Interesting laws and cultural differences.

[May's brother]

Mods: If you have a problem with this thread, and you want to close it, I will comply completely.

Hey, I've noticed people posting odd laws in places such as interesting facts you know, aswell as other places, so I find it appropriate that it has it's own thread, so aswell as interesting cultural differences between countries, we can discuss that too. There was a thread for odd cultural differences a while back, but it died.

Anyway, if you think this belongs somewhere else or shoudn't exist, please keep this to yourself, as I think the mods can tell me themselves, thanks.

Anyway, to get this thread started, and to help people who don't understand well, understand, here's a story I have that fits in quite well here.
Earlier in the year, we had an exchange student from the USA come over here. (I live in Australia) and he was impressed by the fact that we had televisions, muscle cars, and the fact that we didn't live in mud huts. We didn't mind seeing as our teachers warned us to expect the American student to rely on stereotypes for info. Anyway, when we were talking about thongs, (What Americans call flip flops) he thought we were talking about G-strings and started telling us about him shopping for G-Strings with his girlfriend. We loled and explained what we meant. Needless to say, he was surprised.
It's odd that two countries so similar can have so many different interpritations of things.

I also know a few funny laws, but I don't know which states they're from. :X

Eh, that was long.
Peace out Dawgs.

 

[AEROBLASTER]

I remember seeing somewhere that "Bush tucker" (Australian phrase) meant something like food, gathered from nature, in the outback. I just thought that it was funny sounding to me, being an American.

 

[Kakama]

It's illegal to have sex with anyone under 14 at federal minimum in America, but in older times it was a lot younger. In Mexico, however, it is 12.

...

Yay Mexico!

 

[Aqua's Dolphin]

It is illegal to be drunk in possession of a cow, or to wear pink hotpants on a sunday in Australia.
...
Yay?

 

[Nikacho]

I hear that in England the drinking age is 10. But my brother told me that, so i'm guessing it's fake.

~;162;

 

[AEROBLASTER]

My friend just came back from China, and has informed me that men with large bellies have this weird custom of lifting up their shirts and slapping said belly.

During my travels in Quebec, I've found that the teenaged locals there still display animosity towards anglicans, but as an ironic twist, they will show off their limited knowledge of the English language. As I recall, I was called a "frick kid" by one of them.

Being Canadian, I was completely unaware of the magnitude of the naming convention of soft drinks in the United States. Where I'm from, both 'soda' and 'pop' are acceptable terms; it had never occurred to me that there was actual tension regarding the usage of those terms in the states. A few friends and I went down to Portland last summer, and we went to some burrito place for lunch. My friend asked for some pop, and the cashier practically blew up and said, "it's soda!" Though as it turns out, 'pop' is commonly used in Oregon, but that employee was from New York, according to the apologetic manager.

I live in America, and I didn't really notice this. I do get in fights to see that caramel is pronounced the correct way though.

 

[Krake]

It's illegal to mispronounce 'Arkansas' when you are in the state.

 

[Blazios]

I hear that in England the drinking age is 10. But my brother told me that, so i'm guessing it's fake.

The normal drinking age is 18. However, there is an odd law that most don't pay attention to that states that anybody 10 years old or over is permitted to order an alcoholic beverage with a meal. You can't without a meal. Even so, nobody listens to it.

Or so I'm told.

 

[shay]

apparently in Ohio...

-Women are prohibited from wearing patent leather shoes in public.

-It is illegal to fish for whales on Sunday.

-It is illegal to get a fish drunk.

-The Ohio driver’s education manual states that you must honk the horn whenever you pass another car.

-Participating or conducting a duel is prohibited.

-Breast feeding is not allowed in public.

-It is illegal for more than five women to live in a house.

-It is illegal to mistreat anything of great importance.

-No one may be arrested on Sunday or on the Fourth of July.



Broken one or two of those lol

 

[dark rift]

You are not allowed to argue with anyone who is a "higher rank" then you in Japan and if you do you're "looked down upon". One of the reasons I wouldn't want to live there.

 

[Tabby Catty]

In Michigan it is illegal to hang anything on your rearview mirror, yet I see people do it all the time!

 

[Splitzman]

Australia - Although children are not allowed to legally buy cigarettes, they can legally smoke

Only a fully qualified electrician may change your broken light bulb. Otherwise you may receive a fine of $10.

When going outside, cats in the town of Longhorn must wear three bells on their collar to warn of their approach to birds.

Under Australian Communications Authority (ACA) legislation and the Telecommunications Act (1991) a modem may not connect on the first ring. Doing so will invalidate the operator’s ACA permit and may result in a fine.

United Kingdom

It is illegal for Members of Parliament to enter the House of Commons in full armour.

It is illegal to slaughter or dress cattle in the street unless the person doing the slaughtering has recently run over the aforementioned cow.

It is illegal to drive a car without sitting in the front seat

A pregnant woman can legally urinate anywhere including in a policeman’s helmet.

In Liverpool it is illegal for a woman to be topless in public unless she is employed in an exotic fish shop.

Russia (this one was to random to pass up) - you cannot drive a dirty car.
Baldwin Park, California - it is illegal to ride a bicycle in a city pool.
Detroit, MI - you cannot hitch your pet crocidile to a fire hydrant. (Guess the water supply must be low).
Alaska - you cannot push a moose out of an airplane.
Alaska again - you cannot view a moose from an airplane
Maine - it is illegal to jump from a moving plane (does that count sky diving classes)?
Nevada - you cannot ride a camel down the highway
Rodchester Hills, MI - you must have your swimsuit inspected by a police officer
Massechutes - moruners may not eat more than three sandwiches at a funeral
Hollywood Blvd. - you may not herd 2000 sheep down said blvd.
Redwood California - you may not fling gravy
In Santa Clara, California, it is forbidden to dedicate parking spaces to the patron saint of television.
California - it is illegal to set a mousetrap without a license
Cali. again - you may not possess gall bladders, you cannot trip horses for entertainment, a person must own two cows in order to legally wear cowboy boots in public, In Santa Clara, it is forbidden to dedicate parking spaces to the patron saint of television.

Prostitutes in San Francisco are not obliged to make change for bills larger than $50.

New Jersey - you may not slurp soup

Denver, CO - you cannot lend your vaccum cleaner to your neighbor

A special law prohibits unmarried women (whether single, divorced or widowed) from parachuting on Sunday or she shall risk arrest, fine, and/or jailing. (In Florida)

Finally, Alabama - It is illegal to play dominoes on Sunday.

It is illegal for a driver to be blindfolded while operating a vehicle.

In a 1991 issue of Radiance Magazine, author Robert Pelton writes that, "a full-bodied woman should never eat peanuts while attending church in Ryan Crossroads, Alabama. The pastor has the legal right to make offenders stand in a corner or leave the church until the service is finished."

It is illegal to wear a fake moustache that causes laughter in church.

Putting salt on a railroad track may be punishable by death

 

[Will-powered Spriter]

In england, it is legal to shoot a scottish man using a bow and arrow, if you (not nescesarily your target) are within york's city walls.

 

[johny2hai]

the american saying "fish and chips" is thought to be actual fish with chips.
Although i think it is french fries?

 

[Jace]

It's illegal to mispronounce 'Arkansas' when you are in the state.

I was talking about that in school last week. I don't see the big problem. Being in Missouri, people say ARR-CAN-SASS instead of ARR-CAN-SAW alot.

 

[LegendaryGarchomp]

the american saying "fish and chips" is thought to be actual fish with chips.
Although i think it is french fries?

Actually its an English saying and yes chips is actually french fries.

In Wyoming you can get a jackelope hunting license but only if your IQ is 72 or below and can only hunt them from midnight to 2 a.m. on June 31. (There are only 30 days in June) Yet they issue thousands of the licenses a year.

 

[Mr. Mudkip]

Stealing a man's horse in Texas' is apparently punishable by hanging.

 

[Steelers_Fan]

in oklahoma its illegal to go whaling!
even though we are completely landlocked and whales cant live in lakes.

 

[Steelers_Fan]

in oklahoma its illegal to go whaling!
even though we are completely landlocked and whales cant live in lakes.
;038;

 

[Raikou_fan]

in oklahoma its illegal to go whaling!
even though we are completely landlocked and whales cant live in lakes.
;038;

My friend was telling me that! Guess I can't go whaling in our pond now... Anyway, I took a trip across the country a few years ago. Most ppl knew all about where I live, but most (not all) ppl on the coasts thought we were still riding around in horse wagons, living in log cabins, and fighting indians. It was SOOOOO weird, and kind of insulting (part indian) in a weird way.