Posted on 11/06/2007 2:22:18 PM PST by Aristotelian
A little-known law which prohibits people dying while in the Houses of Parliament has been voted the UK's most ludicrous piece of legislation. Another law which states it is treason to use a postage stamp upside down was placed in second place by those polled by UKTV Gold.
The most absurd international law was judged to be in the US state of Ohio, where it is illegal to get fish drunk.
The 3,931 people asked selected the laws from a shortlist of bizarre rules. . . .
The UK's top 10 most ridiculous British laws were listed as:
1. It is illegal to die in the Houses of Parliament (27%)
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 (3%)
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%) False teeth
Other bizarre foreign laws voted by those polled included:
In Ohio, it is illegal to get a fish drunk (9%)
In Indonesia, the penalty for masturbation is decapitation (8%)
A male doctor in Bahrain can only examine the genitals of a woman in the reflection of a mirror (7%)
In Switzerland, a man may not relieve himself standing up after 10pm (6%)
It is illegal to be blindfolded while driving a vehicle in Alabama (6%)
In Florida, unmarried women who parachute on a Sunday could be jailed (6%)
Women in Vermont must obtain written permission from their husbands to wear false teeth (6%)
In Milan, it is a legal requirement to smile at all times, except during funerals or hospital visits (5%)
In France, it is illegal to name a pig Napoleon (4%)
My favorite.
In Norman, Oklahoma it is illegal for a woman over the age of 18 and under the age of 40 to sit on the lap of a man over the age of 18 but under the age of 25 and not a relative without an intervening cushion of at least six inches thickness.
I had a friend who received a ticket for this offense in 1970.
The Chico, California, City Council enacted a ban on nuclear weapons, setting a $500 fine for anyone detonating one within city limits.
Um...hypothetically speaking does it matter whether it’s accidental or intentional?
Oh never mind, excuse me I have to go take care of something...
I heard Japan was going to file a claim against these United States for that very offense, but then they checked their insurance policy and saw there was a two bomb deductible.
“Here is one: It is illegal for British subjects to arm themselves against intruders or others seeking to steal their property or injure them.”
Ah but, unlike most of the others, this one is untrue, although oft stated.
Really? Can you own a handgun? How about a high powered hunting rifle? A military style weapon?
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