made wildfires.

Rome was a beacon of civilization in a dark world. In the words of one of their own, Rome was “the seat of virtue, empire, and dignity,” ruled by laws so just that they could “surpass the libraries of all the philosophers.”

The Romans, though, had a different definition of “virtue” and “dignity” than we do today. Some of the laws the Romans were so proud of were a little bit strange, and some of them were outright insane.

10Wearing Purple Was A Crime

Purple, in ancient Rome, was viewed as the most dignified and majestic of all colors. The emperors would dress themselves up each morning in the finest of purple togas, and they looked so good in it that they wouldn’t let anyone wear it.

The law against wearing purple was a “sumptuary law,” a Roman law designed to keep lower classes from making extravagant displays of wealth. Romans wanted to be able to take one look at somebody and know their social standing, to make sure they didn’t go around accidentally being polite to peasants. These laws were strict. If you weren’t a citizen, you weren’t allowed to put on a toga.

Purple togas were reserved for the emperor, because purple dye was incredibly expensive. It had to be imported from Phoenicia, where they made the dye from mollusks. To make enough dye for one toga, they had to crush 10,000 mollusks, so a purple toga was literally worth its weight in gold.

9Women Were Forbidden From Crying At Funerals

A Roman funeral started with a procession, where people would walk your body down the street, weeping as they went. The more people you had weeping, the more popular people figured you were. So, to impress their neighbors, some people hired professionals to pretend to cry.

Women who didn’t even know the deceased would be paid to walk in the procession, literally ripping out their hair and scratching their own faces in make-believe sorrow as they went. It got so bad that they had to outlaw crying at Roman funerals, just to keep people from hiring actors.

8Fathers Could Murder Their Daughter’s Lovers

If a man caught his wife having an affair, he was encouraged to lock his wife and her lover up and call every neighbor he could to come see. He had 20 hours to call as many neighbors as he could and invite them to check out the guy his wife has been sleeping with.

He then had three days to make a public declaration describing where he found his wife, who was having sex with her, and any extra juicy details he could supply. He was also legally required to divorce his wife, or else he would be charged with pimping.

He could murder his wife’s lover if he was a slave or a prostitute. If it was a citizen, though, he would have to talk to his father-in-law. Fathers, in Rome, could legally murder their daughter’s lovers no matter how nice of a toga they wore.

If a woman caught her husband having an affair, pretty much the only thing she could legally do was cry about it. As long as there weren’t any funerals going on nearby.

7The Ultimate Punishment Was Drowning In A Sack Filled With Animals

If you did something sort of bad, you’d get away with a simple beheading. If it was really bad, they’d take you up to the roof of the prison and throw you off. And if you killed your own father, you were sentenced to something truly horrible.

If someone was found guilty of patricide, they were blindfolded and told that they were unworthy of light. They would then be taken to a field outside of the town, stripped naked, and beaten with rods. When you couldn’t take anymore, then put you in a sack, throw in one serpent, one dog, one ape, and one rooster, and you and your whole menagerie would all be sewn in there together and thrown into the sea.

6Prostitutes Were Required To Dye Their Hair Blonde

Roman ladies all had naturally black hair. Natural blondes, in Roman time, were barbarians, especially the Gauls. Since the prostitutes couldn’t be associated with the dignity of a proper Roman woman, they had to make themselves look like barbarians, so they made them dye their hair.

It didn’t totally work, though. Roman women were jealous of all these blonde barbarians. Some started dying their hair blonde, while others forcibly chopped the hair off of slaves to make them into wigs, and, once again, the high-class ladies were indistinguishable from prostitutes.

5Suicidal People Could Apply To The Senate For Permission

In some circumstances, committing suicide was just considered prudent thinking. Kings typically kept poison on hand in case things turned bad, and sick people would be encouraged to drink hemlock to put an end to their suffering.

The only people who couldn’t commit suicide were soldiers, slaves, and prisoners, and this was just for economic reasons. Soldiers were useful and couldn’t be allowed to quit. Criminals couldn’t be allowed to die before they were convicted because if they did, the state couldn’t seize their property. And if a slave committed suicide, the owner was often entitled to a full refund.

In one area, they even had a formalized system to request suicide. A depressed person could file a petition to the senate requesting death, and if the senate agreed they really were better off dead, they received a free bottle of poison.

4People Killed By Thunderbolts Couldn’t Be Buried

Lightning strikes, the Romans believed, were acts of god performed by Jupiter. If something got hit by a lightning bolt, it wasn’t bad luck. Jupiter just really hated it. Whether it was a tree or a person, Jupiter had decided it was time for it to go.

If it was your friend who got hit, you were legally forbidden to lift the body above the knees, and you definitely couldn’t bury his body. If you did, you’d stolen a sacrifice from Jupiter.

They let people make up for it, though. If you buried someone who got hit by a lightning bolt, the Romans would sacrifice you to Jupiter instead.

3Fathers Could Only Sell Their Sons Into Slavery Three Times

Fathers in Rome had the legal right to temporarily sell their kids. An agreement would be made between the father and a buyer, and the son would become the buyer’s possession. The buyer, as part of the bargain, was expected to bring the kid back home.

Anyone who sold their child into slavery three times, though, was considered an unfit father. Their child would have to finish his third session as a slave because a deal is a deal, but afterward, he would be legally emancipated from his parents.

The limit, though, was three sales into slavery per child. So if you’d already sold your eldest twice, you could always move on to the next kid.

2Women Had To Leave Home Three Days Each Year Or Become Property

Romans had a set rules they called “usuacpio,” which were laws on how long you had to possess something before it became your property. If you held onto anything long enough, it could become legally yours, including people.

Wives, legally, became their husbands’ property if they stayed in his house for one straight year. But if she really wanted her freedom, she could have it—as long as she left her house for three continuous days each year. So, every year in Rome, women would leave their homes and hide somewhere else for a few days, or else become possessions.

1Fathers Could Legally Murder Their Whole Families

In the early days of Rome, there was no limit to what a father could do to his family. He could dole out any degree of abuse he could imagine. That didn’t just mean he was allowed spanking: If his children misbehaved, he could straight up murder them.

Fathers held on to those rights even after their kids grew up. Daughters still had to fear their fathers after marriage, and his sons only earned independence when their fathers died.

In time, Rome relaxed these laws a little bit. The right to murder family members ended in the first century BC, although, even then, they kept a few exceptions. Now, the law said, fathers could only murder their sons if they’ve been convicted of a crime.

The purpose of most legislation is to promote acceptable behavior and to prevent or punish unacceptable behavior. Still, it can be hard to understand the laws and customs of other countries, and travelers are often advised to take care not to inadvertently break the law.

Often, travelers can get a good idea of what is and is not allowed in other countries with a little careful thought. However, no amount of thinking can explain some of the more bizarre laws from around the world.

10 You Can’t Like Winnie The Pooh In Poland

Children have impressionable minds. So we might think it’s a good thing that councillors give careful consideration to any mascots that they might put on a playground. In Tuszyn, Poland, however, the town council seemed to take their responsibility a little too seriously.

They decided that Winnie the Pooh, a beloved children’s character, was an “inappropriate hermaphrodite” because of its lack of identifying genitalia. As we all know, one of the things you really need in a children’s character is prominent genitals. One councillor said, “The problem with that bear is it doesn’t have a complete wardrobe.” The bear’s lack of pants was an issue as it was “half naked.”

The meeting, which was taped in secret and leaked to the media, began to get out of hand when someone mentioned that the author was “over 60 and [had] cut Pooh’s testicles off with a razor blade because he had a problem with his identity.”

In the end, the council decided to go with a Polish children’s character that was fully dressed “from head to toe.” Just to be on the safe side.^[1]

9 You Can’t Hold A Fish In A ‘Suspicious Manner’ In England

You might imagine that an Englishman would be free to hold his fish in any way he chooses, but you would be wrong.

According to the 1986 Salmon Act, Section 32, if he handles a salmon in a “suspicious manner,” he will be subject to prosecution and a fine of up to £800. And not just a salmon. The law applies also to trout, eels, lampreys, smelt, freshwater fish, and any other fish “specified for the purpose.”

All of this seems to be very specific—except, of course, that the legislation does not say what a suspicious manner looks like.

Also illegal in England is flying a kite to the annoyance of locals, getting drunk in a pub, ringing a doorbell without “lawful excuse,” or keeping pigs outside your house. That’s keeping pigs outside your house.^[2]

8 You Can’t Be Fat In Japan

Even though the country doesn’t have a large obesity problem, Japan decided to take a proactive approach to the benefits of maintaining a healthy weight. So, in 2008, Japan banned its citizens from being fat.

The “metabo law” requires all citizens over age 40 to have their waist measurements taken once a year. Anyone deemed to be overweight is given three months to shape up. After that, they receive compulsory dietary “advice and guidance” followed by six months of “reeducation” if they are still not making sufficient progress.^[3]

Employers must ensure that their employees participate in the scheme or risk fines of up to $19 million. So far, the metabo scheme has cut obesity by 3.5 percent, which certainly seems impressive in a country with already low obesity rates.

7 You Can’t Have Funni Names In Germany

Like most governments, the Germans were anxious to ensure that children were not bullied at school. Specifically, they don’t want kids to be teased because of their names.

Height, weight, glasses, funny haircuts, okay. But not names.

So, the government has instituted a policy of allowing only approved names to be entered on German birth certificates. Of course, there are a few rules. For example, new parents are not allowed to name their children after ordinary nouns such as a piece of fruit.

To make it onto the approved list, a name must not leave the child open to ridicule or abuse. (Calling your child “Reignbeau” or “Kal-El” would fall under this heading.) It must also be a recognized name. (“River” would be out, as would “North.”) Finally, it must make the sex of the baby clear. (“Indio” or “Dusti” just wouldn’t cut it.)

On the whole, it seems that the German government would like parents to use properly spelled, good old-fashioned names. The name “Adolf,” for example, has not been banned, though it’s rarely used.^[4]

6 You Must Wear Speedos In France

In public swimming pools in France, men are only allowed to wear extremely tight-fitting swimming trunks in the swimming pool. Attempts to jump into the pool in shorts may lead to you being “rescued” by a lifeguard or hauled out by a large hook.

Supposedly, the reason for the rule is “hygiene.” Although the tight swimsuits may not always be flattering, they are unlikely to have been worn outside on the streets. On the other hand, shorts might have been worn anywhere.

The law has been in place since 1903. Though the subject has been reviewed in the French parliament several times since then, the law has not been repealed and is still strictly enforced.

So, what happens if you have the wrong sort of swimwear? No problem. Most public pools have vending machines that sell microscopic swimwear in any color you want.^[5]

5 You Can’t Build Sandcastles In Italy

There are lots of things you are not allowed to do in Italy. For example, some places have outlawed miniskirts, low-cut jeans, and tops that show “too much” cleavage. Swearing can lead to a fine, as can lying on park benches or climbing trees.

If you have been swimming, you must not wear your swimming costume after leaving the beach. Also, when you return to your hotel, you must not dry your towels by hanging them out the window. You cannot eat in the street in Rome, kiss anyone inside a car, or walk your dog on anything other than a short leash.

But perhaps one of the strangest laws in Italy is in Eraclea, near Venice, where it is forbidden to build sandcastles on the beach. The reason? Apparently, they cause an obstruction.^[6]

A single sandcastle. On a great big beach.

Safety first.

4 You Cannot Be Reincarnated Without Permission In China

In 2007, the Chinese government banned Buddhists from reincarnating without prior written authorization in “an important move to institutionalize management of reincarnation.”

However, the law would allow the Chinese a say in the next reincarnation of the most important Living Buddha when the current Dalai Lama dies. According to tradition, the Buddhist leader, who is in his eighties, will be reborn to help humanity.^[7]

Nevertheless, the Chinese government is determined to participate in the process of choosing the next Dalai Lama and thus in just how he intends to help humanity. This is particularly important to the Chinese authorities because His Holiness (Tenzin Gyatso) has been such a thorn in their side. For his part, the Dalai Lama has said that he refuses to reincarnate in Tibet as long as Tibet remains under Chinese control.

However, there is nothing to stop him from reincarnating anywhere else in the world. He could choose to reincarnate far away from Tibet. Or, perhaps, just over the border.

3 You Can’t Have A Water Pistol In Cambodia

Water pistols are usually seen as harmless fun—just children’s toys for sunny days. However, if you want to use one in Cambodia, you are likely to be disappointed or get into trouble. The governor of Phnom Penh has banned the sale, import, and possession of all water pistols in the city.

It has become a tradition to use water pistols during New Year’s celebrations. Presumably, the governor thinks it’s silly and should be stopped. In 2002, the vice governor of Phnom Penh said, “We will not allow people to use [water pistols] because our nation is now peaceful, and if we let people play with them, it will look bad.”

The Cambodian authorities are not complete killjoys, however. They have set up designated areas for people to play with water. Just make sure you don’t throw your talcum powder around when you are getting dry later. They don’t like that, either. Apparently, it leads to rubbing powder on “one another’s faces.”^[8]

2 You Cannot Hike Naked In Switzerland

In 2009, voters in Appenzell Inner Rhodes in the Swiss Alps voted to ban naked hiking. Ordinarily, naked hiking might not be at the top of the political agenda, but a sudden influx of naked hikers from Germany brought the issue to the fore. Swiss locals going about their daily lives objected to encountering walkers wearing nothing but a pair of walking boots and a smile.^[9]

You can understand why they might find it disconcerting or even “thoroughly disturbing and irritating” as one Swiss official put it. German travel websites had been advertising “a special experience of nature, free and healthy.”

Not that free. The Swiss government has imposed hefty fines on anyone caught walking au naturel. The ruling has been challenged by nature lovers, but the Swiss high court agreed that the government had the right to “uphold public decency.”

Shorts, please. Or at least a Speedo.

1 You Can’t Crush Beer Cans With Your Breasts In Australia

If your party trick is crushing beer cans between your bare breasts, be warned. They don’t like that in Australia. In 2007, a barmaid was found to be in breach of the Liquor Control Act and fined A$1,000 as a result of “entertaining” her customers this way. The bar manager was also fined.

Declaring their intention to crack down hard on this sort of behavior, the authorities said, “It sends a clear message to all licensees . . . that we will not tolerate this type of behavior in our licensed premises.”^[10]

The barmaid, who supposedly had been “forced to work underground” after her arrest, was also observed crushing a beer can with her buttocks and hanging spoons from her nipples. For some reason, she elected not to appear in court in person.

However, her spokesman suggested that the police concentrate on more serious crimes. He said, “If the police are fair dinkum about protecting people in pubs and clubs, why don’t they target the real issues instead?”

At least, we think that’s what he said.

Ward Hazell is a writer who travels and an occasional travel writer.

There are many weird laws around the world today. The majority of them were passed centuries ago and have never been repealed, although they’re not currently being enforced. Still, many of them are on the books, and plenty of people can unknowingly commit crimes for various odd reasons, though they probably won’t actually get in trouble for it, of course.

While these laws sound ridiculous to us today, we should know they were passed at the time for practical reasons. From restrictions on clothing to what may be done with which animals, here are ten strange laws from around the world and why they were passed.

10 It Is Illegal To Wear A Top Hat In Public
United Kingdom

On January 16, 1797, a man named John Hetherington was apparently the first to wear a top hat in England. Nobody had seen a top hat at that time, so it was scary and controversial. According to a contemporaneous account, people became frightened, children shouted, dogs barked, and women fainted as Hetherington wore his silk hat through London.

The son of one Cordwainer Thomas broke his arm after he was pushed to the floor by the crowd that gathered around Hetherington. Hetherington was arrested and charged with disturbing the King’s peace and inciting a riot for “appearing on the public highway wearing upon his head [ . . . ] a tall structure having a shining lustre, and calculated to frighten timid people.”^[1] He was fined either £50 or £500, depending on which source you consult.

However, Hetherington insisted he had not broken any law. To prevent a repeat, the government of the day passed a law banning citizens from wearing top hats.

9 It Is Illegal For A Moose To Enter A Saloon Via The Sidewalk
Fairbanks, Alaska

It is illegal for a moose to enter a bar through the sidewalk in Fairbanks, Alaska. The law was passed during the early 20th century because a tavern owner was fond of getting his pet moose drunk. The intoxicated moose often went on rampages, destroying property.

City officials soon had enough and passed a law banning moose from public sidewalks, thus meaning that the moose in question could no longer get into the man’s saloon. The tavern owner stopped bringing his moose to his bar but still got it drunk in his home. It is unknown why the town couldn’t simply outlaw getting moose drunk.^[2]

8 It Is Illegal To Enter Parliament With Weapons Or Full Armor
United Kingdom

On October 30, 1313, King Edward II of England passed the Statutum de Defensione Portandi Arma. The law forbids MPs from entering Parliament with weapons or in full armor. The law is still upheld today and has been extended to bulletproof vests.

King Edward II passed the law after “certain individuals” interrupted and disorganized several meetings he’d had with members of Parliament. The king guessed the people were either disgruntled with the war with Scotland or over rumors that he was gay.

Today, coat hangers in the cloakrooms of the British Parliament are modified to hold the swords of members of Parliament. (It is unknown how many MPs currently carry swords.) Meanwhile, visitors and non-parliamentarians theoretically still are allowed to bring weapons and bulletproof vests into Parliament.^[3]

7 It Is Illegal To Die Within Town Limits
Italy, France, Spain, And Norway

Several towns in different countries have permanently or temporarily banned townspeople from dying within town limits.

In 2012, the mayor of Falciano dal Massico, Italy, banned residents from dying within town limits. The mayor issued the ban after the local cemetery became full. He said people would only be allowed to die after a new cemetery had been built. At least two people died while the law was in force.

The town of Bordeaux, France, also issued a similar ban after the local cemetery reached capacity, and the court stopped the town from extending the cemetery. The mayor mentioned that only people with burial plots at the cemetery were allowed to die and promised severe punishment for defaulters.

The town of Lanjaron, Spain, also banned people from dying within town limits for the same reason. The mayor ordered that townspeople pay attention to their health and suspended their deaths until the town acquired new land for a cemetery.

One town with a permanent ban on death is Longyearbyen, Norway, which has banned residents from dying since 1950. The town is considered the world’s most northernmost city (as in having more than 1,000 residents) and is covered in permafrost. The ban was issued after residents discovered that the dead simply froze in the cemetery the instead of decaying. This meant dangerous pathogens could survive in the cadavers and possibly re-infect the living. Old and sick people are usually transported off the island to live their last days.^[4]

6 It Is Illegal To Use Cell Phones In Banks
Argentina, Brazil, And The Philippines

The governments of Rio de Janeiro, Argentina, and the Philippines have passed laws banning customers from using cell phones inside banks. The bans were attempts to reduce bank robberies.

Criminals would sometimes enter banks and monitor customers withdrawing money and leaving the bank. Once a target was spotted, the robber would use his cell phone to instruct other gang members outside the bank to rob the client.

These sort of robberies had been reduced by 23 percent in Rio de Janeiro two years after bank customers were banned from using cell phones and radio transmitters. They were reduced by 20 percent in Argentina. However, some skeptics doubt the efficiency of the ban, since most bank robbers trail the customer and rob them outside the bank.^[5]

The Philippines also proposed a similar law, which was quickly adopted as a rule by banks even before the law was passed. Called the “Cell Phone in Banks Prohibition Act,” the law bans clients from using communication gadgets, including cell phones and laptops, within bank premises.

Bank workers are permitted to use their devices but not in the presence of clients. However, doctors and emergency health personnel are allowed to use their cell phones while responding to emergencies or consulting with patients.

5 It Is Illegal To Use Cell Phones And Many Other Devices
Green Bank, West Virginia

It is illegal to use cell phones, Wi-Fi, radios, or microwaves in the small town of Green Bank, Virginia. This is because the town contains the world’s largest fully steerable radio telescope, which is operated by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO).

The NRAO telescope receives radio signals from faraway stars and galaxies. The signals are often very weak, and nearby radio signals would interfere with its operation. So in 1958, Congress passed a law banning radio devices around the observatory.

The law declared a 16-kilometer (10 mi) radius around the observatory to be radio device-free. The law also mandated that radio wave devices be regulated within a larger 33,700-square kilometer (13,000 mi²) zone that extends into neighboring Pennsylvania and Virginia.^[6]

4 It Was Illegal For Women To Drive
Saudi Arabia

Women were not allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia until 2018. To be clear, Saudi Arabia never explicitly formally banned women from driving. However, it did not permit women to drive or get licenses, either. Women who dared to drive were arrested and fined.

Women were not allowed to drive because Saudi Arabia follows the strict Wahhabism version of Islamic law. Wahhabism demands that women cover themselves and be kept separate from men. It also requires every woman to have a male guardian.^[7]

3 It Was Illegal To Eat Swans
United Kingdom

It is illegal to keep or kill mute swans (which are the stereotypical swans most people envision) in the UK. The ban was issued under the 1981 Wildlife and Countryside Act, which was passed to protect native animals. However, an earlier law had banned British citizens from eating swans. That law was only repealed in 1998.

Unlike the 1981 act, which is concerned with conservation, the older law was concerned with reserving the swans for the aristocrats. European nobility developed a taste for swans in the 12th century, and it soon spread to England, where it became a symbol of riches and nobility and was frequently served at royal feasts.

In 1482, the British crown was so concerned with protecting its swan supplies from the commoners that it passed a law limiting ownership of swans to the nobles. Hunting, selling, and killing swans attracted harsh punishments, as did did stealing their eggs.

However, the monarchy allowed rich landlords, organizations, and institutions to own swans. Only the richest of the rich could afford the rings used to mark ownership. The crown left their swans untagged, while everybody else tagged theirs. Swan-eating fell out of style by the 20th century.^[8]

2 It Is Illegal To Freely Serve Ketchup In Schools
France

In 2011, France passed a law mandating that sauces (such as ketchup, mayonnaise, and so on) must not be freely accessible to students but served according to various dishes. So, a portion of ketchup can be served with, say, French fries, but students can’t just slather whatever they want with as much ketchup as they want. This sauce mandate was meant to improve the overall dietary quality of meals.

Various news outlets reported this as France banning ketchup in schools altogether.^[9] While some did report that the “ban” was for health reasons, there were also claims that the French government outlawed ketchup in order to promote French dishes and culture.

1 It Is Illegal To Play Online Games Between Midnight And 6:00 AM
South Korea

In 2011, the South Korean government passed the Shutdown Law (also called the Cinderella Act) to curb excessive gaming among teenagers. The law requires that teenagers below the age of 16 to be shut out of online game servers between 12:00 AM and 6:00 AM. However, they can continue to play offline games on their personal consoles, phones, tablets, and laptops.

Game players above 16 are required to access game servers using their social security numbers. The ban was later amended so that teenagers below 16 could play online games past midnight with their parents’ permission.^[10]

“Law” can have several different meanings in the modern world. On the one hand, there is the kind of law that is enforced by the authorities, which can be long-armed, laid down, and fought (although a few singers have taught that the latter is not usually a good idea). People choose and apply the consequences themselves, but provided that they always do, then they form rules that will always hold.

On the other hand, there are scientific laws. These are rules that should hold true even without human intervention. However, people also apply the word to rules that seem to often be true, even if they have not been rigorously tested. These are usually named after the first or most famous person who notices them. Technologists like Bill Gates, writers like Arthur C. Clarke, and many others outside of the legal system and the hard sciences have all had so-called laws named after them. Read on to find out what they observed and how people use these laws to make predictions and decisions.

Related: Top 10 Outdated Laws You Didn’t Know You Were Breaking

10 Betteridge’s Law of Headlines

“Do Pineapples Make Great iPhone Cases?” was a question that the website Popular Science once asked its readers in a headline. Everyone can probably guess the answer. (No, just in case anyone was wondering.) But while this example was particularly obvious, not all polar-question headlines have such easy answers. Or do they?

According to British technology journalist Ian Betteridge, assuming the answer is “no” in every case would actually give people the right answer almost every time. The maxim has become known as “Betteridge’s Law of Headlines.” He believes that the reason it works is because such headlines are used to allow journalists to publish stories that they know are probably not true or that are lacking in facts and sources.

Betteridge first mentioned it in a 2009 article criticizing a technology news website that had helped spread a false rumor about another site by using a question headline. However, he was not the first to spot this useful rule. The veteran British journalist Andrew Marr also advised people to “try answering ‘no’” to question headlines back in 2004.^[1]

9 Clarke’s First Law

Betteridge’s Law of Headlines is useful, but most people today know that misinformation and fake news are out there. However, even though people are somewhat skeptical of journalists, it is hard not to take a distinguished and elderly scientist at his or her word.

However, the science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke believed that when it came to predicting what scientific developments lay in the future, such scientists were often wrong. In fact, they were very consistent in what they got wrong. This was explained in the first of Clarke’s three laws, which says that “When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible, he is almost certainly right. When he states that something is impossible, he is very probably wrong.”

This appeared in a 1962 essay he wrote, which blamed failure of imagination for poor predictions about the future. In 1977, another famous science fiction writer, Isaac Asimov, proposed an exception to Clarke’s law. He thought that when the general public passionately supports an idea denounced by elderly scientists, the scientists are more likely to be correct.^[2]

8 Cunningham’s Law

Betteridge’s and Clarke’s laws give people an indication of when they can trust the information they are being told and when they ought not to rely on it. Cunningham’s law is similar but more practical and proactive. It can be used to help people get information they would like to know from others online, and it is said to be even more effective than simply asking.

According to Cunningham’s law, a false statement is more likely to be corrected than a straightforward question to be answered. So when there is something that people need to know, the best thing to do is basically to log on and make an authoritative but completely false declaration about their desired topic. Then, they can sit back and watch the corrections roll in.

The so-called law takes its name from Ward Cunningham, who knows a thing or two about gathering information as one of the most important developers of user-edited “wiki” websites. He was not, however, the first to put this law to use. Socrates, the ancient Greek philosopher, used to open some of his famous dialogues with arguments that he knew were wrong.^[3]

7 Andy and Bill’s Law

Computers have inspired many other so-called laws besides Cunningham’s. Probably the most famous is Moore’s law, which predicts that the number of transistors on computer chips will double roughly every two years. What this really means is that computers get more efficient—processing faster and costing less—very quickly. It is named after Gordon Moore, who co-founded Intel, but he would not be the only executive of that company to have his own law.

Intel’s former CEO Andy Grove also has one, although he shares it with another tech visionary—Microsoft founder Bill Gates. “Andy and Bill’s Law” predicts that the gains achieved by chip manufacturers like Intel will be wiped out by developers like Microsoft, who expand their software to use up the available power.

As an old computer conference joke puts it, “What Andy giveth, Bill taketh away.” In some variations, it is Gordon Moore who “giveth,” but the joke disguises the astounding impact Bill and Andy’s law has had on the world. Continual innovation on both sides is the reason today’s smartphones have more computing power than the spacecraft that took men to the Moon in 1969.^[4]

6 Eroom’s Law

Moore’s Law has held up pretty well since it was first described in 1965. It has led to great advances in technology, which should theoretically benefit other areas, helping them improve exponentially, too. However, when a 2012 study looked into whether gains in technology had benefited the development of new drugs, they found that the opposite had happened. The number of approved new drugs for every billion dollars spent on research has halved around every nine years since 1950.

That means that the cost of developing a new drug effectively doubles every nine years. The researchers called this “Eroom’s law,” Eroom being Moore spelled backward. One of the reasons they thought this happened was the “better than the Beatles problem.” This means that the amount of improvement required for approval is too high, like how there probably would not be much music today if every musician had to be much better than the Beatles and was forced to quit if they were not.^[5]

5 Goodhart’s Law

Goodhart’s Law states that “when a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure.” Actually, that is how the anthropologist Marilyn Strathern rephrased the less concise original. Named after the British economist Charles Goodhart, a good example of this law comes from the attempt to solve a rat infestation in Vietnam in the early 20th century.

Rat catchers were hired to go down into Hanoi’s sewers, and to make sure that they were doing their jobs, they had to bring the tails of the rats they killed to the officials. This was a measure; the officials could count the tails to know how many rats were being killed. But then they decided to pay the rat catchers based on how many tails they brought in.

From then on, it was a target. The catchers stopped killing the rats and instead just removed the tails. That way, they could get paid, and the rats could reproduce so the catchers could get paid again the next day. Counting the tails was no longer an accurate measure of the rat-catchers’ effectiveness.^[6]

4 Segal’s Law

Some laws are not really laws at all and would probably be better described as adages or proverbs. Segal’s law is an example of this. It states that “a man with one watch knows what time it is; a man with two is never sure.” On the surface, it points out the pitfalls of having too many sources of information. If they conflict with each other, people are unable to use either of them because they do not know which one is correct. It is, therefore, easier to have only one source, but wise people will note that it is then hard to tell if it is wrong.

Surprisingly, the earliest record of the saying comes from a San Diego newspaper in 1930, where it was a quip used to fill space. It takes the name “Segal” from a radio broadcaster in Texas called Lee Segall, to whom the quote was wrongly attributed in a popular book called Murphy’s Law. The author also misspelled his name. Segal’s Law has also been attributed to Mark Twain and Einstein. However, there is no evidence that it came from either.^[7]

3 Benford’s Law

Imagine taking a stack of newspapers and noting down the first digit of every number reported in them. It would be reasonable to expect that each possible first digit appears roughly the same number of times. But according to Benford’s law, that is very unlikely. Lower first digits actually appear far more often than higher ones.

The phenomenon was first recorded by the astronomer Simon Newcomb in 1881. While flicking through a book of mathematical tables in the library, he noticed that the pages near the beginning were dirtier than those near the end. It seemed his colleagues preferred numbers that started with 1.

In 1938, the American physicist Frank Benford tested this further, using thousands of pieces of data. He found that smaller first digits really did appear more often, and Benford’s law has since been observed in all kinds of things, from electricity bills and street addresses to stock prices and population numbers. Today, Benford’s law is even used to help spot fraud. People making up numbers that they want to look random often try to use each digit equally so their figures will not obey Benford’s Law.^[8]

2 Benford’s Law of Controversy

Even though it is also named after a man called Benford, who also happens to be a physicist, “Benford’s Law of Controversy” is not at all related to Benford’s Law. The Benford of the former is an astrophysicist called Gregory Benford, and his law teaches that “passion is inversely proportional to the amount of real information available.” When solid facts are in short supply, people tend to fill in the gaps with theories or rumors. They often choose what they would like to be true or what fits with their tribal identity.

This is why people can get so passionate about things that they do not really know about. This affects some people more than others, but it can happen to anyone. The reason the gaps are filled in in the first place is that uncertainty is an unpleasant feeling. Coming up with a narrative that explains everything, even if it is wrong, makes people feel better.^[9]

1 Hofstadter’s Law

The causes of Benford’s Law of Controversy might be unconscious, but if people are aware of it, then they might be able to introspect and spot where their emotions are filling in the gaps. But trying to work around this final law promises to be a futile endeavor. That is because, according to Hofstadter’s Law itself, even knowing it will not help somebody to break it.

The self-referential law, which was thought up by the cognitive scientist Douglas Hofstadter, posits that planned tasks will always take longer than people expect—even if they take Hofstadter’s law into account. People already know that things take longer than they predict, so they adjust their estimate to give themselves even longer. But according to Hofstadter, they are doomed to be surprised once again.

Probably the most famous example of this law in action is the decade-long disaster of a project that was the Sydney Opera House. Similarly, London’s Wembley Stadium was expected to open in 2003, 2005, and 2006 before it eventually opened in 2007.^[10]

The Middle Ages spanned from roughly AD 500 to AD 1500. It was a period filled with famine, plague, and war. Ruled by the king, the people of medieval England lived under a feudal system heavily influenced by the Roman Catholic Church.

During the Middle Ages, both laws and the penalties for breaking them were very different from the ones we are familiar with today. From football being outlawed to the practice of witchcraft being punishable by death, here are ten ludicrous laws from the Middle Ages that, thankfully, are no longer in place.

Related: Top 10 Ridiculous Laws That Are Still Enforced Across The World

10 Playing Football Was Forbidden

While football players today have a reputation of being dramatic over the smallest of injuries, their predecessors were the exact opposite. Medieval football was a violent game. While there were not as many rules, there was a lot more bloodshed. Rather than a ball, an inflated pig’s bladder was kicked up and down the entire length of a village, with the goals sometimes miles apart. Players could kick and punch both the bladder and their opponents, resulting in many injuries and the occasional death.

Football was banned in 1349 by Edward III, not because he was concerned about public health but rather about national security. Not only was England at war with France in 1349, but the country was also suffering the loss of many lives due to the Black Death, a global epidemic of the bubonic plague. Edward III wanted his remaining, healthy men to be focused on their archery practice rather than getting distracted by football. The punishment for playing football was six days imprisonment.^[1]

9 Blowing One’s Nose Was Illegal

Newmarket, a town in the English county of Suffolk, is known as the birthplace of horse racing. The practice dates back to the 12th century, but James I popularized it after building a palace there in 1606, which drew in a lot of people.

Over time horse racing in Newmarket grew into a large business, and the town was forced to establish laws to protect the horses, including one that made it illegal for people to blow their noses in the street. This was to reduce the risk of the horses getting sick. What a nightmare it must have been for people with hay fever!

Blowing one’s nose wasn’t the only thing that could get a person in trouble. Anyone walking around with a head cold or temperature had to pay a fine. Obviously, Horse racing was a serious business.^[2]

8 You Had to Have Your Master’s Permission to Get Married

Today, it’s daunting enough having to ask the father of your partner for their child’s hand in marriage. While this practice is done out of respect, the answer given does not decide your future, and you can still get married—even if the father does not give his blessing. This, however, was not the case in the Middle Ages.

Societal rank played a large role in medieval life, especially for those at the bottom of the pyramid. Peasants and serfs working and living under landowners essentially had no freedom. A man wanting to get married not only had to get the father”s permission but also their landowner’s.

For a woman, the situation was even worse. If her husband died, the landowner could force them to marry another man in a relatively short amount of time. If they refused, they could receive punishment. ^[3]

7 Wearing Long, Pointy Footwear Was Forbidden

Fifteenth-century Britain was a time of flamboyance. Along with short shirts, long, pointy-ended shoes known as crackows, or pikes, had become the height of men’s fashion. It was believed that the longer the toe, the more masculine and rich the wearer, so much so that shoes sometimes extended up to five inches beyond the toe. This led to the ends occasionally having to be tied around the wearer’s ankles.

As the fashion continued growing and peasants began wearing more extravagant clothing, the English crown finally decided to step in. They wished to preserve the feudal hierarchy and stop people from dressing above their social rank. Between 1463 and 1604, a law passed that said that “No knight under the rank of a lord, esquire, or gentleman, nor any other person, shall wear any shoes or boots having spikes or points which exceed the length of two inches.” The punishment was a fine of three shillings and four pence, which is just over US$136.^[4]

6 People Could No Longer Eat More Than Two Courses

In the Middle Ages, there were many sumptuary laws that restricted what people could eat and drink. They were intended to reduce excessive eating and prevent people of lower social status from matching the lifestyles of those above them.

In 1336, a law banned that people, no matter their rank, shall be served a meal with no more than two courses. Soup, it made sure to specify, counted as a full course meal and wasn’t just a sauce. The exception to the law was on certain festivals, such as Christmas, where three courses were allowed.^[5]

5 Commit a Crime, Go through an Ordeal

In medieval England, the peasants had strength in their numbers. To stay in power and prevent revolts, the upper-class authorities made it so that even the smallest of crimes committed had harsh penalties. The idea of this was to make the poor fear stepping out of line. Even petty crimes (theft, disturbing the peace—which often meant the king—or vagrancy) sometimes resulted in harsh punishments, from flogging to having some part of the body cut off (hands were quite common). Until 1215, even being accused of a crime resulted in the punishment of enduring an ordeal that revealed a person’s innocence or guilt.

There were three ordeals:

Ordeal by fire: The accused held a red-hot iron bar in their hands and walked three meters. After three days of being bandaged up, the wound on the hand would be looked at to determine the accused’s fate. If it was healing, they were innocent; if it wasn’t, they were guilty.

Ordeal by water: The accused was tied up and thrown into a body of water. If they sank, they were innocent. If they floated, it was seen that the river had not accepted them, and, therefore, they were guilty.

Ordeal by combat: This was combat between the accused and accuser. It was believed that God would give strength to the innocent. It must be noted that the fight often ended in the loser’s death.

The practice of ordeals was declared over by the Pope in 1215 and was replaced by a jury process.^[6]

4 No Sex on Certain Days of the Week

Throughout the Middle Ages, there were a number of religious laws that tried to restrict when a person could have sex. In an average seven-day week, a married couple could only have sex on four of the days. Days in which sex was prohibited included Thursday and Friday because people were supposed to prepare for Holy Communion and Sunday—because it was the Lord’s day.

And that wasn’t all. Throughout the year, there were many other periods where sex was banned, including 47 to 62 days during Lent, the 35 days before Christmas, and the time around the Feast of Pentecost, which could be anywhere from 40 to 60 days.

Medieval people believed that eye contact was an important part of sexual attraction. It was said that “the eye was not a passive receiver but was instead active in sending out rays of sight toward the object of vision. The very act of looking could stimulate desire in the observer and the observed.” Women were advised to be careful about when they looked at men—so as to not tempt them at the wrong time.^[7]

8 Playing Tennis Was Forbidden

Football wasn’t the only sport banned in the Middle Ages. In 1485, it became illegal for young men who weren’t nobles to play tennis, with the only exception being on Christmas day. Medieval tennis was believed to disrupt labor and encourage gambling in workers because participants were left in unsupervised situations without their masters around.

The banning of tennis in the lower classes helped to maintain the feudal hierarchy. Tennis began to be seen as an exclusively upper-class sport because it needed expensive equipment and required an understanding of complex rules and social etiquette.

Tennis eventually became known as “the sport of kings,” with Henry VII and Henry VIII both apparently very into the game. A Venetian Ambassador who watched Henry VIII play in his youth said, “It was the prettiest thing in the world to see him play; his fair skin glowing through a shirt of the finest texture.” Thankfully today, tennis can be played by all.^[8]

2 Blasphemy Resulted in the Loss of One’s Tongue

In the Middle Ages, people had to watch their tongues, both physically and metaphorically, to avoid breaking the religious law regarding blasphemy, the action of speaking ill about God or sacred things. The law was put in place by the medieval Catholic Church to maintain control and order.

The church viewed blasphemy as a severe crime and gave it an equally severe punishment. The penalty for blasphemers was harsh. Often a person would be bound and tied while their tongue was removed with hot pliers, leaving them mute for the rest of their lives. Other punishments included stoning and hangings.^[9]

1 Practicing Witchcraft Was Punishable by Death

In the Middle Ages, people did not understand how many things worked around them, especially natural phenomena, as much was unknown to the scientific world. Humans, in general, do not like uncertainty, and the people of the Middle Ages were no different. Usually, God was their answer for things that could not be explained. However, when it came to naturally occurring ill-fortunes such as sickness, bad harvests, and the deaths of animals, they blamed witches because God, in their eyes, could not do evil.

Witches were believed to be able to summon evil spirits and demons, but in reality, they were usually just poor, elderly women who owned a cat. While widespread witch trials throughout Europe didn’t reach their peak until the late fifteenth century, certain women were ostracized and punished when seen as different.

In 1542, the Witchcraft Act was passed by parliament and established that witchcraft was a crime punishable by death. Witch-hunting became huge after that, especially in southeast England, and it is believed that over 500 people were put to death between the 15th and 18th centuries.^[10]

Wherever you live, you’re bound to come across some inexplicably strange laws that you can’t imagine any police officer enforcing. In Chicago, for example, it’s illegal to nap on a dance floor, give a dog whiskey, or eat in a burning building.

The goal of most legislation is to encourage acceptable behaviour while preventing or punishing unacceptable behaviour. Still, it can be difficult to understand the laws and customs of other countries, and travellers are frequently cautioned not to break the law inadvertently.

 We’ve compiled a list of ten ridiculous laws from around the world. Have fun!

 10. You Can’t Like Winnie The Pooh in Poland

Children’s minds are impressionable. So, we might think it’s a good thing that councillors carefully consider any mascots that might be placed on a playground. However, in Tuszyn, Poland, the town council appeared to take their responsibility a little too seriously.

They determined that Winnie the Pooh, a well-known children’s character, was an “inappropriate hermaphrodite” due to his lack of identifying genitalia. As we all know, prominent genitals are one of the most important characteristics to look for in a child’s character. “The problem with that bear is that it doesn’t have a complete wardrobe,” one councillor said. The bear’s lack of pants was a problem because it was “half naked”.

The meeting, which was secretly taped and leaked to the media, got out of hand when someone mentioned that the author was “over 60 and [had] cut Pooh’s testicles off with a razor blade because he had an identity problem”. Finally, the council decided on a Polish children’s character who was fully dressed “from head to toe.” To be on the safe side.

9. You Can’t Have A Water Pistol in Cambodia

Water pistols are commonly regarded as harmless amusement—merely children’s toys for sunny days. However, if you want to use one in Cambodia, you will most likely be disappointed or in trouble. The governor of Phnom Penh has prohibited the sale, importation, and possession of water pistols in the city.

Using water pistols during New Year’s Eve celebrations has become a tradition. The governor, I’m sure, thinks it’s ridiculous and should be stopped. In 2002, Phnom Penh’s vice governor stated, “We will not allow people to use [water pistols] because our nation is now peaceful, and allowing people to play with them will look bad”.

The Cambodian authorities, on the other hand, are not total killjoys. They have designated areas where people can play with water. Just be careful not to strew your talcum powder around when you’re drying off later. That bothers them as well. It appears to lead to rubbing powder on “one another’s faces”.

8. Wearing flip-flops in Capri, Italy

Capri is an Italian island in the Campania region. You are not permitted to wear sandals that make noise while walking, nor are you permitted to wear flip flops. The locals value their peace and enjoy a peaceful environment. A couple was arrested there once for wearing excessively loud flip flops.

Not just flip flops, but any shoe classified as “noisy footwear,” such as high heels or wood clogs. The mayor wants it banned if it squeaks, claps, bangs, or makes any noise that sounds like fingernails on a chalkboard.

7. Being fat in Japan

Being a little thick around the waist could land you in legal trouble in the country that gave us sumo wrestling. If you’re between the ages of 40 and 79, your doctor is required to measure your waist, and if you don’t fall within legal limits—a waistline of no more than 33.5 inches for men, and no more than 35.5 inches for women—you’ll be reported to the government for “re-education”.

Employers must ensure that their employees participate in the scheme or face $19 million in fines. So far, the metabo scheme (‘Metabo Law‘ which requires men and women between the ages of 40 and 74 to have their waist circumference measured annually). has reduced obesity by 3.5 percent, which appears impressive in a country where obesity rates are already low.

6. Being In Possession Of A Permanent Marker While On Private Property
Oklahoma City, US

In December 2010, an unnamed 13-year-old student at Roosevelt Middle School in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, was placed under citizen’s arrest by one of his teachers, Ms. Delynn Woodside, because he used a permanent marker to write on a piece of paper and it bled onto his desk Ms. Woodside claimed that the unnamed boy had also used the marker to write on his desk.

The boy was taken to a juvenile detention centre by an officer from the Oklahoma City Police Department. A spokesperson for Roosevelt Middle School stated that the incident will be investigated once school resumed after winter break. The boy’s arrest had nothing to do with the fact that he used a marker to write on his desk. The issue was the marker.

Oklahoma City Ordinance 35-202 makes it illegal to be in possession of spray paint or permanent marker on private property without prior permission. The law was enacted to prevent graffiti artists from creating graffiti on private property. However, it appears excessive that a 13-year-old can be arrested for it. We could not find more information about the decision reached by the school district, but we suppose it was favorable to the boy.

5. Owning a satellite dish in Malaysia

Do you want to catch up on the latest seasons of Stranger Things while you’re in Malaysia? Owning a satellite dish that receives foreign television could cost you $100,000 in fines and two years in prison, in addition to having your dish confiscated.

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has issued a warning that owning these satellite devices is illegal. According to an MCMC official, resellers and household owners who own and use these illegal telecommunication devices may be hauled into court. This could be one of those times when you decide to read a book instead.

4. Sharing Your Netflix Password in Tennessee, US

Tennessee residents are prohibited by law from sharing their Netflix passwords with anyone. The law applies not only to Netflix, but to any entertainment website that requires a subscription. The law is somewhat ironic in light of Netflix’s policy of allowing users to share their passwords with up to four people.

This is not a new law. It is actually an update to an existing law designed to prevent cable TV subscription theft. Unsurprisingly, the Recording Industry Association of America, which was concerned about people illegally sharing music, supported the update.

While the law is aimed at hackers who sell Netflix login details; And subscribers who send their logins to an excessive number of people. Legislators agree that innocent users can be arrested for violating the law. Offenders who used more than $500 of the service could face a $2,500 fine and a year in prison, while those who used more than $500 will face harsher penalties.

3. Chewing Gum in Singapore

Since 1992, chewing gum has been prohibited in Singapore. The ban was part of Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew’s policies to transform Singapore into a first-world country. People were fond of sticking their chewed gum on the pavement and train doors, so the law was enacted. This frequently caused issues, particularly on the train doors.

Peter Day mentioned chewing gum could promote creative thinking during an interview with Lee in 2000. Chewing gum, according to Lee, is nothing short of a mischievous act. He went on to say that if he couldn’t think or be creative without chewing, he could just chew a banana.

Singapore lifted the ban in 2004, allowing pharmacists and dentists to sell medical chewing gum. This means that chewing gum enthusiasts must obtain a medical prescription in order to purchase gum. Tourists, on the other hand, are permitted to bring in a limited amount of chewing gum for personal use.

2. It Is Illegal To Play Online Games Between Midnight And 6:00 AM in South Korea

To combat excessive gaming among teenagers, the South Korean government enacted the Shutdown Law (also known as the Cinderella Act) in 2011. Teenagers under the age of 16 are prohibited from accessing online game servers between the hours of 12:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m., according to the law. They can, however, continue to play offline games on their personal consoles, phones, tablets, and laptop computers.

Game players over the age of 16 are required to use their social security numbers to access game servers. The ban was later modified. So that teenagers under the age of 16 could play online games after midnight with the permission of their parents.

1. Mowing The Lawn On Sunday in Germany

Germany has a population of over 82 million people but a land area of only 357,386 km². This means that Germany has a lot of people crammed into a small amount of space. Noise is one of the consequences of having too many people in a small space. There is a lot of noise.

Germany responded by instituting Ruhezeit. Ruhezeit (German for “Rest Time”) specifies times of day when people are expected to be quiet. The time varies by state, but it is usually between 8:00–10:00 PM and 6:00 AM the next day. Some states also observe Ruhezeit every afternoon between 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM. However, all states observe Ruhezeit for the entire day on Sunday and public holidays.

During Ruhezeit, all noise is strictly prohibited. You are not permitted to mow your lawn, rev your car, listen to loud music. Or even use the washing machine If you live in an apartment.

Some very interesting legal issues have arisen as a result of Ruhezeit. When one neighbour complained that the frogs in his neighbor’s pond kept him awake at night, the court ruled that frogs are a natural part of the environment and that the disturbed neighbour should wear earplugs. When another neighbour complained that his neighbor’s dog barked too much, the court ruled that the dog could only bark for 30 minutes per day.

Author Name: Navi Arora