The Laws of the Land

Wherever you go in the world, you are always going to stumble across some weird and wonderful sights, sounds, people and some rather strange laws!

We know the law is no laughing matter, but we at Robinsons Removals Company have been reading the scriptures and trawling through old law books and have come across some rather strange laws that are still in action today.

These are a bunch of laws that will leave some of you laughing your pants off (which the Africans will be happy about!) while some of you will be worrying about your move abroad and how you are going to cut down your habits of putting ice scream in your pockets or getting drunk with your fish; because these are actual laws of this weird planet!

And here are just some of our favourites.

• In Australia it is forbidden to walk the streets in black clothes, in felt shoes and with the face painted with blacking, because all of these constitute the costume of a night thief.
• In Switzerland it is forbidden to discharge water down the toilet loudly after 10pm as it may disturb the neighbours. So don’t even think about flushing it twice!
• Singapore is famous for its cleanliness and high fines are in place for anyone who attempts to violate it. The fine for garbage tossed out on the street is around £350. Anyone selling chewing gum in the country is forbidden to come back for 12 years. This has only happened once in 2004 when chewing gum appeared on the counters in Singaporean drugstores.
• The law according to which women are prohibited from wearing underwear was passed on African Swaziland not long ago. The regulation was sanctioned by the local monarch, who proclaimed the return to the traditions, suggesting that underwear is not traditional African clothing for women of Swaziland. And the punishment for wearing them is rather humiliating. The soldiers snatch them off the women and tear them into small pieces. It does pose the question of how on earth do the soldiers see the lingerie but it’s their countries rules and they have to stick to it. Women over 10 years old are not allowed to wear over knee skirts.
• In Ohio, USA it is against the state law to get a fish drunk.
• It is forbidden to trample on money in Thailand. This is because their King and Queen are sacred to Thai people and the King of Thailand is printed on all of the notes and coins of Thailand. Stepping on his face is a sign of disrespect for the monarch, which can result in imprisonment. Say anything about their King and Queen and expect to pay for it. No one bad mouths them and each have statues, pictures, posters, in their houses, shops, streets, hotels, cars, taxis. It’s how they live and you would have to live by it too.
• In England a pregnant woman can legally relieve herself anywhere she wants, even if she requests a policeman’s helmet.
• In San Salvador drunk drivers can be punished by death before a firing squad.
• In Iceland it’s against the law to blow on lampposts.
• In Antwerp in Belgium, it is illegal to wear a red hat and walk down the main street.
• In Denmark, before starting the car, the driver is required to check the lights, brakes, steering and honk the horn, as well as making a visual check to make sure that there are no children underneath the car.
• In Alabama, it is illegal to wear a fake moustache that causes laughter in the church. Putting salt on a railroad track may be punishable by death and it is illegal to drive the wrong way down a one-way street if you have a lantern attached to the front of your automobile. You may not have an ice-cream cone in your back pocket at any time.
• In Arizona if you are being attacked by a criminal or burglar, you may only protect yourself with the same weapon that the other person possesses. – Oh yes, I’ll just run and grab my sword out of my back pocket, I only have a gun and a baseball bat on me, this just won’t do!
• If you are looking to be a school teacher in Arkansas and you’ve just had a trendy bob cut by your hair dresser the start panicking as the law says school teachers with a bob will not get a raise.
• If you were looking to sell your children, prance around in a strapless gown and have sexual relations with a porcupine then do NOT go to Florida.

Wherever you are going in the world, make sure that you know all the laws, rules and regulations about the country you are moving to before you make the big move. There is a lot involved when moving abroad, from the packing and shipping of your personal belongings to the finalising of bills and personal finance, that the whole ordeal can become a chore rather than an exciting and happy time.

To relieve some of your stress when it comes to moving, why not contact international removals company Robinsons to do all the handy work for you.

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