Strange old English laws still around

[rtcosic]

Lots more articles about "Top 10 most ridiculous laws from ancient times that are still active"

https://search.brave.com/search?q=uk+the+most+obscure+old+laws

Following that link, I found this one:

18. Hanging your clothes across the street​

You might think that this is a bit of an old-fashioned UK law as stated in the Town Police Clauses Act 1847, but it’s actually still in place today.

While you might not get arrested for this, you could be fined if a police officer catches you doing it in the amount of £1,000!

In a 1950's Northumberland mining village, many women would hang washing across the street from one row of terraces to the other. As young cyclists, we would ride into the freshly (hand) laundered sheets just for the thrill of it, secure in the knowledge that we could outrun the outraged broom-wielding laundress!

 

[Melvyn Best]

No. 2 son is a JP. He has been itching to preside over such a case, but he can find no case on record before the Warwickshire bench since WWII. He gave up checking further back.

Other Benches and Force areas may have more clued up officers, and if so, I would love to have the reference for him.

Wasn’t there a guy that killed a woman somewhere in London fairly recently that was riding a fixed wheel bike with no brakes ?

 

[Bullet2012]

King Henry VIII imposed a beard tax that every man must pay to wear facial hair.

He introduced a beard tax that lined his pockets and filled his dinner table. Moreover, the higher your social standing, the more you had to cough up. What if you cannot pay? Shave it away. Thus, beards became a symbol of status and money.

 

[Morris]

King Henry VIII imposed a beard tax that every man must pay to wear facial hair. Thus, beards became a symbol of status and money.

Wants a word

 

[Greeves246]

The one about carrying a plank makes me think about this film

 

[pedrobedro]

No. 2 son is a JP. He has been itching to preside over such a case, but he can find no case on record before the Warwickshire bench since WWII. He gave up checking further back.

Other Benches and Force areas may have more clued up officers, and if so, I would love to have the reference for him.

A friend of ours was hit by a cyclist as he stepped out of his front gate, still on the pavement. He spent two days in hospital and had a broken arm and it would have been a perfect opportunity for prosecution but the paper lad was not charged with anything.

 

[rtcosic]

Wasn’t there a guy that killed a woman somewhere in London fairly recently that was riding a fixed wheel bike with no brakes ?

Yes, but he was done for a more serious offence of even greater antiquity: wanton or furious driving.

There was much debate about the validity of that law, but the outcome was appropriate.

Cyclist Charlie Alliston guilty over pedestrian's death

Charlie Alliston was cleared of manslaughter but found guilty of "wanton and furious driving".

www.bbc.co.uk

​

 

[Seadog]

Wanton and furious cycling is a good old law.

Sadly it never seems to be used these days.