Unusual laws

[Avocetz]

Does anyone have any examples of unusual laws that have never been repealed? I'll start off with one I believe to be true-- All taxis must, by law, carry a bale of hay (this is from the days when they had horse drawn carriages and as far as I know has never been repealed).

[SaxyJag]

It is still legal for a commercial driver to pee up the nearside front wheel of his parked vehicle. Again, it goes back to the days of horse and carriage, where a driver had to have some way of relieving himself discreetly whilst retaining control of the horse.

[kempie]

The Town Police Clauses Act 1847 defines �hackney carriage� as a wheeled carriage used in standing or plying for hire in any street. Originally hackney carriages were horse-drawn. Nowadays they are usually taxis licensed under the 1847 Act or other similar Act.

An enduring misconception about hackney carriages is that the driver must keep a bale of hay in the boot to feed the (nowadays) non-existent horse. This misconception probably comes about because of section 51 of the London Hackney Carriage Act 1831 which made it an offence, punishable by a 20 shilling fine, for the owner or driver of a hackney carriage (or any one else) to �feed the horses of or belonging to any hackney carriage in any street, road or common passage, save only with corn out of a bag, or with hay which he shall hold or deliver with his hands�.

This offence was repealed by the Statute Law (Repeals) Act 1976. As a result any taxi driver who travels around accompanied by a bale of hay does so purely for his
own amusement and not in compliance with any legal requirement.

[kempie]

...oops, I missed off the link to the document available from The Law Commission (the statutory independent body created by the Law Commissions Act 1965 to keep the law under review and to recommend reform where it is needed).

http://www.lawcom.gov.uk/docs/legal_oddities.pdf

[bug123]

I believe it is still legal to shoot a Scotsman with a bow and arrow on a Sunday! :o)

[eskimo]

It remains unrepealed that you may shoot a Scotsman on sight on the Isle of Man!

[KebabMeister]

Isn't it illegal to sell a woman a pint of beer? They must be served half-pints only. Think that's a Victorian law. All beverages must be served in a fresh clean glass as well.

[SaxyJag]

God, I hope not. Thousands of bar staff must have been jailed by now, the number of pints I've bought in my time.

[shammydodger]

Is it not still illegal to stare at a moose from the window of an aeroloplane in Alaska? Or is this just another example of rubbish from "QI"?

[kevb0444]

Wasn't/isn't illegal to drive around with those england flags on your car. I hear that only the Royals and all that were alound England flags on there cars.

[kevb0444]

Sorry i think i got it wrong. In 2004 they tried to stop taxis putting flags on there cars. Not sure about jo public.

[kevb0444]

Heres one that is right. Under a local bylaw it's illegal to use a radio/stereo on Southwold beach.

[ali_alic]

Isn't it true that laws appertaining to homosexuality only relate to males. Coz Queen Victoria didn't believe there was such a thing as female homosexuality.

[Drusilla1S]

There are some hilarious ones on this US site.

http://www.crazylaws.com/

[Beanmistriss]

I read somewhere that midget throwing is still a legal sport in Carlisle :) x

[LostSheep]

Speaking of flags on cars -

http://putfile.com/pic.php?pic=5/14410593293.gif&s=f5

[JackDanielsU]

You cant call your pig Napoleon in France...Sure thats still true

[JackDanielsU]

http://www.dumblaws.com/laws/international/united-kingdom/

just plain daft. Heres a selection

Committing suicide is classified as a capital crime.

Interfering with the mail or sleeping with the consort of the Queen is classed as treason, and as such, carries a maximum penalty of death.

Placing a postage stamp that bears the Queen (or King) upside down is considered treason.

You can only shoot a Welsh person with a bow and arrow inside the city walls and after midnight.

.It is illegal for a woman to be topless in public except as a clerk in a tropical fish store.

It is illegal for a lady to eat chocolates on a public conveyance. (thats going to annoy alot of people)

Chelsea Pensioners may not be impersonated.

[deeboy]

Apparently it is still legal in Dundee to kick and englandshireman in the shin if he approaches you for a drink of water..which is fair enough ;-)

[jenstar]

Going through the list JackDanielsU posted:

"Committing suicide is classified as a capital crime."

Not since the 1960s. In fact, suicide isn't even illegal anymore, let alone a capital offence.

"Interfering with the mail or sleeping with the consort of the Queen is classed as treason, and as such, carries a maximum penalty of death."

Again, THERE IS NO DEATH PENALTY ANYMORE. Interfering with the mail is indeed illegal, but it's not treason, it's just interfering with the mail.

"You can only shoot a Welsh person with a bow and arrow inside the city walls and after midnight."

Possibly technically true in Chester. Though I suspect the national laws supercede this local bye-law.

"It is illegal for a woman to be topless in public except as a clerk in a tropical fish store."

Someone's pulling somebody's leg here.

"It is illegal for a lady to eat chocolates on a public conveyance. (thats going to annoy alot of people)"

Possibly an unintended consequence of some law, somewhere down the line. I bet it wouldn't stand up in court, though.

"Chelsea Pensioners may not be impersonated."

True, however what this actually means is that it is illegal to pass oneself off as a resident of the Chelsea Royal Hospital (which provides long-term care for military veterans). These people wear distinctive uniforms and essentially this law is similar to the one that says you are not allowed to impersonate a policeman.

[WildBergamot]

I'm sure I heard that a pregnant woman is legally allowed to urinate in a policeman's helmet if she is caught short.