No Wonder We Are All Barking Mad!

The world is full of eccentrics and quirky people, but over the years the laws of our wonderful lands that we live in, laws that guide us, and keep us on the right path, well, simply have to be seen to be believed.


No wonder there are so many barking mad folk about!


Take for example the following laws: British Law



All English Men over 14 are meant to carry out 2 hours of longbow practice each weekand supervised by the local clergy. This law dates from the middle ages when there was no regular British army and local gentry were ordered to train a quota of knights, archers, infantry, etc.

As the church was the official local instrument of beauracracy,they were deployed. The areas firing range was generally called a 'bottom' and many still exist such as Trotters Bottom in Hertfordshire.

London Hackney Carriages (taxis/cabs) must carry a bale of hay and a sack of oats. This was because they were originally horse drawn, this was repealed in 1976.


It is still illegal for cab drivers to carry rabid dogs or indeed corpses and by law they must ask each and every passenger if they have small pox or 'The Plague'.


A bed may not be hung out of a window.

It is illegal for a lady to eat chocolates on a public conveyance.

Throughout the whole of England it is illegal to eat mince pies on the 25th of December.

Any boy under the age of 10 may not see a naked mannequin.

It is still an offence to beat or shake any carpet rug or mat in any street in the Metropolitan Police District, although you are allowed to shake a doormat before 8am. 

Londoners are not allowed to keep a pigsty in the front of their homes. 

It is illegal for a Member of Parliament to enter the House of Commons wearing a full suit of armour.

It is legal for a male to urinate in public, as long it is on the rear wheel of his motor vehicle and his right hand is on the vehicle.



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


But if you thought we were bonkers just take a look at some US laws!

In Alaska, the following laws apply to moose:

a moose may not be viewed from an aeroplane.

it is illegal to give alcoholic beverages to a moose.

it is an offence to push a live moose out of a moving aeroplane.

 

In Texas the following laws apply:

it is illegal to take more than three sips of beer whilst standing.

the entire Encyclopaedia Britannica is also banned, as it contains a formula for making beer at home.

a new anti crime law has been introduced, requiring criminals to give their intended victims 24 hour notice, either orally or in writing to explain the nature of the crime.

In Pennsylvania the following laws apply:

Because of the farmers Anti-automobile society, these are some of the rules of the road:

Automobiles travelling on country roads at night must send up an rocket every mile, then wait ten minutes for the road to clear.

If a driver sees a team of horses, they are to pull to the side of the road, and cover their machine with a blanket or dust cover that has been painted to blend into the scenery.

In the event that a horse refuses to pass a car on the road, the owner of the car must take their car apart and conceal the parts in nearby foliage.

My favourite is this one: In New Jersey you can be arrested for slurping soup in public.
Now I'm no law expert, and not even sure if these are still valid, but I really cant see some of these still standing up to a court of law today, however, if you have ever shot a Welsh person with a bow and arrow within the walls of Hereford after midnight, and got away with it, please let us know!

Till later...............