# Funny laws around the world



## starry

Just found this site, it might be quite funny. Shows how laws can become completely divorced from modern reality. I bet many of these laws can't be enforced fully or at all.

http://www.dumblaws.com/

Here's another site

http://www.loonylaws.com/

Yet another

http://www.strangestlaws.com/


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## Sid James

I looked up Australia on the first website. Some of these I simply can't believe, like this one:



> You must have a neck to knee swimsuit in order to swim at Brighton Beach.


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## Edward Elgar

Here's a dumb law in Britain: If you get married anywhere other than a church, you aren't allowed any religious music during the ceremony. As if the church has a monopoly on religious music?!


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## emiellucifuge

They had these for my country, I dint see whats so dumb about them: 


It is legal to smoke pot, buy it, or have less than 5 grams with you.
Prostitution is legal but the prostitutes must pay taxes like any other business.


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## World Violist

Reading these laws is what makes me embarrassed to live in Kentucky, not the bad stereotype of southern-accented hicks. Although I still am distinctly not one of those.

I'm really tempted to walk down a major city road just once with an ice cream cone in my pocket, just to see if the police are really that attentive. Guys, if I'm gone for more than a month, you know what happened to me.

EDIT: Oh yes, and carrying a concealed weapon that's more than six feet long... um...


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## graaf

emiellucifuge said:


> They had these for my country, I dint see whats so dumb about them:
> 
> It is legal to smoke pot, buy it, or have less than 5 grams with you.
> Prostitution is legal but the prostitutes must pay taxes like any other business.


I really envy Dutchmen, maybe even more than Scandinavians... Some of the most advanced societies when it comes to laws and regulations.


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## Fsharpmajor

Recent newspaper headline: "MALAWI TO DEBATE FARTING BAN"

*http://www.sundayindependent.co.za/malawi-to-debate-farting-ban-1.1021580?pageNumber=2*


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## Aksel

Fsharpmajor said:


> Recent newspaper headline: "MALAWI TO DEBATE FARTING BAN"
> 
> *http://www.sundayindependent.co.za/malawi-to-debate-farting-ban-1.1021580?pageNumber=2*


That article was thoroughly strange. And those Malawians sure seem to like farting.


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## Pieck

Edward Elgar said:


> Here's a dumb law in Britain: If you get married anywhere other than a church, you aren't allowed any religious music during the ceremony. As if the church has a monopoly on religious music?!


In Israel gay people cant get married (they can with the other sex).


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## Edward Elgar

emiellucifuge said:


> It is legal to smoke pot, buy it, or have less than 5 grams with you.
> Prostitution is legal but the prostitutes must pay taxes like any other business.


This is what irritates me about the British stance on these issues. If we legalizes pot and prostitution, the tax generated from those industries gets Britain out of this damned recession faster! We do it with smoking and booze, so why not legalize other drugs and then tax the hell out of them?! Prostitution would be so much safer for the workers if it was legalized and regulated as it is in the Netherlands. Also, as you say, the tax generated would help the economy.

Wilhelmus van Nassau
ben ik van duitschen bloed.
De vaderland getrouwe
ben ik tot in de doed.
Een prinschen van Oranje
ben ik vrij onverveerd
de koning van Hispanje
heb ik altijd geëerd.


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## Edward Elgar

Pieck said:


> In Israel gay people cant get married (they can with the other sex).


That's not surprising considering the amount of religious extremism that that region suffers.

Only religion would be able to corrupt something as pure and joyful as love. (whoops! :devil: )


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## Pieck

Edward Elgar said:


> That's not surprising considering the amount of religious extremism that that region suffers.
> 
> Only religion would be able to corrupt something as pure and joyful as love. (whoops! :devil: )


You're right about that, but we're fighting religion here.


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## jurianbai

women can't buy cucumbers in iraq

people can not upload conversation with politic contents (aka wikileak) in (most) pro human right country.


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## World Violist

Pieck said:


> In Israel gay people cant get married (they can with the other sex).


Gay people can't get married in most areas of the United States. I know a gay person who had to get married in a different state just because the state in which he lived wouldn't allow it.


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## Huilunsoittaja

There's some state in the US, maybe in the Southwest or Midwest, where you will be fined if you are caught molesting a butterfly. What sane law-makers!


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## Meaghan

World Violist said:


> Gay people can't get married in most areas of the United States. I know a gay person who had to get married in a different state just because the state in which he lived wouldn't allow it.


http://www.theonion.com/articles/future-us-history-students-its-pretty-embarrassing,19099/



Huilunsoittaja said:


> There's some state in the US, maybe in the Southwest or Midwest, where you will be fined if you are caught molesting a butterfly. What sane law-makers!


What does "molesting a butterfly" even mean?!


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## Listener

Drug and prostitution laws are the most outrageous. The state has no right whatsoever what a person ingests into his own body or what consensual relations he has. Of course these are not stupid exactly, I'm sure there are reasons behind, mostly having to do with money, but they are unjust.


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## emiellucifuge

Of course thats a valid point, but it becomes the states business once drug users start causing problems for society, which the taxpayer will eventually pay to clean up/control.

Funny how a leftist country such as The Netherlands is 'freer' than the ultra-right USA


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## Huilunsoittaja

Meaghan said:


> What does "molesting a butterfly" even mean?!


Probably just trying to hit it, or break its wings off, or any such violent act.

Found where it is: Pacific Grove, California.

Maybe someone put up this particular list already, but here it is again.
http://www.la.cityzine.com/2008/01/28/the-crazy-laws-of-california/


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## Edward Elgar

Huilunsoittaja said:


> There's some state in the US, maybe in the Southwest or Midwest, where you will be fined if you are caught molesting a butterfly. What sane law-makers!


Thank god I live in a more liberal society! I'd be locked up otherwise! :devil:


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## Huilunsoittaja

Edward Elgar said:


> Thank god I live in a more liberal society! I'd be locked up otherwise! :devil:


Well, I have to admit I can't say I'm better. :devil:

I think it *was* a (politically) liberal society that came up with that rule, I wouldn't be surprised.


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## Almaviva

emiellucifuge said:


> Of course thats a valid point, but it becomes the states business once drug users start causing problems for society, which the taxpayer will eventually pay to clean up/control.


This argument doesn't hold a lot of water, since alcohol is the substance that causes the most problems for society, and it is legal.


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## emiellucifuge

Almaviva said:


> This argument doesn't hold a lot of water, since alcohol is the substance that causes the most problems for society, and it is legal.


I dont know much about these things, but say we were to take the hardline liberal view allowing anyone to ingest any substance.

A higher consumption would arguably increase the chance of addiction, increase the number of accidents occuring due to influence, increase the number of crimes comitted to fund addictions etc...

The police, a tax-funded institution, has to deal with all this.

If you also believe that prostitution and the right to prositutes is a right we should all have. "The state has no right whatsoever what a person ingests into his own body or what consensual relations he has"

Then you must also be prepared to pay for the officers and bureaus that combat human-trafficking, slavery etc... 
A lot of prostitutes have had their passports removed, been made drug-dependent and are kept to work against their will.


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## myaskovsky2002

> They had these for my country, I dint see whats so dumb about them


:

Please say what your country is (is it Australia?)

Martin


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## starry

Some laws are just unenforceable. That's what governments eventually learn, though it can take them years to realise it. Prohibition in America is an example, the Poll Tax in Britain another. Alcohol does probably lead to far more problems than most other drugs but the number of people using it means it can only be contained. Minorities on the other hand can be more easily targeted, unfortunate and unfair on them as it may be. But then did anyone really think laws are always fair? They are subject to things like fashion/prejudices and the political influence of particular wealthy or powerful groups


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## emiellucifuge

myaskovsky2002 said:


> :
> 
> Please say what your country is (is it Australia?)
> 
> Martin


Are you quoting me? If so, it says so on the top right of this post.

The Netherlands


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## EddieRUKiddingVarese

Hey I love this thread 

In Oz - "It is illegal to wear hot pink pants after midday Sunday."

Maybe the TOS are on this website also 
http://www.dumblaws.com/laws/international/australia


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## Klassik

Huilunsoittaja said:


> There's some state in the US, maybe in the Southwest or Midwest, where you will be fined if you are caught molesting a butterfly. What sane law-makers!





Huilunsoittaja said:


> Probably just trying to hit it, or break its wings off, or any such violent act.
> 
> Found where it is: Pacific Grove, California.





Meaghan said:


> What does "molesting a butterfly" even mean?!


Well, I doubt a law like that would just happen naturally. The law must have happened for a reason. Perhaps it's because someone molested a butterfly!  And, of course, the local constabulary could not do anything about it since they had no laws.

I looked up Pacific Grove on Wikipedia. It looks like Frank Zappa lived there at one time. Perhaps Eddie has some inside information as to why this law exists. :lol:


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## EddieRUKiddingVarese

I think is was due to Iron Butterfly, In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida was too much for the delicate things


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