Obscure laws

[UrbanLegends101]

#3 In the United States it is illegal to operate a train that does not have an “F” painted on the front. Apparently without that “F” we all might not know where the front of the train is.

A finger of truth and four fingers of hokum.

Diesel locomotives operate in either direction with the same degree of efficiency, so one end of the locomotive is designated the front end.

Sometimes it may seem obvious which end is foward, but the designation is more for uniformity in maintenance reports and inspections

An older center cab unit has no generally obvious "front" end. Some railroads ran the long hood forward, some ran the short hood forward. The later full width cabs are generally run cab forward, but they don't have to be.

Some of the commuter trains, such as the VRE in northern Virginia, the locomotive is on the south end of the trains, cab facing south. For the northbound runs, coming into DC, the engineer is operating the train from a control cab car on the front or north end, with the locomotive is pushing the train from the rear. On the south bound runs, the engineer is in the locomotive cab.

By the logic of the "obscure law," half the VRE operations would be considered illegal operations.

Most freight cars have an A end and B end, the B end generally being end of the car with the hand brake wheel.

[Richard W]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-17610820

The Law Commission has proposed the abolition of 800 antiquated laws, but there is a wealth of mythology about what is and isn't illegal.

Can you really be arrested for eating a mince pie on Christmas Day? Are you within your rights to shoot a Welsh person with a longbow on a Sunday in Chester? According to British urban legend, ancient laws could still land you in trouble or, literally, allow you to get away with murder.

It's got the one about urinating in a policeman's helmet too. (All the laws listed are myths).

[snopes]

Comment: I read that California has a state law that say's peeling an
orange in your hotel room is illegal. Is this true and if so what is the
code number under which it is listed?

[Brad from Georgia]

It was Tuesday, July the third. It was hot in Los Angeles. I was working the peel squad in the illegal fruit division. The boss is Captain Chiquita. My partner's Harry Morgan. My name's Friday. I carry a badge. And a zester.

Dum-da-dum dum! Dum-da-dum-dum DUM!

[damian]

Is that the infamous "OJ trial" I've heard so much about?

[snopes]

Comment: A friend of mine has recently informed me of a rumor that in
Alberta, Canada, when someone is released from prison, apon request they
are to be given a handgun, ammunition and a horse so that they may ride
out of town. I hope this at least interests you. Thanks! Let me know, if
you can, if you investigate it and find anything!

[GenYus234]

This is true. Then they are fined 20 pense for not wearing a sword.

[Alarm]

Originally Posted by snopes

Comment: A friend of mine has recently informed me of a rumor that in
Alberta, Canada, when someone is released from prison, apon request they
are to be given a handgun, ammunition and a horse so that they may ride
out of town. I hope this at least interests you. Thanks! Let me know, if
you can, if you investigate it and find anything!

Everyone knows guns are illegal in Canada, and that the Royal North-West Police confiscated any guns that were brought into Canadian territory during the Gold Rush.

Obviously this is false.

[snopes]

Comment: I've been told numerous times that it is illegal to serve raw
fish in the state of Washington, so that all sushi is never raw. I have
been unable to yield any results in my search to discover if this is in
fact true

[snopes]

Comment: Was there a law in US that read - 'a cow cannot cross a road
without a tail light'?

[snopes]

Sometimes, I’m not very proud to live in Illinois.

From our crooked politicians to our increasing debt, Illinois has a lot of room for improvement. I decided I wanted to seek out something that makes Illinois unique and interesting, something I could be proud of (obviously aside from being surrounded by corn).

What I found may not exactly be positive: Illinois has some of the funniest laws on the books.

http://northernstar.info/opinion/col...9bb30f31a.html

[Seaboe Muffinchucker]

Originally Posted by snopes

I have been unable to yield any results in my search to discover if this is in fact true

Okay, I know this one is six weeks old, but...

...if you can't confirm it's true, don't you think that might be a clue that it's false?

Seaboe

[Singing in the Drizzle]

Washington State Retail Food Code

03200 (4)
Fish, other than those specified under 3425(2), that are intended for consumption in raw or undercooked form and allowed as specified under 03400(4) may be offered for sale or service if they are obtained from a supplier that freezes the fish as specified under 03425; or if they are frozen on the premises as specified under 03425 and records are retained as specified under 03430.