Laws exist to protect the citizens, but some rules are just so strange
and outdated that it makes you wonder why they still even exist!
But as Theodore Roosevelt once said, “No man is above the law and no man is below it.”
So no matter how absurd, you better obey these 13 Craziest Laws Around the World!
What’s up, fact-natics! This is Discovery Amuse, serving up your daily dose of the most
outrageous, outlandish, and out-of-this-world fun facts!
Our number one entry is just so weird on surface level,
but it actually serves a political purpose! So stay tuned to find out what it is!
Judge: Order, order int his court! Ray: You’re all taking it!
#13: No Bulletproof Felons
Did you know that in New Jersey, a person can be charged for wearing a bulletproof vest…
while committing a crime?
According to the state’s Code of Criminal Justice, “A person is guilty of a crime if
he uses or wears a body vest while engaged in the commission of, or an attempt to commit…
murder, manslaughter, robbery, sexual assault, burglary, kidnapping, criminal escape or assault.”
Depending on circumstances, using a bullet-resistant body vest can be
considered a separate second or third-degree crime. And the penalties for a third-degree
crime in this state include jail time of 3 to 5 years, and a fine of up to $15,000!
Consequently, convicted felons are not allowed to buy or keep their own body armor.
So if you’re planning to do something illegal, I highly suggest to drop the body vest…
or drop the whole sinister plan altogether for christ’s sakes!
Robocop: You have the right to an attorney Criminal: Why did you shaaa….
Stick around for our top pick because that law restricts what a spirit can do… after death!
I’m not even exaggerating! #12: ‘Til Death Don’t You Part
Bride: Open your mouth. Guests. Ugh…
Usually, you make a vow to your spouse to stay together ‘til death do you part.
However, in France, death isn’t always the end of a marriage. Sometimes, it’s the beginning!
Posthumous marriage, or tying the knot with a deceased person,
is actually permitted under the French Civil Code, but there are strict conditions.
First, the deceased person’s consent must be established through an engagement ring or
wedding invitation… and this evidence must be confirmed by the dead fiancé’s parents.
Also, the living partner must provide valid reasons for the posthumous matrimony.
These may include recognition of their children as legitimate offspring,
or when the future spouse suddenly passed away due to natural disasters, war, or terrorist attacks.
Man: I’m here. Woman: That’s all I need to know.
#11: Dirty Driving
Yes, driving a filthy car in the Russian cities of Chelyabinsk (CHUHL-ya-binsk) and
Moscow can actually get you a traffic ticket! The fine for “dirty driving” amounts to about
26 dollars. But a lot of people are conflicted as to what amount of “dirty” is considered illegal.
According to a survey by a Russian newspaper, some people consider
a car dirty when the license plate is muddled, while others describe a dirty
car as having too much filth that you can practically scribble naughty words on it.
But a closer look at the Russian Federation motoring rules reveals that “dirty” technically
means when number plates are so grubby that the registration number is no longer visible.
Makes perfect sense when you think about it, especially for preventing would-be getaway cars.
#10: Fat to Fit
We’re all for body positivity because after all, beauty comes in all shapes in sizes!
Amy: Oh my God, you see this? Look at me. Look at my jawline!
But in the Land of the Rising Sun, being overweight might poses serious
health risks. So in a bid to slow down obesity among its citizens,
Japan has set a state-prescribed limit for waistlines!
Companies and local governments are required to monitor the waistlines
of Japanese people aged 40 to 74. The limit is set at 33.5 inches for men,
and 35.4 inches for women – numbers that are said to be in line with
the International Diabetes Federation’s guidelines for identifying health risks!
For muffin tops who’ve had too much sushi, they will be given three months to lose weight,
and if they still haven’t reached the prescribed limit by that time, they will be given dieting
recommendations. They might also be required to pay more in the national health system,
and the government may impose fines to those who fail to meet their tape measure targets.
#9: Forever Hold Your Peace
This movie scene might look romantically funny,
but good luck interrupting a wedding like that in South Australia!
You better keep your mouth shut and forever hold your peace during a wedding ceremony,
or you might be slapped with a $10,000 fine and a 2-year imprisonment!
Thanks to the 1953 Summary Offences Act, it is illegal to disrupt religious ceremonies,
such as weddings or funerals, regardless of your objections. The offense applies during
the ceremony itself, so if you think there’s a valid reason why the couple shouldn’t get hitched…
maybe bring it up before they march down the aisle!
Bride: Todd, let’s do this. Groom: No, let’s not do this.
#8: Tater Trouble
From South Australia, let’s head on over to Western Australia,
where it’s an offense to possess more than 50 kilos or 110 pounds of… potatoes!
This regulation is covered by Section 22 of the Marketing of Potatoes Act of 1946, which
prohibits any person from selling, delivering, or buying potatoes that weigh 50 kilograms or more!
Although members of the Potato Corporation or authorized agents are apparently exempted.
Yep, forget about making mashed potatoes good for a hundred guests, because the potato police have
the right to stop your car and search it if they have reason to suspect that you are hoarding sacks
of taters. The penalties range from 2,000 dollars for the first offense to 5,000 on the second
offense, plus they will make you pay up to twice the value of the potatoes in your possession.
#7: Son of a Gum!
Here’s a friendly reminder if you’re planning to visit Singapore anytime soon.
Don’t even attempt to chew or spit gum in public places, if you know what’s good for you.
The country’s Housing Development Board previously spent about 150,000
Singapore dollars per year to clean gums out of sidewalks, properties, and public transportation.
Initially, the city-state’s Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew (Lee Kwan Yoo) was against the ban on
chewing gum. But he was put in a sticky situation when rude people started leaving masticated gum
on train door sensors, causing them to malfunction and disrupt train services,
so he finally decided to burst the offenders’ bubbles. In 1992, the law against it was enacted,
along with other bans on graffiti, spitting, and urinating outside of toilets.
#6: No Voting for Idiots
Don’t wanna be an American idiot…
Oh you sure don’t wanna be one if you wanna practice
your right of suffrage in Ohio and New Mexico.
According to Ohio’s state constitution, Article 5, Section 6 says: “No idiot,
or insane persons, shall be entitled to the privileges of an elector.” Similarly,
New Mexico legislation also indicates that “idiots, insane persons and persons
convicted of a felonious or infamous crime” are not allowed to cast their ballots.
The archaic, 170-year-old term “idiot” previously referred to individuals with mental
conditions and disabilities… which is entirely different from how we perceive “idiots” today.
Unfortunately, after all these years, lawmakers still haven’t gotten around
to changing or repealing this law, so the legislation remains intact in both states.
#5. Basic Witch
Chant: The air, the fire, the water, the earth, return, return, return…
In Canada, it’s okay to engage in witchcraft, but what’s not okay is to pretend to be a witch!
At least according to section 365 of Canada’s criminal code!
The law states that an individual cannot “fraudulently pretend to use
any kind of witchcraft, sorcery, enchantment or conjuration.”
But instead of being burned at the stake, fakers were punished with
6 months jail time or a 2,000-dollar penalty. However, this law was revoked in 2018, as
legislators deemed that phony witchcraft already fell under existing laws that criminalize fraud.
Zlatan: Who has summoned Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the greatest soccer player in the entire universe?
James: I thought you were supposed to be a fortune teller?
#4: $100,000 Traffic Ticket
Did you know that in Finland, a speeding ticket can cost up to hundreds of thousands of dollars?!
In 2002, a Nokia executive was reportedly fined 103,000 dollars
for speeding on his motorcycle at 45 miles per hour in a 30-zone!
That’s because Finland enacted a law which computes a person’s speeding penalty based
on the offender’s declared income! So the bigger your paycheck, the higher the fine!
So it’s no surprise that a millionaire like Finnish businessman Reima
Kuisla (REE-ma KWIZ-la) was also fined 54,000 euros for going over the speed limit.
If you think about it, it’s actually a fair system so the filthy rich can’t just
easily pay their way out of a tight situation.
#3: Cheaters Behind Bars
Teacher: This is what I think of cheaters,
right here. There’s a cheater, there’s another cheater, cheater, cheater, cheater.
Student: Sir, you said we could have a cheat sheet.
India’s educational system faced a significant problem
of cheating among students, which they saw as a long-term problem because these fraudsters
eventually won’t be able to adapt to the new economy. And so they came up with a legal remedy.
Under Article 417 of their Constitution, cheating in school or in a university is
considered a minor offense, and is punishable with fines or a maximum jail term of one year! Yikes!
Good luck passing cheat sheets around your cell block!
#2: Don’t Touch Your Crotch!
In Italy, whenever a funeral car passes by or while discussing illnesses and disasters,
it was customary for men to ward off bad luck by, er, grabbing their groins!
However, in 2008, the Court ruled that touching your private parts in public
is officially banned. Finito. Capiche? Rome’s Third Penal Division said that publicly
touching the crotch, quote-unquote, "has to be regarded as an act contrary to public decency,
a concept including that nexus of socio-ethical behavioral rules requiring everyone to abstain
from conduct potentially offensive to collectively-held feelings of decorum."
But despite this legislation, it’s still not illegal for men to pinch a woman’s butt!
Spell “priorities”!
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#1: Permit to Reincarnate
Believe it or not, China has created a law that bans Tibetan monks from reincarnating without
government permission… a decision described by Chinese officials as
"an important move to institutionalize management of reincarnation."
It’s not clear how they plan to police a monk’s soul, given that it is a spiritual being,
but analysts feel that the real motive behind
this regulation is to cut off the Dalai Lama’s influence.
In Tibetan Buddhism, they believe that the current 14th Dalai Lama is a reincarnation
of their spiritual leader, who has been continually reborn in the last
600 years to continue his religious work. By prohibiting monks from seeking reincarnation,
Chinese authorities essentially have the power to choose the next
Tibetan spiritual leader. The current 85-year-old Dalai Lama reportedly stated back in 2011
that it is inappropriate for the Chinese government to supervise his reincarnation.
So, what did you think of these crazy laws? And are there other rules in your
city that just make you scratch your head? Let us know in the comments section below!
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Want more proof of this crazy world we live in?
Then check out our list of the 10 Most Useless Inventions Ever Made!
‘Til then, don’t break the law, fact-natics! And see you in the next video!