While most laws and regulations exist primarily for the sake
of order and the protection of citizens, some of these laws are really weird,
old, or outright ridiculous. There are strange regulations on every continent
that mirror all these specific cultural, historical, and social settings. We
explore ten from each continent, right here.
North America
- Alaska,
USA: It is illegal to be drunk in a bar. Conceived to curb incidences
of public drunkenness, this law sounds illogical as it is enforced in an
establishment where liquor is intended to be consumed.
- Chico,
California, USA Any nuclear weapon set off within the Chico city limits
will cost a $500 fine. This is just a symbolic law from the Cold War days. - Sarasota,
Florida, USA: No singing when you’re in a swimsuit. The origins remain
a mystery, making beachside fun all the more humane. - Minnesota,
USA: Greasy pig contests have been banned so as to avoid cruelty
towards the animals and for the protection of public safety. - Mexico:
Cyclists are not allowed to take their feet out from the pedal while
riding, to keep control of the bicycle.
- Connecticut,
USA: A pickle here must bounce. That’s for both quality and safety. - Canada:
In Canada, Petrolia, Ontario, as a town law, nobody is allowed to whistle
or sing loudly on the street at night so as not to cause noise pollution. - New
Jersey, USA: It is illegal to wear a bulletproof vest while committing
a crime. This law is said to be an anti-crime law, as well as for the
protection of the police. - Oklahoma,
USA: It is illegal to make faces at dogs. This one seems a bit
strange, but it probably is targeted at not causing the animals distress. - Texas,
USA: You cannot sell your eye. This is the law through which it comes
under the larger regulation against selling your body parts in the state.
Europe
- United
Kingdom: In the UK you cannot have a salmon under “suspicious
circumstances”. This was legislation passed obviously to crack down
on illegal fishing. The wording has made it a source of amusement. - Switzerland:
Flushing the WC in many apartment buildings is not allowed between 10 PM
and 6 AM to avoid disturbing the neighbors. - France:
The dead can be married only with the president’s approval – something of
a wartime echo. - Germany:
Pillow fights are banned because a pillow can be considered a passive
weapon. - Italy:
It is illegal to feed the pigeons in Venice, with the intention of not
allowing the pigeons to overpopulate the city and not let their
droppings damage.
- Portugal:
In the interests of cleanliness, it is illegal to pee in the water that is
at beaches. - Denmark:
You can’t start a car without first checking underneath for children. This
law is related to child safety. - Greece:
To help preserve the monuments, visitors to many of the sites are not
allowed to wear high heels. - Ireland:
There is a law against being drunk in public. It was created to eradicate
public drunkenness and the problems that ensued. - Spain:
In some places, it is outright illegal to build a sandcastle in the
interest of maintaining beaches in a state of order and cleanliness.
Also read:
Asia
- In Japan,
you’d been unable to dance in a public place after midnight, that is,
until recently, a post-WWII. - Singapore:
The chewing gum ban here serves the purpose of preserving public
cleanliness.
- Thailand:
The currency in the country, which portrays the image of the King, is
illegal to even step on, showing deep respect for the monarchy. - China:
Tibetan Buddhist monks must first secure governmental permission to be
reincarnated, thus they control religious practices. - India:
To avoid money laundering fraud, the offense is carrying over 200
rupees worth of change without having a particular license. - South
Korea: It is illegal to tattoo without a medical license—a clear
demarcation of the very strict regulations on body modification. - Indonesia:
Mastu*rba-ting is an act punishable by decapitation because their views
about se*uali-ty are very conservative. - Philippines:
It’s illegal to drive on Mondays for vehicles with certain plate numbers,
aiming to reduce traffic congestion. - Malaysia:
It is illegal to wear yellow clothing, occupying the same concept of
government regulation on public demonstrations. (That’s in the 2010s in one specific weekend only.) - Saudi
Arabia: Women driving is illegal (though this law has recently been
overturned) but could, in a way, be seen as showing precedence in gender
norms.
Africa
- Nigeria:
Same-sex relationships are illegal in this country, which equally portrays
how conservative. - Kenya:
They banned plastic bags because they were polluting the environment and
destroying other creatures. - South
Africa: It is illegal for an animal to drive a vehicle intoxicated;
this is an old law from the time of animal-drawn carts. - Egypt:
All types of public displays of affection are illegal and represent very
conservative norms. - Zimbabwe:
There are laws against swearing at the President, and it therefore shows
that there are very strict laws on showing respect for the leadership. - Eritrea:
National service is mandatory; failing to finish it is a criminal offense,
which is a manifestation of conscription. - Tanzania:
It is not lawful to count your chickens before they are hatched; local
proverbs turned into law.
- Rwanda:
It is illegal to insult the national flag, a statement on strict national
pride legislation. - Uganda:
It is not allowed for civilians to wear camouflage clothing. - Ethiopia:
The use of some social media is illegal, indicative of an overarching
government control of information.
South America
- Bolivia:
Publicly married women are not allowed to drink more than one glass of
wine so that they do not commit adultery. - Brazil:
No man is allowed to wear a Speedo on the beach in Rio. - Chile:
You can’t ride a horse while intoxicated to prevent it from hurting
itself. - Colombia:
Drunk voting is illegal, and therefore there can be no alibis for any mis. - Argentina:
In some regions, it is not allowed to register a baby by the first name
“Messi,” in order to prevent an overuse of this name. - Peru:
It is illegal to import used clothes in support of local textile
industries. - Venezuela:
It’s illegal to wear a mask in public, or for the use of hiding your face,
instead in favor of fighting crime and maintaining public order.
- Paraguay:
Dueling is legal, provided both participants are registered blood donors,
in respect of old traditions. - Uruguay:
With lots of anti-smoking regulations, this is one country banning smoking
in public. - Ecuador:
A driver must not have an expired driver’s license; very severe
punishments are imposed on violators.
Australia and Oceania
- Australia:
It’s forbidden to dress like Batman and Robin under the law, which reflects
trademark protection. - New
Zealand: Flying a kite in a public park is illegal as it may cause
disturbances. - Fiji:
It is illegal there for women to sunbathe topless. - Papua
New Guinea: It’s illegal to have any kind of porn, reflecting strict
moral regulations. - Samoa:
It’s illegal to forget your wife’s birthday, unique laws of marriage.
- Tonga:
A man found cooking can be fined, as it is breaking the traditional gender
rules. - Vanuatu:
It is illegal to practice witchcraft. - Solomon
Islands: Pollution of the ocean, by littering, is an offense; one of
the examples of legislation protecting the environment. - Micronesia:
Swimming with dolphins is banned by law. It comes under the domain of
wildlife protection. - Marshall
Islands: It is illegal to drive without shoes on.
Though, at most times, they sound ridiculous, most of these
laws have deeper cultural, historical, or social contexts. They remind us of
the plurality of legal systems and the distinctive mechanisms human societies
seek to resort to in order to regulate behavior. Such rules may or may not be
highly imposed, but they reveal interesting facets of the legal landscape of
the world, indicating complexities and sundry idiosyncrasies of human
societies. Going to the apogee of these bizarre stipulations broadens the
horizon toward law, order, and peculiarities of global cultures.
