 sj |
||
|
||
BS: strange laws
|
|
|
Subject: strange laws From: GUEST,hrafn Date: 12 Sep 02 - 03:57 PM I recently came across some strange laws, here in the UK, such as it is illegal not to go to church on Sunday; it is still treason not to practice the longbow, or quarterstaff in defence of the realm; oddest of all is the fact that there is no law here against cannabalism. So I'm inerested to find out what the strangest law is where you live. looking forward to reading you replies. |
|
Subject: RE: strange laws From: Clinton Hammond Date: 12 Sep 02 - 04:03 PM A chum of mine was doing Medieval History doctorate work in York, and stumbled over this little tid-bit while doing his research... It is still legal in York, to shoot the Scottish, with arrows, from the city walls... Heh
|
|
Subject: RE: strange laws From: Mad4Mud Date: 12 Sep 02 - 04:41 PM Now look what you've started! Click here. |
|
Subject: RE: strange laws From: MMario Date: 12 Sep 02 - 04:55 PM up until recently - in Massachusetts it was not only illegal not to go to church on sunday - but all males over the age of 12 were legally required to carry their guns on the way and shoot any indians seen. This caused many problems of logic for one of my sisters classmates who was both Jewish and Wampanoug Indian |
|
Subject: RE: BS: strange laws From: Tig Date: 12 Sep 02 - 05:34 PM The one which makes an excellent quiz question is :- What does an animal park have to have before it can legally be called a zoo? An elephant !!!!!!!!! |
|
Subject: RE: BS: strange laws From: katlaughing Date: 12 Sep 02 - 06:26 PM A little town in Colorado has a roundabout (traffic circle) in the center of town, going around a small park/green. It is said there is a law which says one may drive around it 12 times in a row, but on the 13th, the police may stop you and give you a ticket or arrest you. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: strange laws From: JedMarum Date: 12 Sep 02 - 06:31 PM In Massachusetts, "mutual masturbation" is against the law with anyone other then your wife. I guess freqently that makes cyber-sex a federal crime! |
|
Subject: RE: BS: strange laws From: JedMarum Date: 12 Sep 02 - 06:32 PM ...ie, assuming your cyber partner is both; not your wife, and not in Massachussetts! |
|
Subject: RE: BS: strange laws From: Kim C Date: 12 Sep 02 - 06:35 PM Here in Tennessee, beer and liquor (wine and spirits) cannot be sold under the same roof. Ergo, we have beer stores, and liquor stores. Until recently, you could only buy liquor in a liquor store, which meant that if you wanted to make margaritas, you had to buy your Cuervo at the liquor store, and your mixer somewheres else. And if you want to have beer and liquor at your party, you can't buy it all in the same place, with the same check. What some of the larger stores do is, have the beer store in the same building, but with a separate entrance. Also, you cannot buy beer at the grocery before noon on Sunday. Which has always seemed silly to me - the people who got this one passed, years ago, are in church at that time anyway. So why would they care? |
|
Subject: RE: BS: strange laws From: DougR Date: 12 Sep 02 - 06:38 PM Hmmm, Jed. I didn't realize you were so well informed about cybersex. :>) Last time I heard, it was against the law in Arizona to carry wire cutters in your car. DougR |
|
Subject: RE: BS: strange laws From: Madam Gashee Date: 12 Sep 02 - 07:00 PM In Carmarthen in West Wales is is still legal to shoot an Englishman on site with a bow & arrow! Cymru am byth |
|
Subject: RE: BS: strange laws From: Gareth Date: 12 Sep 02 - 07:23 PM I would also mention Camarthen has very extended licencing laws on Market Day 6 days of the week are Market Days in Camarthen. Question ? Can they shoot straight ????? Actually this gives a thought to the border. Are the hords of English running for their lives to cross the ford/dyke before sundown (out of Wales) likely to be hit by the friendly fire of English Arrows searching for Welshmen trying to cross back to Wales before curfew ???? And another Camarthen Question. What do the Women of Camarthen and the Zulus have in common ???? Answer. They both defeated the British Army. (See the Rebecca riots and the Battle of Ishladwana) Gareth - safe in Sir Morgan |
|
Subject: RE: BS: strange laws From: weepiper Date: 12 Sep 02 - 07:47 PM Apparently in Glasgow it is required of the citizens to punish musicians found within the city after sundown by nailing their ears to the city gates. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: strange laws From: Amos Date: 12 Sep 02 - 07:55 PM Bit harsh, I'd say!! Makes the whole concept of "Encore!" much more risky. "Teddibly solly, but it's nearly sundown..." A |
|
Subject: RE: BS: strange laws From: curmudgeon Date: 12 Sep 02 - 08:46 PM Here in New Hampshire, the "live free or die" state, strange laws are commonplace. In 1969 the Constituion was amended so as to deny the governor the power to declare war "...against all enemies, foreign and domestic, and to porsue them with the state army and navy." This was a good thing as 1970 saw the election of arch reactionary Meldrim Thomson who tried to get nuclear (not new-q-lar) weapons for the National Guard. He also would have nuked Maine in a dispute over lobstering in the Piscataqua River. Then tjhere are the licensing laws. As recently as 1966, only hotels could serve spirits, wine and beer. Otherwise you had to drink beer in a cafe or "lunch." Sometime in the '60s, restaurants were allowed to offer spiritous libations, but there was a booze to food ratio that had to be fudged. Around 1980, the laws were liberalised, allowing patrons to order wine in a beer joint, provided that they also ordered a dollar's worth of food.. At this same time the regulations included a generic description of a type of woman who should not be served. There is a lot more silliness here, but I'll save it for later -- Tom |
|
Subject: RE: BS: strange laws From: Ebbie Date: 12 Sep 02 - 11:54 PM I read the long list of bizarre and ludicrous laws- the problem I have is that I don't believe half of them. If they are no more on the mark than they are in the ones I know about... It is illegal to a wake a bear for the purpose of photography in Alaska. Wrong. You can legally crawl into a bear's lair in order to photogragh it (but DUMB); it is not legal to do so in order to shoot it and it is not legal to do so intentionally if it is a sow with cubs. A law in Fairbanks, Alaska, does not allow moose to have sex on city streets. Say whut? In Willowdale, Oregon, no man may curse while having sex with his wife. I've never been in Willowdale but if the statement is no more accurate than the others I doubt its veracity. Federal law forbids recycling used eyeglasses in the United States. Wrong. Look at the Lions Clubs. In Alaska it is illegal to look at a moose from the window of an airplane or any other flying vehicle. Wrong. It is one of the highlights of a sightseeing flight. In Salem, Oregon, it's illegal for patrons of establishments that feature nude dancing to be within two feet of the dancers. Correct. Fairly sound reasoning- it disallows public fondling by either the dancer or the dancee.
|
|
Subject: RE: BS: strange laws From: Nigel Parsons Date: 13 Sep 02 - 10:15 AM Gareth: the most liberal licensing laws I have come across in the UK were in Cambrdge. At a Science Fiction convention, held on University sites, we were informed that the issue of licenses was retrospective. The Chancellor (or some such) of the University was responsible for licensing bars, and, once we knew the hours which the bar had been open, we could apply for the license.
Highly Civilised. Nigel |
|
Subject: RE: BS: strange laws From: MudGuard Date: 13 Sep 02 - 10:20 AM More strange laws can be found here: http://www.lawguru.com/weird/ |
|
Subject: RE: BS: strange laws From: Orac Date: 13 Sep 02 - 10:26 AM The official definition of masterbation is exciting ones own genitals (not someone elses) so I'm puzzled by the Massachusetts law above. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: strange laws From: Bagpuss Date: 13 Sep 02 - 10:42 AM Mudguard, I clicked on the link and checked out the English laws it mentioned, but they weren't particularly weird laws. One about needing to have a TV licence ( the benefit of this law is 2 whole channels without annoying adverts) and one about not leaving luggage unattended - which is a perfectly understandable response to the threat of terrorism. Not much else. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: strange laws From: Bee-dubya-ell Date: 13 Sep 02 - 10:42 AM I also read the long list and saw this one: In Canada, if a debt is higher than 25 cents, it is illegal to pay it with pennies. This is in no way a silly law. It's to prevent smart-asses from doing stupid shit like paying traffic fines with bags of loose pennies. In the U.S. loose coins of any denomination are not legal tender in quantities above what banks distribute in standard rolls. You can pay a $50.00 parking ticket with five $10.00 rolls of quarters, but not 200 loose quarters. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: strange laws From: Stilly River Sage Date: 13 Sep 02 - 10:44 AM Orac, Visualize it, it'll come to you. ;-) Ebbie, Thanks for posting your response. While some of these laws speak to hightened "special interests," a lot of them are along the lines of urban legend. SRS |
|
Subject: RE: BS: strange laws From: Maurice Mann Date: 13 Sep 02 - 10:51 AM Everybody knows that 1) in the rebecca Riots it was the men dressed as women 2) Michael Caine defeated the Zulus almost singlehandedly |
|
Subject: RE: BS: strange laws From: Ironmule Date: 13 Sep 02 - 12:15 PM Maurice M, you're confusing Rourke's Drift several days later with Ishlandlwana. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: strange laws From: HuwG Date: 13 Sep 02 - 12:23 PM Gareth, Maurice Mann and everyone, see This blue clicky for info on a very lighthearted view of the Rebecca Riots. There are a few of books on the subject, but the best is probably, "And they blessed Rebecca" by Pat Molloy, published by Gomer Press of Llandysul. I don't know of any folk songs inspired by the Rebecca Riots (my fault for living on the wrong side of Offa's Dike). Any Welsh 'Catters care to point me in the right direction ? |
|
Subject: RE: BS: strange laws From: The Walrus at work Date: 13 Sep 02 - 01:00 PM Ironmule, A minor correction. Isandlwana was 22nd January 1879 while Rorke's Drift was fought on 22nd/23rd January 1879, by Impis which had missed the main battle. Regards Walrus |
|
Subject: RE: BS: strange laws From: GUEST,Fred Miller Date: 13 Sep 02 - 07:44 PM I think it was 20 years ago I read that in Arkansas if two trains approached an intersection both were required to stop and wait for the other to pass. And that here in Kentucky it was illegal for a man to buy a tie without his wife's consent. Odd laws about alcohol, blue laws, vary widely around here. Faulker wrote some adamant, funny letters about them to the newspaper in Oxford, MS. He was opposed to them. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: strange laws From: Melani Date: 13 Sep 02 - 11:59 PM In Chicago, it's illegal to lead your cow down a city street on Sunday. Presumably it's okay on other days. I'm really worried about that California law about eating oranges in the bathtub. If the Bathtub Police come to my house, I could be in serious trouble... |
|
Subject: RE: BS: strange laws From: GUEST,Fred Miller Date: 14 Sep 02 - 09:23 AM Melani, there's a little blurry spot, where I'm not sure if the oranges you're eating in the tub have a brand name sticker or blue stamp somewhere on the peel. That's the only detail of that image that wasn't burned into my brain immediately in perfect detail and technocolor. I might paint it, if you don't mind. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: strange laws From: Dave the Gnome Date: 14 Sep 02 - 12:04 PM The 'forgotten' laws do tickle me a little. The shooting of Welsh/Scottish/English as described is quite common in various cities. You can also fit flanged wheels to your automobile and run it on a railway line (Never rescinded law apparantly!). Berwick upon Tweed and Monmouthshire, being border areas, have some perculiarities. Berwick is still at war with someone - can't remember who. The declaration of war was England, Scotland, Wales and Berwick upon Tweed. The peace agreement excluded said town. It is also unique in that inside the walls is under Scotish law while outside is under English! Monmouthsire used to change between being English and Welsh every seven years. So it was possible for a citizen of that county to play football or cricket for both England and Wales! My favourite though is that under the terms of the Magna Carta it is illegal for England to join with any European country in trade agreement! Anyone fancy taking the government to court over membership of the EU? :-) Cheers Dave the Gnome |