Jaywalking. Blue laws. Not declaring gambling winnings. Releasing Helium balloons.
Laws that are general, not local/buried historical ones ones like “no sodomy by left-handed people,” unless it really is a contender for being broken by the most people.
Not necessarily US, which I think would be interesting.
I’m sure I’ve not specified clearly enough, and hope some responses will clarify further.
Just how is jaywalking defined, in the typical anti-jaywalking law? Does crossing the street where there isn’t a crosswalk count (and then, what about streets that don’t even have crosswalks?), or is it only crossing against a traffic light or other signal? Because while the former is quite common, the latter isn’t quite as common (though still usually not considered a big deal).
Speed limit laws, though, are pretty clear-cut, and are still universally violated.
Speed limits have to be the odds on favorite. Except that it’s not full on scoffing, most people hold themselves to something like 5 or 10 mph over the limit. Maybe recycling is the thing now. Even that is moderated by people who seperate some plastic and paper to be polite or avoid a fine. Full out scoffing is rarer though, that’s where people totally ignore the law, as if it wasn’t there at all. In that case it might be spitting on the sidewalk or something like that.
We need to know what “most scoffed at” means. If you mean broken most often, I’d have to say speeding. I suspect it is broken more than 90% of all times someone drives a car. But as pointed out before, I’m not sure that means “scoffing” if speeds are limited to 5 MPH over the limit.
In terms of the most *serious *law that is the most ignored, my bet would be on employers paying employees ‘under the table’ or ‘off the books’ to avoid income taxes… Either partially or often completely this seems as American as apple pie and baseball!
Yep, everyone here pays use tax…right? right? …is that birds? An echo?
I have NEVER (and I spent time DOING TAXES) met anyone who pays use tax. Ever. I have met people who almost never jaywalk (I’m one of them) who seldom speed. And at the very least, there is some awareness that you aren’t supposed to do these things. Use tax usually gets you a blank stare or a “what? That can’t be!”