We count on laws to create order and provide justice, and most of them make a lot of sense. However, sometimes, some laws seem completely bewildering, and it can be hard to believe they exist.
Some are just outdated and just stay in the books, but others seem outright bizarre and seem to serve no meaningful purpose. Take a look at some of the craziest you’ll find in the U.S. and other countries.
Mind Your Own Bees(Wax)
If you’re a beekeeper in Colombia, keep a close eye on your hive. When bees go make a hive in someone else’s tree, they belong to that person.
Don’t Whistle Underwater
West Virginia takes water safety seriously. You can be arrested if you whistle while you’re underwater.
Eat Your Oranges in the Kitchen
In California, you can’t eat oranges in a bathtub. This law dates back to the 1920s when people believed that citric acid mixed with bath oils could make pipes explode.
No Squirrels in Your Pants!
Springfield, Illinois, forbids this if you’re doing it for gambling purposes. Presumably, it’s okay otherwise.
Found Money Is Yours After a Certain Amount of Time
If you found money in a store when you were a kid, your parents probably told you turning it in was the right thing to do. What they may not have known is that if the owner doesn’t claim the money after a certain time, it’s yours. The time varies by state and country.
No Pumping Your Gas
When driving in New Jersey, you can’t pump your gas. All stations are full-service with attendants. They frequently check your oil and other fluids as well.
Deciding Who Pays Isn’t a Coin Flip
In one city in Virginia, you can’t flip a coin to decide who pays for coffee. You’re probably still okay with Rock, Paper, Scissors.
Wash Your Mule in Your Yard
Here’s another wild one from another Virginia city. There, it’s illegal to wash a mule on a public sidewalk. Who are these people with mules in their houses?
Be Nice to Seagulls
And here’s one more from Virginia, where lots of coastline means lots of seagulls. It’s against the law to spit on one.
Keep Your Dog Away From Your Neighbor’s Chickens
In some U.S. locations, if your dog kills your neighbor’s chickens, you have to pay the neighbor per chicken. That’s not so much odd as it is obscure.
Spitting Into the Wind Is More Than Just a Bad Idea
There are also places in the U.S. where it’s illegal to spit into the wind. Finally, we have an example of a lack of common sense being costly!
A Seventh Child Can Pay
This wild one comes from Argentina. If you have a seventh child, the president has to sponsor it. It goes back to an old superstition that a 7th child would become a werewolf if it were a boy and a witch if it were a girl.
Don’t Pick Sunday to Drag a Dead Horse
If you live in Toronto and happen to have a dead horse, this one’s good to know. On Yonge Street, you can’t drag a dead horse on a Sunday. It seems to imply you can on other days.
The Scots Take Their Sheep Very Seriously
Scotland abolished the death penalty for homicide long ago. However, it’s in the books that killing a sheep can lead to conviction of murder and then hanging.
Killing Bigfoot Can Land You in the Can
Even though no one has ever proved that Sasquatch exists, the mysterious creature enjoys legal protections. If you kill one, you can go to prison.
15 Great Examples of “Just Because It’s Popular Doesn’t Mean It’s Good”
Just because something’s popular doesn’t mean it’s good, fun, or valuable. We often scratch our heads over popular things and wonder what all the fuss is about. Following are several popular things that a lot of people just don’t see that much appeal to.
15 Great Examples of “Just Because It’s Popular Doesn’t Mean It’s Good”
15 of the Worst Pieces of Advice You’ll Ever Receive in Your Life
Most advice we receive is well intended, but it’s astonishing how bad some of it is. Some of it comes from outdated views of the world, and some comes from sheer ignorance.
Whatever the basis, it’s advice you’re better off ignoring and making sure you never pass on. Read on for some examples of stunningly bad advice!
15 of the Worst Pieces of Advice You’ll Ever Receive in Your Life
15 of the the World’s Greatest Lies
There’s a lot of misinformation out there. Information is often wielded as a weapon and used against the public. Some lies are so colossal that they’re practically universal in our society.
15 of the World’s Greatest Lies
11 Widely Accepted Historical Facts That Are 100% False
History is like a grand tapestry woven with stories and events passed down through generations. Yet, as time goes by, some of the threads in this tapestry begin to fray and unravel. It turns out that not everything we think we know about the past is as accurate as it seems.
11 Widely Accepted Historical Facts That Are 100% False
15 Home Trends That We Wish Were Already Over
The home design trends that are so popular today will be out of style tomorrow. The “in” styles usually start at the designer level before trickling down to the public. It’s helpful to look ahead at the next trends when having work done for your home. What’s in today among the public may already be on its way out and no longer be used by designers.