Global Opportunities
Thank you for visiting us during Welcome Week!
Let us know if you would like to find out more information about Global Opportunities by joining our mailing list here. Here are some pretty weird and wonderful laws that exist across a range of our partner countries.
Donkeys are illegal in Arizonian bathtubs
In the 1920s a home in Arizona was flooded whilst a donkey was asleep in a bathtub – it eventually filled up and flooded, while the animal was swept away! The townspeople were able to rescue the poor animal but followed up soon after with a law intended to avoid such an occurrence becoming a repeat issue.
It is illegal to send unsolicited pizza
If in Louisiana, don’t try to send anyone a surprise pizza or you’ll have to pay heavily for this appalling gesture – a whole $500 fine is coming your way.
It’s illegal to give a rat as a present in Montana
Bad news if you were planning to have a pet rat in Big Sky Country: In Montana, it is unlawful to raise, sell, or give away rats except as food for reptiles, birds of prey, or both.
Dancing is not permitted in nightclubs
Those establishments that have a total area of less 710 square ft, have forbidden to allow dancing on their facilities. To open a nightclub or bar, the owner must ask the proper authorities a specific authorization/license to allow the customers to dance.
You can be jailed for putting ice cream in mailboxes
Putting ice cream in mailboxes may sound like a harmless prank, but in Japan, you may be imprisoned for up to 5 years or fined a maximum of ¥500,000 (~USD4731.68) for doing so. The law isn’t limited to just ice cream – Article 78 of the Postal Law protects all postal property against damage. In 2006, a 42-year-old postman from Saitama Prefecture was arrested for putting chocolate ice cream inside a mailbox.
Japanese citizens between the ages of 40 and 74 must have their waistlines measured annually
Japan may be famous for sumo wrestlers, but you’d be hard-pressed to find truly obese people in the country, outside of sumo wrestling. We know that the Japanese diet is well-balanced, but that’s not the only cause for their low obesity rates.
As part of the 2008 Metabo Law, the government monitors your waistline after you turn 40 years old to ensure that you stay healthy. The waistline circumference limits imposed on men are 85.09cm and 89.92cm for women. Companies even arrange for weight loss classes to help overweight employees keep fit.
In Queensland, taxi cabs are required to carry a hay bale in the trunk
It’s illegal to wear hot pink hot pants on a Sunday after midday
In Melbourne it’s illegal to use your vacuum between 10pm and 9am at weekends and 10pm and 7am during the week.
No whistling allowed in Petrolia
The town of Petrolia in Ontario had a bylaw that banned whistling or singing in public at any time. The reasoning behind this odd law was to maintain peace and quiet in the town. However, it is unclear how strictly this bylaw was enforced. While it might seem harmless, whistling or singing in public in Petrolia could have landed you in hot water with the local authorities.
Don’t build snowmen taller than 30 inches!
If you think the weird laws in Canada have a limit, think again! Because once winter rolls around, you must remember that there is an actual law saying you can't have a snowman that is higher than 30 inches.
Children must salute cars when they drive past
In the Chinese province of Guizhou there is a new law attempting to reduce road traffic accidents. They took a strange approach, making it law that all children must stop and salute a car whenever one drives past. It’s a weird one, but apparently it actually works in reducing road accidents.
No man may say to his wife that she is “uglier than her mother”.
The penalty for this is one year in prison.
It’s illegal to eat bacon if there is a full moon
It is illegal to take a snail on a train without a ticket
In 2008, a Frenchman was fined for carrying live snails on a high-speed train. The passenger was eventually reimbursed after a media storm but officially, if you are taking an animal on a train they must also have a ticket. Animals less than 6kg must be kept in a bag or basket on your knees or between your feet. The ticket price per animal is €7. Animals over 6kg must be muzzled throughout the journey. The cost of bringing such an animal is set at 50 percent of a full tariff second-class ticket.
You Can Be Naked in Your Car
Public nudity is such a taboo topic in most countries. This isn’t the case in Germany. This funny German law views your car as your private space, giving you the freedom to drive in your birthday suit if you want.