World's Strangest Laws

Tap to Read ➤ Madhura Pandit

Laws are meant to maintain the perfect functioning of society. There are certain laws in the world that will leave you exasperated and bemused.

The law system in the world dates back to ancient Egypt, in 300 BC. In earlier times, the word of the king/ruler was considered as law. Today, in most of the countries, laws are formed after many discussions and public opinion surveys, i.e., after following a lengthy procedure. Even then, we come across some strange laws and rules that leave us bewildered.

Strange Laws in the World

» In Denmark, you must put on the headlights of a car, while driving so that other drivers can differentiate a moving car from a parked one. » Singapore wishes to maintain cleanliness and hygiene; and laws are enforced for the same. Chewing and sale of bubblegum is completely banned. People are also punished, if they fail to flush toilets.

» Drinking and driving is illegal in most countries in the world. In San Salvador, drunk drivers can be punished with death. » In Mohave County, Arizona, if anyone is caught stealing a soap; as a punishment, he will have to wash himself with the same soap until it is completely used up.

» In California, it is illegal to set up a mouse trap, if you do not have a hunting license. » In Florida, it is illegal for single, widowed or divorced women to parachute on Sunday afternoon. » In Nebraska, there is a very strange law. If a child burps during a church service, his/her parents are arrested.

» In the state of Oklahoma, people may be fined, arrested or even jailed for making faces at a dog. » No Pennsylvanian man can purchase alcohol, without having a written consent from his wife.

» It is an act of high treason to stick a postage stamp bearing the British monarch, upside down. It is illegal to even die in the Houses of Parliament of UK. » You need a painting license and government permission to repaint your house in Sweden. If you fail to do that, you could be penalized.

» In Switzerland, washing a car or hanging clothes for drying on Sunday is illegal. Besides, mowing lawn on Sunday is, also a punishable act, as it creates a lot of noise and disturbs people. Flushing toilet after 10 p.m. in an apartment, in Switzerland, is also illegal.

» In the states of Minnesota and Virginia, parking an elephant on the main street is illegal. » In New York, the penalty for jumping off a building is death. » In the province of Nova Scotia, Canada, a person is not supposed to water his lawn, while it's raining. Who would do that, is a tough question to answer.

» In California, it is illegal to ride a bicycle in a swimming pool. » You can be penalized if caught slurping soup in public in New Jersey. » It is illegal to carry an ice-cream cone in your pocket in Lexington, Kentucky. » You cannot drag a dead horse down Yonge street, Toronto, on Sunday.

» In Kentucky, you cannot carry a concealed weapon that is more than 6ft long. Whereas, in Germany, even a pillow is considered as a weapon. » In Germany, it is illegal to stop on an autobahn (expressway). It is also illegal to run out of gas on an autobahn. » No electronic games are found in Greece, as they are completely banned.

» Being poor is against the law in Saudi Arabia. If any man is found not earning fair amount of money, he can be imprisoned. » In Turkey, it is illegal for a man above 80 yrs to become a pilot. » Now, the unbeatable: In Chicago, it is illegal for anyone to eat in a place that is on fire.

Apart from these, many more weird laws are found all over the world. If traveling extensively, make sure you have an updated travel guide with you.

Disclaimer: Some of the laws mentioned here may be outdated today.