- [Narrator] From telling you which side of the road to drive on, to punishing people for
stealing your iPhone, the law is the rulebook
that keeps ordered society from descending into chaos. Laws have been laid down
for hundreds of years, and some of them were seriously strange, from banning crying at funerals
to making Christmas illegal. But while they may seem outdated, unbelievably, some of them
are still in force today, alongside even newer and wackier rules. From fake mustache misdemeanors
to poop emoji jail time, it's time to take a look
at the weirdest laws that've ever existed. (upbeat music)
(mascot screams) Ancient legal lunacy. Now, in most parts of the world today, the rule is that you're
considered innocent until proven guilty. Over 5,000 years ago, in ancient Egypt, they played the Uno reverse
card on that assumption, and you were guilty until proven innocent. That's because they believed
a truly innocent person would never have been accused
of a crime in the first place. Worse still were the punishments. Instead of serving long
sentences behind bars, those found guilty
could be exiled to Nubia and put to grueling work in the mines. Although most crimes in ancient Egypt are still recognizable offenses today, such as theft and homicide. Meanwhile, in ancient China, they had a whole series of peculiar laws to punish bizarre acts. In the Yuan dynasty that
lasted from 1279 to 1368 AD, butchers had to be careful how they displayed their chickens, as it was illegal to hang one upside down. To do so was seen as
disrespecting the emperor, whose zodiac sign was the rooster. And while, these days, men like Tom Cruise and Robert Downey Jr.
want to appear taller, in the ancient Qin dynasty that ruled China from 221 to 206 BC, everyone wanted to be
Danny Devito's height. According to the "Eighteen
Laws of Qin," men under 4'11" and women under 4'8" couldn't
be convicted of any crime. That's because birth records
of the time were incomplete, so it was difficult to verify one's age, therefore height was used instead. So, if someone was planning a
crime spree in ancient China, it was best to deploy the trick of tying their shoes around their knees. But if someone got caught stealing, the worst thing they could
do is turn on the waterworks. Under the Qin dynasty,
men were forbidden to cry. If an adult man was
found crying in public, his beard and eyebrows would
be shaved off as punishment. Because the Qin dynasty was well known for its worship of warrior traditions, it's believed tears
were seen as a weakness, and so this mutilation
reflected the temporary loss of the martial spirit. Wow, imagine making
crying illegal these days. Especially when sometimes
it's just unavoidable, like at a funeral. Over 2,000 years ago, the ancient
Romans were even stricter, and banned women from crying at funerals. A harsh law to have, but
one that served a purpose to prevent funerals getting out of hand. A Roman funeral usually
involved a procession, where people would walk down
the street with the body. The more people crying meant
the more the person was missed. So, to impress neighbors, wealthy families would hire
actors to scream and cry, and even pull out their own hair. The dramatic performances got so extreme that a law had to be passed
banning women crying at funerals to prevent families hiring actors. Hmm, maybe we should pass a
new law to prevent YouTubers from releasing any more of those terrible fake-crying apology videos. Legal eagle. The forefathers of the USA lay
down the Constitution in 1787 to govern all American states. Now, article six, paragraph
two of the US Constitution asserts the supremacy of
federal law over state law, though this is only for state laws that directly contradict the constitution. Which, in true gun-toting, flag-waving, Walmart-buying American fashion, means there's nothing
to stop state governors from laying down some very specific, and ridiculous state laws. Now, most American teenagers
spend their days making TikToks or playing video games, but not this kid. Oh, no, instead of a PlayStation, this kid's decided to solve his boredom by pouring salt on railroad tracks. Are the kids all right in Alabama? Weird as it seems, this is actually a niche
act of teenage rebellion, because, thanks to a law passed
back in the 19th century, it's illegal to pour salt on
a railway track in Alabama. Very specific. But it did once serve a purpose when Alabama was an open-range state with cattle roaming the land. Farmers would lure sick cows to the tracks with a tasty salt lick. After the cow was hit by a train, the farmers would sue the railway company for compensation of the
price of a healthy cow. So, the law was passed to bring
this salty scam to an end. Well, there's no denying that video is a weird way to express
your teenage angst, even with the sound effects. (dramatic drum music) While this is a state law with
an extremely narrow purpose, other state laws have been brought in to apply to literally one person. Such as in Fairbanks, Alaska in 1917, where one tavern owner
kept bringing his pet moose into the bar and getting it drunk, before allowing it to go on
drunken rampage across town. Officials weren't
a-moosed by this behavior, and unable to pass a
law keeping moose sober, they instead made it illegal for a moose to be on a sidewalk, which prevented the moose
from entering the bar. Guess these guys didn't think
of trying the back entrance. Weird state laws aren't just a thing of the last century, though. On Alabama's state legislature
under section 13A-12-1, it's still illegal to wear
a fake mustache in church that causes laughter. If it's laughter they're
trying to ban from churches, they probably should have outlawed snoring and farting as well. And since Alabama's a Bible Belt state, don't even think about dressing up like a priest for Halloween, otherwise, you could
end up with a $500 fine or a one-year jail sentence. Technically, under the state code, it's illegal to dress up like a priest or impersonate any member
of a religious clergy on any day of the year. So, no Friar Tuck or
"Sister Act" extras here. And Alabama isn't the only
state to get tough on Halloween, because in the city of
Chesapeake, Virginia, it's illegal for anyone over the age of 14 to go trick or treating to
supposedly prevent hooliganism. It's classified as a Class 4 misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of up to $250. The same fine also applies
for trick or treating past 8:00 p.m. Jeez, this is a city where
officials are just anti-fun. Meanwhile, in Louisiana, sending a friend a meat lover's pizza could serve you with a $500 fine. That's because, under Louisiana
Revised Statutes 14:68.6, it's considered harassment, as you're trying to stick
someone with the bill for something they didn't order. For even stricter food laws,
hop a couple states over to the city of Gainesville, Georgia, where it's illegal to eat fried chicken with a knife and fork. Wait, who the heck is eating fried chicken with a knife and fork when you have two perfectly good forks at the ends of your arms? Luckily, this law is rarely enforced because it was brought in as
part of a PR campaign in 1961 to make Georgia the fried
chicken capital of the US. However, this publicity stunt failed, because, as we all know, in the States the McDonald's
of fried chicken is KFC, and that K stands for Kentucky. Another state law that
has never been enforced is one that applies to
a mythical creature. That is in Skamania
County, Washington, it's... (laughs) Hang on, I need to
do this without laughing. It's illegal to kill bigfoot. Not because he isn't real, but because he's technically classified as an endangered species. Yet another reason for all
those bigfoot conspiracists to be disappointed. Hopefully, they won't
vent their frustrations down the phone to their
friends in Virginia, as under section 18 of the state code it's illegal to use rude
language on the phone. In fact, Virginia has
multiple telephone-related misdemeanor-level crimes, (laughs) including causing a pager to
ring with intent to annoy. Does anyone who's not
an American TV doctor actually own pagers anymore? I thought they died out with
the floppy disk, the Walkman, and the dinosaurs. But as strict as it
seems, Virginia state law can't hold a candle to
the United Arab Emirates, where swearing in text messages or social media could get you arrested. Under article 373 of the UAE Penal Code, "Swearing disgraces the honor
or the modesty of a person," and as a result, the UAE has some of the world's
strictest cybercrime laws. It's a criminal offense to use rude or abusive language in text messages, and that includes rude emojis
such as the poop emoticon. Oh, man, if I was in the UAE
I'd be put in jail so fast. That's basically the only emoji I use. Amazingly, one British woman
faced up to two years in jail and a $140,000 fine
after dropping the F-bomb on her roommate in a
private WhatsApp message. Though, luckily, her lawyers
were able to drop the charges to deportation and a smaller fine of $726. The US may be full of crazy state laws, but at least the
Constitution's First Amendment protects freedom of speech. So, I'm free to use as many poop, peach, and eggplant emojis as I like. Maple lawyer. ♪ Oh, Canada ♪ The nation of moose, maple
syrup, and extreme politeness. Saying sorry is so reflexive in Canada, that there are literal laws, such as the Apology Act in Ontario, that declares someone saying sorry cannot be used as evidence
of guilt in a court case. But historically, Canada has had some much
weirder laws to contend with. In the early 20th century,
there were multiple battles between the breakfast spreads in Canada, resulting in margarine being
banned from 1886 to 1917. The dairy industry had taken insult at margarine manufacturers
adding yellow food coloring to make margarine look more like butter. The margarine bans briefly
lifted during wartime shortages, but margarine only became
fully legal again in 1948. Man, I do not envy the
smugglers of the time. I bet they got so confused
whether their customers were asking for Mary Jane or margarine. But butter isn't the only mundane thing Canada's laws come down hard on. In Kanata, Ontario, a city
by-law once made it illegal for you to paint your garage door purple. A violet garage door could have
landed you with a $100 fine. Before it was amalgamated with Ottawa, the law stated only earth
tones like beige, green, and gray could be used
to paint a property, in line with a city-wide
Homeowner's Association ruling. While that's pretty ugly, Canada
is full of natural beauty, from its waterfalls to its national parks. But if you plan on taking
your pets along for a hike, you'll need to read the rules first, because it's illegal to bring a llama into a Canadian national park. Wait. Am I reading that right? Yep, seems like I am. Llama, that popular Canadian pet. While horses and donkeys can be brought in for "recreational use," under an umbrella permit, llamas require special
permits of their own to just be there. This is due to concerns that llamas may transmit rare diseases to the wildlife found in
national parks, such as sheep, though, critics of the law have claimed that this fear is unsubstantiated. Hmm. Doesn't say anything
about alpacas though does it? I mean, they look similar, but
they are different animals. Don't tell the rangers, but I think I might have found a loop in the system here, guys. However, not all of Canada's
laws are so cute and quirky. Another involves a cruel
and inhumane practice, as it's a legal requirement
to listen to Justin Bieber. Playing the Bieb's music is a mandated form of Canadian torture... Sorry, patriotism. By law in Canada, all radio stations have
to play Canadian artists on the airwaves at least 35% of the time between the hours of
6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday to Friday. Man, I'd rather be thrown in jail than spend an hour listening
to Nickelback every day. Well, following through on that plan, a surefire way for me to
get arrested in Canada would involve a clown costume,
a large cardboard box, and a royal visit. Can you work out the connection? Well, jumping out like a jack-in-the-box would give King Charles a terrible fright. And in Canada, it's a treasonous offense
to scare the monarch. Previously, this crime could be punished with up to 14 years in prison. However, this law was
repealed back in 2018. So, I'll go and get my clown costume ready for the king's
next North American tour. Game of scones. England is one of the
oldest countries in Europe, so it's no surprise there's tons of old laws in the history books. But did you know there was a
law created in the 17th century that literally canceled Christmas? Yep, in a move Scrooge
himself would be proud of, the English made Christmas illegal. Following the English Civil War, when hated King Charles I
had his head lopped off, Sir Oliver Cromwell rose
to power and ruled England. Cromwell was a strict puritan, and deemed Christmas to
be a wild pagan festival because the 25th of December was not a named day in the Bible. So, in 1647, he made Christmas illegal. Shops and markets were required to stay open on December 25th, and soldiers patrolled
the streets of London, seizing any turkeys, cranberry
sauce, and mince pies. Despite Cromwell being a total Scrooge, the Christmas spirit
could not be dampened. Across the country, there
were widespread protests and illegal turkeys eaten regardless. And yet it wasn't until 1660 that the Christmas ban
was officially revoked when Cromwell was removed and
the rightful king of England, King Charles II, was
returned to the throne. It's a Christmas miracle. Although a Christmas ban
hasn't been the only law totally ignored in the UK. In fact, there are a series of laws Brits break every single day. Binge drinking culture
is famous in the UK, and people can be seen celebrating
happy hour at any time. However, according to section
12 of the Licensing Act 1872, it's illegal to be drunk in a bar. Even the barman could get into trouble, as under the Metropolitan Police Act 1839 it's illegal for the
keeper of a public house, also know as a pub, to permit
drunkenness on the premises. And this isn't some
outdated 19th-century law. Recent laws have been updated, such as the Licensing Act 2003, which makes it an offense to sell alcohol to a person who is drunk. Who is the UK government fooling? They can impose as many laws as they like, but that's not going to stop
the Brits' boozy behavior. Even the Licensing Act of 1872 has special rules to govern
the UK's hard-drinking farmers, as it's still illegal to
be in charge of a horse or cow whilst drunk. Remember kids, don't drink and ride. And when it comes to animal welfare, the UK is surprisingly strict. Don't get caught sneaking
around with a salmon, as it's illegal to handle a salmon under suspicious circumstances. Though as strange as this law may sound, the Salmon Act 1986 is actually designed to crack down on salmon poaching and prevent the sale of salmon caught from an illegal source. But the UK's fish laws don't end there. According to a medieval
law dated back to 1324, the king owns all the dolphins and whales within 3.1 miles
of the UK's coastline. So, he rules over both the nation of Wales and the UK's population of, well, whales. Though the king's menagerie of animals doesn't stop at whales, or Corgis, as she also owns all the
unclaimed swans in the country. The king's flock of swans in
the River Thames' tributaries is counted every year in a five-day event known as the Swan-Upping, where the king gets to learn the number of his fine feathered friends. So, don't go bothering the swans, unless you want to feel the king's fury. But, man, do you know
how vicious swans can be? There have been incidents of swan encounters ending in broken arms. If I ever have to go near
one of those beastly birds, I'll need a suit of armor. But I'd have to steer clear of
the UK's government building, the Houses of Parliament,
because, since 1313, it's been illegal to enter
Parliament in a suit of armor. It was enacted after noblemen of the time would come to Parliament
armed among rising tensions, so this law prevented them from suiting up and hashing out their differences with swords while on the floor, though it's a law that
remains active to this day. I guess the only outfit
suitable for Parliament now is a suit and tie. Kangaroo court. Australia may seem like it has
a laid-back, casual culture, but down under the law books
tell a different story. Take flying a kite for instance, a perfectly peaceful way
to spend an afternoon. But in the state of Victoria, flying a kite could land
you with a $550 fine. The law applies to any kite flown "to the annoyance of any person" under section 4 of the
Summary Offences Act 1966. And Victoria's strict state laws don't just restrict your
activities at the park, they also come down hard
on spring cleaning too. Turns out, it's an offense to make any, and I quote, "unreasonable
noise" with a vacuum cleaner after 10:00 p.m. The law even applies to early risers, as it's illegal to vigorously vacuum before 7:00 a.m. on weekdays
and 9:00 a.m. on weekends. This is under section 48A of the Environment Protection Act 1970, breach of which could result
in a whopping $13,200 fine. Crikey! That's a steep price to pay to clean up some late-night cookie crumbs. Midnight vacuuming isn't the only thing that could land you a hefty fine in Southern Australia, though. If you're ever invited
to an Aussie wedding, when the priest asks if
anyone has any objections, keep your mouth shut, otherwise, you could end
up with a $7,000 fine or worse, two years imprisonment. This is according to the
Summary Offences Act 7A, which states that any person who intentionally disturbs a wedding or a funeral is committing a criminal act. I guess instead of speaking now, I'll be forever holding my peace. And if you thought the law
might be more relaxed in Sydney, then you'd be mistaken, because the cops double
up as fashion police. No, seriously, back in 2016,
a taxi driver was fined $70 by police for wearing
the wrong color shoes. Sydney police viewed brown
shoes as a crime against fashion and fined the taxi driver under the NSW Passenger
Transport Act 1990, which requires an
"approved network uniform." Though the act says nothing
about brown shoes, specifically. In fact, after the taxi driver, who worked for Uber
which has no set uniform, contested the fine,
charges were soon dropped. Looks like the only offense here was committed by the Sydney police, who had a criminal lack of taste. However, one law that could
initiate a full police response is something spud-tacular. Under the Marketing of Potatoes Act 1946, police had the authority to stop and search any vehicle
suspected of carrying more than the wonderfully specific
amount of 110 lbs of potatoes. That's because the Potato
Marketing Corporation held a lot of sway back in the day, and made it illegal for
anyone to sell, buy, or deliver more than 110 lbs of potatoes without them knowing. And though this law may
seem starch raving mad, it remained in force in
Western Australia up to 2021. Makes you wonder what dirt
the Potato Marketing Board had on the lawmakers over there. One of the weirdest of
the country's laws of all also comes from Western Australia, where it's illegal to collect seabird or bat poo without a special
poo collector's license under section 387 of the
Criminal Code Act 1913. Now, this may seem like
a totally gross law, because who goes around collecting poo? Yuck. But you'd be surprised what a
big business this used to be. Known as guano, the fecal
matter collected from seabirds, such as penguins and
cormorants, as well as bats, was a highly desirable fertilizer. This poo is jammed packed
with nitrogen, phosphate, and potassium, all key nutrients
that plants need to grow. However, this fecal excavation resulted in the loss
of millions of seabirds as their habitats were destroyed. So, this law was brought in to restrict the (quacks) business. Meanwhile, the use of guano these days has largely been replaced by chemically manufactured fertilizers, so, the penguins can
finally poop in peace. Continental justice. Europe is a hugely diverse continent, spanning from warm sunny Greece to the icy cold depths of Russia. And with such a rich history
tied to this land mass, there are lots of loopy laws that have been lain down over the years. Take 17th-century Russia, where you might think one of
the worst crimes was theft, but instead pulling out the Monopoly board could've landed you in even more trouble. Tsar Alexis, who ruled from 1629 to 1676, adored foreign board games
like chess and checkers. But in an attempt to keep up
his strict pious appearance, he banned all board games for his citizens under the 1649 Council Code. Though the mad laws of Russian
rulers didn't stop there, as following that in 1698, Emperor Peter I enforced a beard tax. In order to conform with what he believed to be European ideals, he required that townsmen be
charged 60 rubles annually to keep a beard, roughly equivalent to
about $50 at the time, which would now be around $3,000 for a beard that cost nothing to grow. The police were ordered to shave any man who refused to pay the tax. Ah, no! Anything but the dreaded babyface. And while the tsar's police
force were armed with razors, in 20th-century Greece the
police patrolled the streets with measuring tapes? Apparently, the dictatorship
of General Theodoros Pangalos was exceptionally brief, only
lasting from 1925 to 1926, though, in that time, he
laid down draconian laws and forbade women to wear skirts higher than 10 inches off the ground. Fortunately for the Greek woman, this skirt law lasted as short a time as General Pangalos's rule. Though modesty laws weren't a strictly European invention either, as in the US, there were a
series of laws in the 1920s that banned women from showing
their legs in swimsuits. While during World War II, a shortage of nylon used to
make modesty-guarding stockings meant women had to resort
to using marker pens to draw seamlines on
the backs of their legs. To be seen bare-legged in those
days was a social scandal. Crazy, right? I bet last century's lawmakers would lose it if they were alive today. (gasps) "Is that a bare shin? "Ye, gods, a naked calf "Is that... "By God, is that a knee? "Don't you know dignity
ends at the ankle?" Times have changed, but not
all of the laws are up to date. Imposed in 1800, one shockingly
old-fashioned law in France banned women from wearing trousers. And required that women
needed the permission of the local police to, no
joke, "dress like a man," with the exception of wearing trousers when riding a bike or on horseback. Though ignored for decades, this law was only officially
repealed as late as 2013. Thankfully, this sexist relic of a law has been retired to the crypt, but that leads us to an
even weirder French law. Now, Paris may be known
as the city of love, but French laws take romance
to a whole new extreme, as in France, you can legally
marry (gulps) the dead. Known as necrogamy, it
is an official ceremony where one can marry
their deceased partner, permitted under article
171 of the Civil Code. It was an especially common
practice after World War I when women wanted to assure the
legitimacy of their children after their wartime sweethearts sadly perished on the frontlines. Around 50 requests for posthumous marriage are made in France every year. I guess love never dies. Marrying the dead isn't the only way the law tackles the Grim Reaper. Death may be inevitable, but
one law has done the impossible and made death itself illegal. Or at least, one mayor of
Lanjaron village in Granada, Spain tried to in 1999. Back then, he banned any of the village's 4,000 residents from dying. Though this mayor isn't
as foolish as he sounds. Instead, it was a savvy political move to draw attention to the fact the local cemetery had become full, and the village needed
permission to expand. Ultimately, as far as the law can reach, it'll never manage to throw
the Grim Reaper in jail. What did you think was the
craziest historical law? And which of the wacky modern laws would you find the hardest to follow? Let me know down in the comments below and thanks for watching. (upbeat music)
