Before visiting another country, it is always useful to find out what rules and regulations they have just to be safe. You never know what ridiculous rules they have, like shooting a rabbit from a motorboat in Alaska is prohibited, or wearing boots to be in Oklahoma is illegal – this is probably why Puss in Boots never went to Oklahoma.
Australia is not only the home for some of the deadliest animals in the world, but also some of the weirdest rules you will ever come across.
1. It is illegal for children to purchase alcohol, cigarettes or condoms, but they are not prohibited from using them. You can only hope that the teenagers will not be using all three of them at once as that will be disastrous.
2. In Gold Coast, it is illegal for women to wear a bikini whose material exceeds six square inches
3. It is illegal to leave your car keys inside a vehicle that is unattended. Surely, this is common sense and does not warrant a law.
4. Roaming the streets of Australia while wearing felt shoes, black clothes and black shoe polish can be a sure way to get arrested.
5. Walking on the right hand side of the road in Australia is illegal, even if you are walking on a footpath.
6. You cannot swim in Brighton Beach unless you are wearing a neck to knee swimsuit
7. According to Vagrancy Act of 1966, you can be arrested for being near or inside a house that is used by thieves regularly.
8. Bars are supposed to have a stable, water and they should feed the horses that come with patrons. Well, since cars are the modern transportation mode, free re-fuelling station should be part of the package now.
9. If you are advertising a reward for finding lost or stolen objects, the advertisement must include a statement that no questions will be asked. So, does this mean thieves can return stolen goods??
10. Nucleating or seeding clouds artificially from a manned aircraft in order to make rain is illegal according to the Rain Making Control Act of 1966. So, rain dance is fine then?
11. In Melbourne, driving a goat or a dog attached or harnessed to a vehicle in a place that is public is illegal. At least the dogs and goats are happy that someone is protecting their interests.
12. Life sentences do not exceed 25 years. This is maybe to avoid overpopulating our prisons
13. Taxicabs are required to have a bale of hay in their trunks. It’s either that Australian taxis carry horses or the people are way too vegetarian.
14. The legal age for having straight sex is sixteen and when in the care or custody of an older person, it is 18.
Considering Australia no longer prohibits being gay, does it mean there is no age limit when it is not straight sex?
15. In the absence of a urinal, you are allowed to urinate on the rear left tire of your vehicle
16. A recently passed law makes it illegal to come closer than one hundred meters from where a carcass of a dead whale is. Who is being protected here, the people or the dead whale?
17. Being drunk in a pub is illegal and you can be fined because of it
18. Changing a light bulb can get you into trouble with the law as only licensed electricians are allowed to change a light bulb even in private residence. Now men (and women) in Australia have a legal reason to be lazy. Booo yeahhh!
19. Wearing hot pink pants is illegal after midday on a Sunday.
20. You cannot dress up as Robin or Batman. Whoever made this should be arrested for misusing legislative power.
21. Touching electric wires that cause death instantly attracts a fine of $200. Uhmmm, who pays the fee then?
22. In Melbourne, vacuuming your house between 10pm and 7am during weekdays and 10pm and 9am during the weekends is against the law.
23. According to Summary Offenses Act of 1966, being heard by someone singing an obscene song can land you into trouble with the law. Considering how obscene some of today’s songs are, you are left wondering how many young people have been in trouble with the law.
24. Joking in Australian airports about bombs and terrorist is a sure way to find yourself before a judge. In 2005, a student found himself in a court of law, when he found a security officer inspecting his luggage and joked that there was no bomb as he had left it in Iraq. At least he now has the go-to story for ‘dumbest move you’ve ever made’.
H/T: chambers.vic.edu.au
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