# Strange But True... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 4, 1999, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-but-true/10667 "1999-11-04T19:01:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CanadianSue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@CanadianSue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanadianSue)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 1999, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-but-true/10667/1 "1999-11-05T06:05:00Z")
Wow can you believe this?? Most Middle Eastern countries recognize the following Islamic law: After having sexual relations with a lamb, it is a mortal sin to eat its flesh." (umm ok, I’m sure the lamb appreciates that one) In Lebanon, men are legally allowed to have sex with animals, but the animals must be female. Having sexual relations with a male animal is punishable by death. (OK, like THAT makes sense… ) In Bahrain, a male doctor may legally examine a woman’s genitals, but is forbidden from looking directly at them during the examination. He may only see their reflection in a mirror. Muslims are banned from looking at the genitals of a corpse. This also applies to undertakers; the sex organs of the deceased must be covered with a brick or piece of wood at all times. (…a brick?) The penalty for masturbation in Indonesia is decapitation. (wonder how they enforce that one?) There are men in Guam whose full-time job is to travel the countryside and deflower young virgins, who pay them for the privilege of having sex for the first time. Reason: under Guam law, it is expressly forbidden for virgins to marry. (now let’s just think for a minute…is there any job anywhere else in the world that even comes close to this?) In Hong Kong, a betrayed wife is legally allowed to kill her adulterous husband, but may only do so with her bare hands. (the husband’s lover, on the other hand, may be killed in any manner desired.) Topless saleswomen are legal in Liverpool, England - but only in tropicalfish stores. (of course!) In Cali, Colombia, a woman may only have sex with her husband, and the first time this happens her mother must be in the room to witness the act. (I shudder at the thought.) In Santa Cruz, Bolivia it is illegal for a man to have sex with a woman and her daughter at the same time. (…we have to presume this was a big enough problem that they had to pass this law…) In Maryland, it is illegal to sell condoms from vending machines with one exception: pro-phylactics may be dispensed from a vending machine only “in places where alcoholic beverages are sold for consumption on the premises.” (is this a great country or what?) * * * We are, each of us angels with only one wing; and we can only fly by embracing one another ---
**Author:** ![Stevie\_Rave\_On](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c68b51/32.png) [@Stevie\_Rave\_On](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stevie_Rave_On)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 1999, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-but-true/10667/2 "1999-11-05T06:18:00Z")
No, I don’t believe it. 🙂 Actually, I think in some other thread someone put this email in their post, and someone else stated which were true and which were false. I’ll try the weak ass search engine and see if I can find it. ---
**Author:** ![CanadianSue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@CanadianSue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanadianSue)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 1999, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-but-true/10667/3 "1999-11-05T06:19:00Z")
oops sorry ---
**Author:** ![Sealemon88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c68b51/32.png) [@Sealemon88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sealemon88)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 1999, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-but-true/10667/4 "1999-11-05T06:28:00Z")
It’s cool, Sue 🙂 I’m very interested in which of these laws are true. * * * You say “cheesy” like that’s a **BAD** thing. ---
**Author:** ![Stevie\_Rave\_On](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c68b51/32.png) [@Stevie\_Rave\_On](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stevie_Rave_On)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 1999, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-but-true/10667/5 "1999-11-05T06:42:00Z")
Still trying. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![AuraSeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c2a13f/32.png) [@AuraSeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuraSeer)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 1999, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-but-true/10667/6 "1999-11-05T06:48:00Z")
IIRC from the previous thread, we pretty much decided that the whole list is bogus, and none of the laws actually exist. ---
**Author:** ![WallyM7](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b5e925/32.png) [@WallyM7](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WallyM7)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 1999, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-but-true/10667/7 "1999-11-05T06:53:00Z")
Pity. I like the one about topless saleswomen in tropical fish stores. Kinda surreal. * * * This space for rent. ---
**Author:** ![CanadianSue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@CanadianSue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanadianSue)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 1999, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-but-true/10667/8 "1999-11-05T06:59:00Z")
emailed and asked for the thread to be removed… sorry guys I didnt realize this had already been posted * * * We are, each of us angels with only one wing; and we can only fly by embracing one another ---
**Author:** ![CanadianSue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@CanadianSue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanadianSue)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 1999, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-but-true/10667/9 "1999-11-05T06:59:00Z")
emailed and asked for the thread to be removed… sorry guys I didnt realize this had already been posted * * * We are, each of us angels with only one wing; and we can only fly by embracing one another ---
**Author:** ![Stevie\_Rave\_On](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c68b51/32.png) [@Stevie\_Rave\_On](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stevie_Rave_On)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 1999, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-but-true/10667/10 "1999-11-04T19:01:00Z")
Here’s one place it was mentioned, but this isn’t where it was debunked. Someone in this thread mentions that it was mentioned already, too. [http://www.straightdope.com/ubb/Forum4/HTML/000329.html](http://www.straightdope.com/ubb/Forum4/HTML/000329.html) ---
**Author:** ![Sealemon88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c68b51/32.png) [@Sealemon88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sealemon88)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 1999, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-but-true/10667/11 "1999-11-04T19:25:00Z")
Sue: For the record, posting previous topics happens all the time. You’re new; ya didn’t know it had already been posted. It’s not like the search engine on this site is 100% reliable, so even if you _were_ to search for the previous thread, there’s no guarentee that you’d find it. * * * You say “cheesy” like that’s a **BAD** thing. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 1999, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-but-true/10667/12 "1999-11-04T19:27:00Z")
Hey, if the search was even 10% accurate, it’d be an improvement. * * * **Dopeler effect:** The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 1999, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-but-true/10667/13 "1999-11-04T22:49:00Z")
I’m quietly confident that ‘Topless saleswomen are legal in Liverpool, England - but only in tropical fish stores.’ has never been a law. (it would do wonders for pet shop sales though…) The Government did try to remove a few archaic laws a while back. One dating from the Middle Ages said every able-bodied man had to practice with a long bow every Sunday. (you didn’t think we won Agincourt by accident, did you?) * * * I just had deja vu, and I’m sure it’s happened before… ---
**Author:** ![PurpleCrackwhore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc348/32.png) [@PurpleCrackwhore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PurpleCrackwhore)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 1999, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-but-true/10667/14 "1999-11-04T23:09:00Z")
Doesn’t matter if it was true or not, it made me smile reading the laws, and even more so, reading your reactions to them. The great thing about Mundane and Pointless is that I don’t have unreal expectations about stuff here being accurate. I am here for a laugh, a chuckle, or a smile. What made this thread double cool was that I didn’t have to search the archives to find it…and there are prolly alot of new responses from new ppl who never saw the first. Thanks for the smile in what you already know has been a week from hell for me too. * * * “Only when he no longer knows what he is doing, does the painter do good things.” --Edgar Degas ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 1999, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-but-true/10667/15 "1999-11-05T00:10:00Z")
For actual laws that still exist and seem ridiculous now, check out: [http://www.dumblaws.com/](http://www.dumblaws.com/) Although I did notice some discrepancies in the ones about my country, the major stuff was still true. And then there’s this one: [http://www.stupidlaws.com/](http://www.stupidlaws.com/) ## But I dare not say anything about its validity. Coldfire * * * “You know how complex women are” - Neil Peart, Rush (1993) ---
**Author:** ![Gr8Kat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gr8kat/32/18668_2.png) [@Gr8Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gr8Kat)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 1999, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-but-true/10667/16 "1999-11-05T00:53:00Z")
Dumb Oregon laws: [http://www.dumblaws.com/oregon.shtml](http://www.dumblaws.com/oregon.shtml) I can’t vouch for any of these except for the not being allowed to pump your own gas law. Even so, I can’t imagine getting arrested for it, but if you inadvertantly blow up the gas station in the process of refueling, the owners’ insurance probably won’t cover it. Also, one this list forgot, in Grants Pass, OR, it is illegal for a fat woman to perform acrobatics on the sidewalk. (Please refrain from making “I didn’t think a fat woman could even perform acrobatics” jokes. Thank you, and have a nice day.) * * * “I hope life isn’t a big joke, because I don’t get it,” Jack Handy [The Kat House](http://members.aol.com/gr8kat1/KatGen/home.htm) [Join the FSH Webring](http://members.aol.com/gr8kat1/KatGen/fshwebring.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Satan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Satan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satan)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 1999, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-but-true/10667/17 "1999-11-05T12:50:00Z")
Actually, Gr8Kat, New Jersey has a similar law against self-service at the pumps. By having someone to pump your gas, it creates jobs which stimulate the economy. Also, since the gas prices are higher because of that, there is additional taxes that come in on it’s sale. At least, that’s the theory… * * * Yer pal, Satan ---
**Author:** ![KJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b2d939/32.png) [@KJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KJ)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 1999, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-but-true/10667/18 "1999-11-06T03:44:00Z")
No ice cream on Sundays? Dishes must drip dry? Can’t bathe without suitable clothing? I don’t know who the hell told these people that, but I live in Oregon, and neither I nor anyone else in this state actually follows those laws. Even if they are real laws, it’s not as if anyone ever has or will enforce them. The one about Marijuana is cool, though. ---
**Author:** ![labradorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3ec8ea/32.png) [@labradorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/labradorian)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 1999, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-but-true/10667/19 "1999-11-07T19:31:00Z")
[dumblaws.com](http://dumblaws.com) and [stranglaws.com](http://stranglaws.com) would be a lot more useful if they actually came with statutory citations. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 1999, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-but-true/10667/20 "1999-11-07T20:30:00Z")
If it helps, I was the one who posted this list the first time, and I think it was in GQ, with the thread name “debunk this”… * * * – O p a l C a t [www.opalcat.com](http://www.opalcat.com) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-but-true/10667.md?page=2)