Laws, no matter what country someone is from, help to guide people. They’re meant to ensure our safety and protection; both at home and overseas. However, depending on where you are from, there may be some laws that seem insane to you. Or at least somewhat remarkable for the time that we live in. There are apparently all sorts of odd laws around the world. Here are a couple written down by John Hutchinson for Daily Mail:

  1. Japan, in 2009, declared that it was illegal to be fat. The lawmakers set maximum waistline requirements for both males and females. 31 inches and 35 inches respectively.
  2. Running out of gasoline is illegal in Germany if you’re driving on the highway. You could be charged up to €80 ($90.17) because it’s considered dangerous, obviously, to other drivers.
  3. In Switzerland, it is illegal to flush your toilet after 10:00 pm. Otherwise, it could be considered noise pollution by the government.

(http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-2856346/It-illegal-not-smile-Milan-no-donkeys-sleep-bath-Oklahoma-strangest-laws-word.html)
Those laws are pretty ridiculous, but there are even more weird ones. Rishabh Banerji, contributor to the India Times, compiled some recent strange laws from other countries. If only it were possible to know the story behind these laws…

  1. When in public in Melbourne, Australia, men are not allowed to wear strapless dresses.
  2. In La Paz, Bolivia, married women can not have more than one glass of wine in a sitting.
  3. If you wish to ice skate in Frankfurt, Germany, you must stay below the 50 miles per hour speed limit.
  4. It is legal to have sex with domesticated animals in Iran.
  5. However, sex with wild animals is forbidden.

(http://www.indiatimes.com/culture/who-we-are/17-stupid-laws-from-around-the-world-that-make-no-sense-at-all-231472.html)
These laws still aren’t strange enough for you? Alright, you asked for it, here’s a couple more insane ones gathered from a list compiled for the Daily Telegraph.

  1. A male doctor in Bahrain is legally allowed to examine a female’s private area as long as he only is looking at a reflection of it in a mirror. It’s forbidden for them to look directly at it, you see.
  2. If you have the plague in London, you are not permitted to hale a taxi.
  3. In San Salvador, drunk drivers can get punished by death before a firing squad.
  4. In Afghanistan, the Taliban has made wearing white socks illegal for females, in case men find that attractive.
  5. Singapore has made chewing gum illegal. (It’s more of a cleanliness tactic though, so maybe this one is more practical than insane)
  6. For anyone who loves the sport, dueling is still legal in Paraguay…So long as both participants are blood donors.

(http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/weird/the-worlds-strangest-laws/story-e6frev20-1111114208087)
While laws DO help to keep us safe, in some cases, I think it’s safe to say that there are some laws that are just plain crazy. Luckily for us, these aren’t laws that your average Joe is gunna know. So hopefully if you do happen to flush the toilet at 10:01 pm on vacation in Switzerland, you’ll be just fine!

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  • Julia

    Julia Bozeman was born in Austin, Texas. She moved to many different states as a child, but has lived in California since the third grade. She studies now as a Print Communications major at Arcadia University. She enjoys writing and reading poetry, sci-fi novels, romance novels, and traveling. She hopes to become an editor for a magazine someday.

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