How is that illegal?!

[Seismic]

Think the laws in your country are crazy? Try these from my country. The United States of America.

[Samantha Arrow]

Would want to just leave this as:

WTF!

But character limit won't let me.

[Wolfgang of Borg]

Most of our dumb laws here have to do with longbows.

[Tha_Pig]

Just in the news today... it is illegal to cut off the tail of a dead whale with the purpose of make soup.

http://redux.com/f/1651723/Men-butch...le-to-eat-tail

Also, it is illegal in Florida to have sex with a porcupine. (You would imagine anyone trying that has already punished himself enough)

In Muslim countries it is illegal to eat a lamb after having sex with it. Men can have sex with any animal as long as it's female. Having sex with a male animal can have you executed (whether you eat it later or not)

In some Middle East countries a gynecologist cannot look directly at a woman's genitalia, he has to use a mirror and look at the reflection. (Hey, it worked for Perseus!)

In Hong Kong it is legal for a woman to kill her adulterous husband as long as she don't use weapons. (she must use her bare hands)

In Bolivia it is illegal for a man to have sex with a woman and her daughter at the same time.

In Samoa, it is illegal to forget your wife's birthday (I'm guilty of that one! good thing I don't live in Samoa!)

In Australia is it illegal to wear black shoe polish on your face.

In Italy it is illegal for fat people to wear polyester. (well, that makes perfect sense)

Also, in some state in USA (I don't remember which) it is illegal to carry a concealed weapon that is 6 feet or longer. (???)

[Stargazer Bleu]

Want to see a bunch of dumb laws in the US? Go here.
http://www.dumblaws.com/

Some laws are just so crazy.

[Seismic]

Most of our dumb laws here have to do with longbows.

Given the fact that Longbow use was passed from father to son, I can see why.

[Seismic]

From Indiana: The value of Pi is 3. (Was proposed in the 1897 session of the Indiana General Assembly. Engrossed Bill No. 246. The bill was passed in the house of representatives, but it was indefinately postponed in the Senate. That status remains today.)

[Seismic]

Also from Indy: It is illegal for a liquor store to sell cold soft drinks.
Pedestrians crossing the highway at night are prohibited from wearing tail lights. (Damn it! I just spent $40 on this battery operated unit![furry joke: tail lights])

[Tha_Pig]

It is incredible how many weird laws are there. But of course, most of those are just outdated laws which probably made sense when they were created in the 18th century, but are just paper anachronisms today.

Here in Florida the penalty for stealing horses is death by hanging, but such thing is not enforced in real life, as proved by a recent case of a horse thief in Miami who has not been hanged yet. Other cases of weird laws are impossible to enforce, like prohibition of some sexual positions... they would need a cop spying couples in every bedroom.

Some of these laws are so oustrageously absurd that it would be interesting to find out who they came to be in the first place.

I can understand the law prohibiting "more than five women to live in one house" had it's origin as a way to ban brothels. But I can't imagine how such laws as "illegal to dance while wearing a hat" came to be. What kind of anecdote or incident could be behind the origin of such a rule?

[SliceOfDog]

Ok, wrap your heads around this one;

Here in Britain the de facto age of sexual consent is 16. However, de jure this age limit only applies to girls. Boys have no age of sexual consent, so they can have sex legally from birth.

However

It is considered paedophilia for someone over the age of 16 to have sex with anyone under the age of 16. Gay sex is not legal until the age of 18. Girls cannot have sex, as mentioned previously until the age of 16.

So boys under 16 can have sex, but not with other boys, not with girls under 16, and not with girls over 16.

....

WHAT?!?

[Tha_Pig]

So boys under 16 can have sex, but not with other boys, not with girls under 16, and not with girls over 16.

....

WHAT?!?

It's called masturbation! Unless that's illegal too...

[Stargazer Bleu]

In a town called Blythe in CA (near AZ border). It is illegal to wear cowboy boots unless you own a cow.