# Which law is the most scoffed at? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 19, 2013, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-law-is-the-most-scoffed-at/647719 "2013-01-19T17:03:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2013, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-law-is-the-most-scoffed-at/647719/1 "2013-01-19T17:03:44Z")
By the most people. 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. ---
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2013, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-law-is-the-most-scoffed-at/647719/2 "2013-01-19T17:20:03Z")
Sex in a moving ambulance is illegal in Tremonton, Utah [http://www.stupidlaws.com/laws/united-states/utah/tremonton/](http://www.stupidlaws.com/laws/united-states/utah/tremonton/) ---
**Author:** ![spunkymuzicnote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@spunkymuzicnote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spunkymuzicnote)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2013, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-law-is-the-most-scoffed-at/647719/3 "2013-01-19T17:21:39Z")
I don’t have any evidence to back it up by my first reaction was jaywalking. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2013, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-law-is-the-most-scoffed-at/647719/4 "2013-01-19T17:22:14Z")
My guess would be speed limits. Drive at a posted speed limit anywhere and you get run over. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2013, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-law-is-the-most-scoffed-at/647719/5 "2013-01-19T17:27:31Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2013, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-law-is-the-most-scoffed-at/647719/6 "2013-01-19T17:28:50Z")
> [@spunkymuzicnote](#): > > I don’t have any evidence to back it up by my first reaction was jaywalking. It’s pretty rare in Seattle, even in the dead of night. My answer would be speeding. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2013, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-law-is-the-most-scoffed-at/647719/7 "2013-01-19T17:33:10Z")
Moved to IMHO. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2013, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-law-is-the-most-scoffed-at/647719/8 "2013-01-19T17:33:47Z")
Mod– Good move. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2013, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-law-is-the-most-scoffed-at/647719/9 "2013-01-19T17:40:26Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Thylacine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thylacine/32/1143_2.png) [@Thylacine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thylacine)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2013, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-law-is-the-most-scoffed-at/647719/10 "2013-01-19T19:53:07Z")
Underage drinking ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2013, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-law-is-the-most-scoffed-at/647719/11 "2013-01-19T19:56:15Z")
Sales tax on out of state purchases. Many states require residents to declare everything they buy out of state, and pay the sales tax. Nobody does. ---
**Author:** ![Sevencl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@Sevencl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sevencl)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2013, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-law-is-the-most-scoffed-at/647719/12 "2013-01-19T20:10:32Z")
Derp, wrong thread, sorry. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2013, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-law-is-the-most-scoffed-at/647719/13 "2013-01-19T21:31:01Z")
Slander. ---
**Author:** ![zombywoof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/9e8a1a/32.png) [@zombywoof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zombywoof)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2013, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-law-is-the-most-scoffed-at/647719/14 "2013-01-19T22:26:44Z")
Copyright infringement ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2013, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-law-is-the-most-scoffed-at/647719/15 "2013-01-19T22:54:45Z")
Littering ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2013, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-law-is-the-most-scoffed-at/647719/16 "2013-01-19T22:55:39Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Sahirrnee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sahirrnee/32/13937_2.png) [@Sahirrnee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sahirrnee)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2013, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-law-is-the-most-scoffed-at/647719/17 "2013-01-19T23:29:53Z")
Speeding. Not getting licenses for pets. Having more pets than is allowed. ---
**Author:** ![GreasyJack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@GreasyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreasyJack)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2013, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-law-is-the-most-scoffed-at/647719/18 "2013-01-20T00:20:59Z")
My city requires all bicycles ridden in town be registered and display a sticker. I have maybe seen two or three of them in my life. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2013, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-law-is-the-most-scoffed-at/647719/19 "2013-01-20T00:36:00Z")
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! ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2013, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-law-is-the-most-scoffed-at/647719/20 "2013-01-20T00:51:44Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Sales tax on out of state purchases. Many states require residents to declare everything they buy out of state, and pay the sales tax. Nobody does. 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!” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-law-is-the-most-scoffed-at/647719.md?page=2)