Dog House Blog, The Law Can Be An Ass!

The ban on women wearing trousers in Paris is finally axed!

In 1799 an edict stated that woman in the French capital Paris who wished to dress like a man ie wear trousers must first obtain permission from the police. Finally after 214 years the law has been axed. Funnily enough it was relaxed in 1892 when women were permitted as long as they were holding the reins of a horse and further relaxed in 1909 allowing women to wear pantaloons while riding a bicycle.

This prompted us to take a look at some more of the worlds’ more bizarre, antiquated laws. Here are our top ten!

If you are in Prague Czech your taxi driver uses the standard meter rate of level 1 but if he turns it up to level 2 you might be being ripped off. Now if he cranks it up all the way to level 3 just panic. This is the official Government sanctioned rate that must be used by all taxi following a nuclear explosion.

In the remote Arctic town of Longyearbyen dying is against the law. Bodies were found not to decompose in the permafrost and the graveyard stopped accepting newcomers 70 years ago. Thus if you are ill you will be dispatched on the first plane to the mainland, where you can end your days.

In Japan you are not allowed to be fat. The country already has one of the worlds’ lowest obesity rates at less than 5 per cent, but Japanese lawmakers have set a maximum waistline size in 2009. Every man over 40 must not have a waist measuring 80cm or above and woman 90cm or above. Yikes what about sumo wrestlers?

Over to Switzerland now where flushing the toilet after 10pm in an apartment building is illegal. Seems the Government considers noise pollution to be more anti social than a stinky toilet.

In Denmark you legally have to check under your car for children who may be sleeping there before you start the engine. If you do forget and get thrown in jail don’t panic as it is not against the law to escape from prison. Bizarrely when eating out in Denmark you don’t have to pay for your food unless by your own judgment you are full at the end of your meal. That is the whole of Blogville heading off to Denmark for holiday then.

The durian fruit is loved by the people of Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia. A cross between a pineapple and a porcupine the local authorities have completely banned the consumption of this delicacy from buses, subways, hotels and airports. Since the durian is said to smell like a mixture of almonds, rotten onions, turpentine, raw sewage, and gym socks we think it may be a good idea.

If you are going on a Caribbean holiday remember it is against the law to wear camouflage clothing in Trinidad, Tobago and St Lucia.  This is apparently aimed at preventing people from imitating military officials.

The Outer Space Act 1986 allows the Secretary of State to use reasonable force to prevent an alien invasion of the UK. That is unless the aliens possess a license to invade in which case they can operate their space ships perfectly legally. We can’t even blame the European Union for this one.

In Kenya it is legal for locals to remove all their clothes and streak across the Masai Mara but it is illegal for foreigners to do so. As if you’d want to with all those hungry lions out there.

The USA doesn’t get off lightly with the myriad of boozy bylaws that exist across many states. In St Louis you can’t drink beer whilst sitting on a city street and in Chicago you can be arrested for drinking standing up. Being served wine in a teacup in Topeka, Kansas is illegal while in Cleveland not more than one person may sip from a whisky bottle. Saskatchewan Canada must be where Puddles was originally from as it is against the law to drink water in beer houses out there.

Don't forget the circus is on today which you can find HERE! I have had some enquiries. So if you did not realise the deadline for your very own Mystic Molly Fortune was the 1st of Feb and you'd still like one done, panic not. For the good causes the charity is for, I will cast my eye over your fortunes once again. Just promise to give extra to the Chip In and email me at MollyDOTthewallyATbitinternetDOTcom and I will send you one. The cost is 1$ but if you feel it is worth more every little extra helps. You can then read it in private or post it on your blog. No worries as long as you give me a few days I am happy to work to add extra into the fund. 
Best wishes Molly