Job Discussion Forums

[dmb]

what are some of the strange laws in the country where you are now. The Uk and the US are both guilty of this.(aren't there some states in the US where oral sex is illegal between husband and wife? Or is this urban myth? Here in Qatar it is legal to drink alcohol,as a non muslim, however it is illegal to be drunk.

[fat_chris]

There's an archaic law still on the books in some towns and cities in Ohio that states that more than six non-related women are not allowed to live in the same house as this could constitute a brothel. At some Ohio colleges and universities, sorority women have a sorority house for meetings, but they stay in the dorms, unlike their male counterparts who have meetings and live in their house.

[dreadnought]

I don't actually live there, but i saw on the internet that Germany has no law against cannibalism. Apparently, a man advertised on the internet for someone to eat and bizarrely got a reply. Without going into the gruesome details, the man who responded agreed to be eaten by him and subsequently was. The cannibal couldn't really be arrested for murder since it was consensual, and there was no 'anti-cannibalism' law on the German statute. He had to be charged for 'sexual mutilation' (or something like that).

I wonder how many other countries have this glaring legal loophole.

[ntropy]

In Calgary, Canada it is currently illegal for any business not to have a hitching post outside for horses.

No Shit.

[lajzar]

In York., is quite legal to short, with a bow and arrow, any Scotsman (presumably not their womenfolk) found within the city walls after dark.

Apparently there is a similar law in Crewe with regard to Welsh men.

[shmooj]

In the UK you cannot be married after 6pm. This dates from medieval times and is to prevent you being married off to someone other than the one you are betrothed to by being unable to clearly see your bride's face through the veil.

Trust me. I know this is true because it almost cost me my wedding ceremony.

We wanted to have a candlelit wedding at 7pm but, due to this law, had to have it at 5pm and black the church out instead. We figured a 5pm start would give us plenty of time to get married by 6. Or, in other words, give the minister enough time to get through the ceremony to the legally binding words "I now pronounce you man and wife" which technically indicate the start of your marriage.

Well what we hadn't figured on was the bride being late by 25 mins. We motored through our elaborately planned ceremony as quickly as we could until eventually the minister drew back the sleeve on his cassock to reveal a digital watch. He glanced at it and with a relieved smile addressed us, "I'm happy to say that with ten minutes to spare, I now pronounce you man and wife."

[dduck]

"He glanced at it and with a relieved smile..."

That's a great story! Should get lots of laughs over the years

Iain

[joe-joe]

Ntropy, I can well believe that in Calgary they have posts for people to tie horses to; my parents have friends who live in Red Deer, Alberta and folks still regularly ride horses there in town

[ntropy]

Joe-joe, the law exists but is not put in practice or obeyed, much like the Scotsman above. No businesses actually have posts. The law just hasn't been repealed. Pretty hard to have horses wandering around in a city of more than a million.

BTW, I live in a much smaller city and we do occasionally see a horse rider. When I lived in Ontario, it was common to see Amish with horse and buggy on the highway.

[joe-joe]

Ntropy, I think what I intended to write was I can well believe they have such a law in Calgary! Mind you it could be funny if someone insisted the law was enforced, don't you think?

[been_there]

http://www.boston.com/news/odd/articles/2003/11/25/state_law_people_must_bathe_at_least_once_a_year/

[dln]

From the CNN website

ELIZABETHTOWN, Kentucky (AP) -- If you move to Kentucky you better be prepared to bathe -- at least once a year.

A state law that mandates people bathe at least once in 12 months is just one of many unusual statutes that are or have been on the books.

Another state law, for example, stated that "No female shall appear in a bathing suit on any highway within this state unless she be escorted by at least two officers or unless she be armed with a club."

The law was later amended with: "The provisions of this statute shall not apply to females weighing less than 90 pounds nor exceeding 200 pounds, nor shall it apply to female horses."

Other unusual laws include a year in prison for anyone who throws eggs, or tomatoes, at a public speaker.

It also is unlawful to dye a baby chick, duckling or rabbit and offer it for sale unless six or more are for sale at the same time.

"Sometimes unusual laws have a little sense behind them," said D. Dee Shaw, attorney for the city. "Sometimes they don't."

[joe-joe]

Just read in the paper that in Geuda Springs, Kansas, they just passed a law whereby the head of each household now has to own a gun and ammunition. Apparently this is aimed at cutting crime as there is no police or marshall present in the village of 210 people! Note they only had 2 crimes committed this year. If you don't comply with the law you'll get fined 10 dollars. But with no police present there, I wonder how they'll actually enforce this law.......

Also just as a footnote to Ntropy's comment about it being 'pretty hard to have horses wandering around in a city of more than a million', in Dublin, Ireland it was very common until a few years ago, to see a not inconsiderable number of horses belonging to travelling people wandering freely in the city's suburbs. The city council finally rounded them up because they were causing a public nuisance.

Also when in southeast Turkey this year, horses (sometimes with carts, sometimes not) were quite a regular sight in the city of Malatya, (pop. 500,000) where I was working, and also in the other cities I visited such as Diyarbakir and Shanlurfa. Not surprisingly, they often caused traffic problems!

[gsmith68]