Five Ways To Break The Law Trivia Quiz

Answer: Pilot

There is a degree of sense to this law, you can see that an 80 year old might no longer have the reflexes or eyesight needed to pilot a plane. However, why 80, why not 70, or even 60. Most countries make commercial airline pilots retire at 60 or 65, thinking it is too hazardous for them to fly a plane full of hundreds of passengers after that. Most however do not have an upper age for holders of a private pilot's licence or an upper age limit to start private flying lessons.

Answer: Daemon

The French parents decided to name their child Daemon after a character in "The Vampire Diaries". However the French Civil Code states that parents can be prosecuted if they name their child something that is considered "contrary to the interests of the child".

In 2000 a family were prevented calling their child Megan Renaude because the Family Court decided it was too reminiscent of the Renault Megane car. Whilst some may feel that state interference in naming a child may be verging on draconian it does at least mean that children in France grow up free of names such as Fairydust Trixibell, or Opium Poppy Dream. Whether naming your child after an entire cup-winning football team, as has happened in the UK, would be viewed as contrary to the interests of the child is not known.

Answer: Forget their wife's birthday

Well, as all married men know forgetting your wife's birthday is a crime anywhere in the world, whether or not the law says so. Forgetting your wedding anniversary is as well, in fact all the answers are a crime in the eyes of your wife. In Samoa, however, it is actually illegal to forget your wife's birthday, although presumably no-one actually knows unless she is so cross with you that she reports it to the police.

However, just saying "Happy Birthday" is enough; that proves you didn't forget. Samoan men do not have to actually give their wife a present, or take her out for dinner.

Some laws just don't go far enough.

Answer: Hit him with a stick

Any Dane who sees anyone from Sweden arrive in the country by walking across the frozen sea can hit him with a stick. Although they are friends now, Denmark and Sweden were, at one time, at war with each other, and this law dates back to then. Although Denmark and Norway have also fought each other at various times, the law does not mention Norwegians, so if a Norwegian walks across the frozen sea to Sweden he will presumably be greeted cordially.

The Oresund Bridge now connects Denmark and Sweden, so there is no actual need for anyone to risk walking across a frozen sea in either direction.

Answer: Mow your lawn

It is illegal to mow your lawn on a Sunday in Switzerland in case you cause too much disturbance to your neighbours. It is also illegal to wash your car or hang out washing on a Sunday for the same reasons. The Swiss are very keen on not offending their neighbours. If you live in an apartment block, semi-detached property or any form of shared property it is illegal to flush your toilet after 10pm at night.

Answer: An uncaged bear

Quite why anyone would want to drive with a uncaged bear in their car is a mystery; however presumably at least one person has done it otherwise there would be no need to have a law against it. It's unlikely that anyone who tried it would actually live long enough to be prosecuted. Alligators, moose and snakes though are fine.

Answer: Camels

In the early 1860s Bactrian camels were imported into the Nevada desert to act as pack animals and to aid exploration. They could do the work of several mules or horses, plus go into areas that horses could not. To most people who saw them they were strange and exotic creatures, and because of their value to the military hunting them was made illegal.

In the early 1860s, many military forts and outposts in the area were closed as the soldiers were needed to fight in the East and the camels either wandered away or were let loose.

The last authenticated sighting of one was in the early 1900s, although rumours of camels still surviving deep in the desert persist. Hunting them though is still illegal.

Answer: An alligator

Many strange laws from America, and other places seem to be animal related. In Michigan you are prohibited from chaining your alligator to a fire hydrant, but why are you walking around with an alligator to start with? This is almost as strange as not being allowed to park your elephant on a parking meter in Atlanta. Do many people use elephants as a form of transport in Atlanta I wonder.

Again, someone must have done these things in order for the authorities to decide it would be made illegal. Unfortunately who and when is not recorded. However the good people of Michigan can sleep soundly knowing that if there is a fire the firemen will not have to fight off any angry alligators before they can use the nearest hydrant.

Answer: Vibrators

This is one of many laws that deal with morals and sexual behaviour. In Massachusetts, it is illegal for a woman to be on top during sex. The same state has a law that says if a man and a woman rent a room it is illegal for them to sleep in the nude. In North Carolina, sex must be in the missionary position and the bedroom curtains must be pulled. Quite how these laws are enforced is not clear. Do the police go round looking for undrawn bedroom curtains and then climb a ladder and peer through to see what is going on? Are Arkansas houses regularly raided to check their stock of vibrators? In practice, although these laws are on the statute books they are not enforced.

The police have better things to do, and they are, in the main, unenforceable anyway.

Answer: Sixty-five

Laws against marrying close relatives exist in many places. They go back to the times when the population of an area was small, and quite often limited to an extended family. In-breeding leads to genetic defects which become worse with successive generations.

These dangers were recognised some years ago, so laws were introduced to ensure that partners were sought outside the immediate area to keep the gene pool varied. The law in Utah drops the age to fifty-five if one of the people involved is infertile.