The dumbest laws

USA
The United States of America is considered the center of ridiculous laws. There are even several dozen organizations that are fighting for the abolition of dumb laws, as they are called here.
One of the toughest laws is Texas. Here, for example, it is forbidden to make standing more than three sips of beer and shoot at buffaloes from the second floor of hotels. Trains that meet at the intersection of tracks must stop and stand until the other train passes. Walking without shoes in the state is possible only with a special permit, for which you need to pay $ 5. But these are all pretty old laws. But recently, under pressure from Governor George W. Bush (now President of the United States), a law was passed in Texas, according to which the offender must verbally or in writing warn the victim of an impending crime at least 24 hours before it is committed. In addition, the warning should describe the impending crime. Violation of this rule shall be considered by the court as an aggravating circumstance. Some cities in the state have their own strict prohibitions: in Clarendon, it is illegal to dust public buildings with brushes made from feathers; in Houston, beer trading after midnight on Sunday is prohibited (although it is allowed on Mondays at any time); in Port Arthur, it is a punishable act to emit unpleasant odors in an elevator.
No less severe penalties in Florida. Unmarried women are not allowed to parachute on Sundays. Strictly prohibited in Florida: singing in a bathing suit, riding a skateboard without license plates, showering naked. In the state, you cannot break more than three plates a day. In the city of Pensacola, a woman who died as a result of careless use of electrical appliances in the bathroom should be fined $100. In Miami, it is illegal to ride bicycles that are not equipped with an audible signal, but the use of audible signals by cyclists is prohibited.
As for the laws, which are difficult not to break, Arkansas prevails. This state prohibits "anyone, under any pretext whatsoever, from approaching the windows and doors of a polling station closer than 15 meters" on election day and during the counting of votes, making all state voters criminal. In the same place, drivers after 21.00 are forbidden to use beeps near places where cold snacks and soft drinks are served. Moreover, not only restaurants and bars, but also private houses fall under the law.
Many cities in the United States take fires seriously. In Chicago, it is a crime to eat in a burning house. In Evanston, Illinois, a fire is the only time a car is allowed to change. In Fort Madison, Iowa, firefighters are required to conduct a 15-minute training session before each fire visit. In New Orleans, it is illegal to tie alligators to fire hydrants, and in St. Louis, firefighters cannot rescue naked women or women wearing a robe or nightgown. In New Britt County, Connecticut, fire trucks can never travel more than 25 mph.
Clothing, appearance and behavior are special. In Kentucky, "no female can appear in a swimsuit on the road ... unless she is accompanied by two police officers or unless she is armed with a shovel." An exception is made for women weighing less than 40 or more than 90 kg. In Carmel, New York, any man who wears pants and jackets of different colors is fined $500. In Nogales County, Arizona, men are not allowed to use suspenders. In Nebraska, hairdressers cannot eat garlic or onions from 7:00 to 19:00, and in New Jersey, anyone who chucks in a restaurant can be arrested.
But the leaders in the “dumb laws” remain California and Indiana. In California, animals are prohibited from mating within 500 meters of schools, churches and catering facilities. There is also a speed limit for driverless cars - 60 mph. In California, it is forbidden to wear cowboy shoes by persons who do not own at least two cows; crying while testifying in court; licking toads and frogs, as well as washing cars with used underwear. In addition, in the city of Chico, it is forbidden to detonate nuclear devices within the city limits (a fine of $ 500).
Indiana's laws include a ban on bathing between October and March, car sales on Sundays, changing the color of birds and rabbits, selling milk in liquor stores, wearing mustaches by people prone to frequent kisses, eating watermelons in public parks, drinking standing alcoholic beverages in restaurants and bars. A resident of Indiana must be prosecuted for rape if the passenger of his car is under 17 years old and is in the car without stockings or socks. Since 1984, in the Indian city of Spades, there is a law prohibiting the use of firearms to open cans. Violators face three months in prison. In Indiana, the number of pi is 4, not 3.1415.

Europe
European laws may be no less severe. For example, in Ferrara, Italy, workers at a local cheese factory can go to jail if they fall asleep at work. Citizens are very serious about the production of cheese, and therefore forbid not only to work, but also to be in the factory women of “bad behavior or appearance”. The law was passed several centuries ago, when the connection between the “bad appearance” of a woman and souring of milk was considered obvious. Since then, views on life have changed, but the law continues to apply.
In Britain, the rules are rarely changed and almost never abolished. For example, a law prohibiting the wearing of knightly armor in the Houses of Parliament came into force in 1313, and no one repealed it. In the city of York from time immemorial, there is a law that allows the "archery to death" on Scots on all days of the week except Sunday. In the city of Chester, archery can be fired on Welsh, but only after midnight. In London, there is a ban on beating wives after 21:00, “because the screams of the beaten can interfere with the citizens.” Here, in London, there is a strict law prohibiting citizens to impersonate a “pensioner living in Chelsea”. The reason for the adoption of this law many centuries ago is impossible to find out, however, the law is valid. Moreover, it may well be considered the most enforceable law in the world – it has never been violated in the last 150 years. London taxi drivers are not allowed to shout “Taxi!” under penalty of a $100 fine. Taxi drivers themselves can refuse a trip to a “sick plague or cholera” and have the right to recover in public, “standing at the rear wheel and holding the right hand on it.”
Under British law, having an intimate affair with a royal spouse and flipping a stamp with the monarch's image glue upwards are the same crime - treason - and are punishable equally. Unlike Britain, in other European countries, ancient laws not only exist, but also apply in practice. In France a couple of years ago, a restaurant owner was accused by ten chefs of sexual harassment. In court, she referred to a “hip right” law that existed since the Middle Ages and allowed landowners to seduce workers on their land. According to the defendant, her actions did not go beyond the scope of this law. Finding that the law was not canceled, the court acquitted the woman.
Lawyers are banned in Andorra. “The appearance of learned jurists who can make black white is forbidden in our courts,” the Andorran law of 1864 states. And in Denmark, no one has abolished the law, according to which a person must walk in front of a car, warning horse carriages of danger. However, modern laws can sometimes be even more interesting than the old ones. Owners of vegetable stores across Europe can be fined (up to 1,000 euros) for selling bubby cucumbers, strawberries that do not resemble the shape of a heart, short bananas.

Asia and Africa
The laws of Asian countries seem ridiculous only at first glance. In fact, they have a profound meaning. For example, the Mongolian law, according to which women are obliged to walk with bare breasts. This law was quite appropriate in the Middle Ages: thus the Mongol nomads protected themselves from enemy fighters dressed as women.
In the Indian state of Rajasthan, women are forced to eat carrot seeds, which allegedly have contraceptive properties. Western newspapers also mentioned an ancient Iranian law prohibiting copulation with wild animals, especially lionesses, but allowing for intimate relationships with certain pets. However, here modern laws are not inferior to the old ones. Strict Singaporean lawmakers have banned chewing gum on the subway, going home without clothes, and not flushing water after using the toilet. In South Korea, traffic police are required to report bribes received during the day, and Thais are forbidden to leave the house without underwear. In addition, in Thailand, you can not step on local banknotes and coins, as they depict the king.
There are harsh laws in Israel. Among other things, it is forbidden to blow your nose on Saturdays, and you must have a driver's license to ride a bicycle. In the city of Arad, it is forbidden to feed animals in public places, in Ramat Gasharon - to keep Rottweilers, and in Haifa - to bring bears to the city beaches.
There are no less stringent African laws. Since 1994, in Ghana, only men with at least $50, a sheep and three bottles of gin can have sex with girls under the age of 18: this is the fine that a man must pay if a girl is pregnant. And in Swaziland, a prison sentence of up to a year threatens those couples who decide to make underwater love. The law was introduced in 1985, after it was revealed that the national landmark - a hot spring of Kadl radisk - is especially popular with lovers.

America
Canadian law, like American law, seeks to cover almost all areas of life. In public places, Canadians are forbidden to remove bandages and bandages under penalty of a large fine. One-cent coins can not pay for goods whose value exceeds 50 cents. Transparent soft drinks may not contain caffeine.
Provincial and city laws are even more specific. In the province of Nova Scotia, it is illegal to water lawns during rain, and in the province of Quebec, it is illegal to sell yellow margarine. In Montreal, Quebec, it is illegal to swear in French and wash cars in the street. In Toronto, Ontario, a criminal will be someone who drags a dead horse down Yong Street on Sunday. It is possible that the street with this name in Toronto is long gone, but the law has not been repealed. In the city of Itobicoc (in the same province), the water level in the bathroom cannot exceed 10 cm. Finally, across the province of Saskatchewan, there is a law prohibiting children from appearing on the street in shoes with untied laces.
In Bolivia, a law that has been in force since the beginning of the twentieth century prohibits women from drinking more than one glass of wine in bars and restaurants. The lawmakers found that more alcohol makes a woman morally and sexually malleable. Breaking the law not only entails a large monetary fine (up to $100), but is also an official basis for divorce. Bearded women do not live easily in Mexico. Here, their appearance on the street can end in a public shave.
Latin American laws are extremely humane. For example, Paraguayan law prohibiting duels makes the only exception for those who donate their organs to medical or scientific institutions. And in Peru, inmates in prisons are forbidden to add hot peppers and other spices to food: they are considered aphrodisiacs, which, according to lawmakers, “are unacceptable for men forced to live in conditions of limited communication.”

Australia and Oceania
Papua Guinea seems to hold the world championship in the severity of punishment for adultery. In Madang County (there are ancient Papuan laws that have state status), defrauded husbands are not only allowed, but are ordered to behead the lovers of their wives. Before the execution, the convict must eat the finger of his mistress.
The laws of Australia and Oceania are more ridiculous than scary. In Australia, for example, the legislation is extremely humane. The term of life imprisonment (capital punishment in this country) can not exceed 25 years. An Australian taxi driver can be fined if there is no hay in his car (the rule has existed since taxi drivers were replaced by cab drivers). In addition, in Australian cities, it is forbidden to appear on the streets in dark clothes, soft shoes and with hutalin on the face. But you can be fined just walking: the ban on movement on the oncoming (right) lane is valid on all roads, including rural hiking trails. In addition to federal laws, there are local laws. In Victoria, for example, only licensed electricians can replace burnt-out light bulbs, even in private homes. The penalty for this violation is about $20. In the same state, it is illegal to wear pink pants on Sunday afternoons. There are dress laws in Melbourne. Here, a man can be fined if he appears on the street in a "dress without straps." There are no restrictions on other types of women's outfits for men in the city.
Residents of the New Zealand city of Longburn, outraged by cat attacks on defenseless birds, have passed a law banning cats from leaving the house without three bells around their necks.

Russian truth
Russia now has thousands of regulations adopted during the socialist era. They operate in the sense that no one has canceled them - in practice they do not apply. But if someone really wants to, you can try it. For example, on March 5, 1969, by a resolution of the Council of Ministers of the RSFSR, the Rules for the Protection of Roads and Road Facilities were approved, paragraph 7 of which reads: “The construction of the highway diversion lane by residential, public buildings and warehouses, as well as the installation within this strip of billboards and posters that are not related to traffic safety, is prohibited.” We are faced with grave violations of this paragraph at every step.
The Code of Administrative Offences (CAO) adopted in 1984 is still in force (the new Administrative Code does not manage to pass all the necessary instances). The administrative code contains a huge number of norms that put many of our quite respectable-looking contemporaries outlawed. Article 164.3, for example, provides for a fine for “harassing foreign nationals for the purpose of acquiring things.” As you can see, we are talking about importers. Another article threatens to fine any participant in gambling, including cards and roulette; the organization of such games is also punished by law, that is, what is happening everywhere in our country. And it is frightening to say how many people would suffer if Article 152, which prohibits buying bread in bakeries for feeding livestock and poultry, were applied. However, these are trifles in comparison with the opportunities provided to the authorities by the law of the RSFSR of March 28, 1927 “On requisition and confiscation of property” that has not yet been repealed. Article 13 of the law permits the confiscation of the property of “persons who have fled outside the Republic for political reasons and have not returned at the time of confiscation”. Nothing prevents the prosecutor’s office from applying this rule and applying to the court to demand the confiscation of the property of a large businessman who found himself abroad. However, in this case, we will have to admit that he left for political reasons. But that's not an obstacle. The main thing is that he does not return to the time of confiscation.