Stupid laws in your area.

[lisati]

It is illegal to die in the Houses of Parliament.

I wonder what the penalty for getting caught doing this is.

[TheNerdAL]

In my city its illegal for a darker skinned man, to walk out at night. Its not enforced but it stands :/

Whats some of your cities/provs(states)/countries stupid laws.

Ohhhhh...Thas' Racis'!!

[Old_Grey_Wolf]

I don't normally reveal my current place of residence; however, here are some laws from Texas, USA. They include the City within Texas where the law applies.

• Wire cutters can not be carried in your pocket. (Austin)
• It is illegal to dust any public building with a feather duster. (Clarendon)
• Churches, hotels, halls of assembly, stores, markets, banking rooms, railroad depots, and saloons are required to provide spittoons "of a kind and number to efficiently contain expectorations into them." (El Paso)
• Landing an airplane on the beach is illegal. (Galveston)
• Any person who sits on a sidewalk may be fined up to $500. (Galveston)
• It is illegal to drive a motor car down Broadway before noon on Sundays. (Galveston)
• Drivers of city vehicles must respect all traffic rules just like the rest of us. (Harker Heights)
• It is illegal to sell Limburger cheese on Sunday. (Houston)
• Beer may not be purchased after midnight on a Sunday, but it may be purchased on Monday.(Houston)
• It is illegal to take more than three swallows of beer while standing. (LeFors)
• It is illegal to drive within an arm's length of alcohol - including alcohol in someone else's blood stream. (Lubbock County)
• It is illegal for children to have unusual haircuts. (Mesquite)
• Obnoxious odors may not be emitted while in an elevator. (Port Arthur)
• It is now illegal to place a "for sale" sign on a car if it is visible from the street. (Richardson)
• Cattle thieves may be hanged on the spot. (Temple)
• You can ride your horse in the saloon. (Temple)
• Owners of horses may not ride them at night without tail lights. (Texarkana)

[t0p]

Speed limits have been pretty well proven to reduce injuries and deaths associated with motor vehicles. To me, a "stupid law" is something that is unenforcable or nonsensical, not something that you just happen to disagree with because you'd rather not comply with it personally.

And yes, enforcement is often up to the discretion of individual officers who may prioritize things differently. That doesn't make the law itself stupid.

Most drivers I know admit that they break the motorway speed limit. Regular motorway users break the speed limit regularly. Most drivers I know think the limit should be increased.

If a majority of motorists break a law regularly, I reckon that makes the law pretty dumb. And the inconsistent enforcement demonstrates that many cops also think it's dumb. Otherwise they'd be more keen to enforce it.

I know speed limits serve an important purpose wrt safety. I don't have any problem with speed limits per se. Just stupid ones, like 70MPH on motorways. And 30MPH in built-up areas, that's stupid too. But for the opposite reason: 30MPH is too fast in areas where children might be playing in the streets. Make the limit 85 or 90MPH on motorways and 20MPH in residential areas, that'd make more sense.

[p_quarles]

Most drivers I know admit that they break the motorway speed limit. Regular motorway users break the speed limit regularly. Most drivers I know think the limit should be increased.

Okay, but this is anecdotal evidence of the highest order. Moreover, where I'm from, it's common to exceed the posted speed limit by about 10 mph on highways (American for motorways), but no more. So, the posted limit does actually affect how people drive. That being the case, the correlation between a posted speed limit and safety statistics becomes a causal relationship.

If a majority of motorists break a law regularly, I reckon that makes the law pretty dumb. And the inconsistent enforcement demonstrates that many cops also think it's dumb. Otherwise they'd be more keen to enforce it.

The fact that a cop thinks a law is dumb is no more compelling than the fact that anyone else thinks it's dumb. The question is whether or not the law protects people. In the case of speed limits, statistics show that laws regarding this protect people.

I know speed limits serve an important purpose wrt safety. I don't have any problem with speed limits per se. Just stupid ones, like 70MPH on motorways. And 30MPH in built-up areas, that's stupid too. But for the opposite reason: 30MPH is too fast in areas where children might be playing in the streets. Make the limit 85 or 90MPH on motorways and 20MPH in residential areas, that'd make more sense.

Again, the fact that you disagree with the SPECIFIC speed limit posted in a certain area, and that you think it's safe to go faster than that posted speed limit in that area, does not make the law dumb. It's hardly the equivalent of a prohibition against dying in parliament, for instance, which was the first example given in the thread.

[kaldor]

"A law to reduce crime states: “It is mandatory for a motorist with criminal intentions to stop at the city limits and telephone the chief of police as he is entering the town."

hahaha, I loved that

Edit:

"It’s illegal to climb trees." -Dumblaws' Canada list

BS!

[kevCast]

No marijuana.

[WinterRain]

Can't buy beer here on sunday. Stupid.

[Khakilang]

I wonder what the penalty for getting caught doing this is.

Death penalty I presume.

[the yawner]

[*]Beer may not be purchased after midnight on a Sunday, but it may be purchased on Monday.(Houston)

What. Do you have another law that defines when does Monday start?