Laws That Don't Really Matter

After reading loddrik’s thread about parking on the zig-zags I was thinking about how many apparently “trivial” laws we seem to have these days that aren’t really enforced to any degree and are generally so completely ignored by the population that mentioning them can make you seem a bit of an nitpicking arse.

There are plenty of traffic ones obviously:

– stopping at amber traffic lights
– not entering a junction or hatched area until the exit is clear
– ASLs
– not driving or parking in cycle lanes
etc

And of course a few cycling ones:

– not cycling on the pavement
– requiring reflectors, amber pedal reflectors and kitemarked lights

What else you got?

And what exactly is the point of laws that no one really follows or enforces?

Parking on zigzags it appears.. 😉

It may not be enforced much, but people do get irate about folk parking on the zigzags (especially/exclusively at schools), as exhibited in that thread, so I don’t think that one counts.

I’m thinking of the laws that if you mention them people will just shrug and say “Well.. technically you’re right.. but no one actually cares..”

Speed limits.

I never realised that he law required you to stop on amber (I’m an exchange licence holder, picked up laws by osmosis)

Mobile phone use is still totally fine it seems.

Speed limits, they’re only adhered to when they’re enforced.

Average speed sections of the M6 and everyone does the speed limit, get out of the managed motorway bit and boom, everyone is back to doing 85-90

Isn’t there a medieval law that all able bodied Englishmen must practice archery on the village green every Sunday, that has never been repealed.

And something about pregnant women being allowed to pee in a policeman’s helmet.

I don’t think either is a euphemism 😕

Trivial? or just hopelessly outdated and from another time such that they aren’t relevant any more and should be ignored and rewritten or repealed or whatever the term is.

1/ English footpaths and RoW legislation
2/ MOD land access bye laws.

Allowing your dog to s**t on paths, pavements, sports grounds etc seems to be perfectly ok now!

Killing a cyclist with your car

(I’m an exchange licence holder, picked up laws by osmosis)

*splutter*

Can I suggest you at least have a quick flick through https://www.gov.uk/browse/driving/highway-code ? Please?

(Though obviously, as per this thread, you can expect around half the things you read in there to be completely ignored by everyone).

Allowing your dog to s**t on paths, pavements, sports grounds etc seems to be perfectly ok now!

Always has been, there is a reason everyone of a certain age can remember white dog shit, because it was bloody everywhere.

Depends where you live

not stopping at amber red traffic lights

Ok in W-ton

not entering a junction or hatched area until the exit is clear
not driving or parking in cycle lanes

lynchable offences in Stafford

+ 1 for speed limits – esp 30 limits. Have you ever tried driving in a 30 zone at 30 and not had someone tailgating?

Have you ever tried driving in a 30 zone at 30 and not had someone tailgating?

Whenever I encounter that I just set the cruise control to 29mph and chuckle in the rear view mirror at their apoplectic rage

stopping at amber traffic lights

I’ve nearly been rear ended a couple of times now on that one (Finger crossed, could do with some whiplash compo for the new bike fund)

MOD land access bye laws

There may just be an FOI request in about that one at the moment…

– not entering a junction or hatched area until the exit is clear

Yeah it might be ignored most of the time but when it creates gridlock you can’t escape the lynch mob…

Sharia…

MOD land access bye laws

At least some of the MOD land near us is used as a live fire range.
I tend to obey the by-laws there!

I just set the cruise control to 29mph and chuckle in the rear view mirror at their apoplectic rage

Our village successfully petitioned to become a 20 limit. I now take great delight in obeying it precisely. 22mph indicated and not a jot more, to the great annoyance of anyone stuck behind me (most of whom signed the petition but don’t seem to think it applies to them!)

Dropping litter seems fine in many areas though you can get caught for it and most try not to I think. Though cigarette butts can obviously be dropped anywhere.

and gum – it’s the law to gob that on the path/street to make a mottled pavement patten

lower speed limits for commercial vehicles on national limit single carriage roads and dual carriageways

https://www.gov.uk/speed-limits

Piracy, especially TV shows. It might feel a bit wrong to get a sneaky copy of the latest film. But downloading Game of Thrones that’s totally fine

I got a £60 fine for stopping in a box junction thing in London ….

everyone is back to doing 85-90

Technically, at an indicated 85, you’re doing 74.5, so hardly ‘speeding’; no cop is going to pull you over for that, as you’re still within the 10% speedo variable.
Even at an indicated 90, you’re actually only doing 81.
Going by the generally accepted fact that speedos are set to read 10% under.
My Puma was, as is my Skoda

But downloading Game of Thrones that’s totally fine

I’d argue with that, for more than one reason…

That 20mph limit in Wylam is just ‘suggested’, though. I thought there had to be proper calming measures like bollards/bumps, not just cars double parked outside the church…

Scooping dog poop – half arsed, just bag it and hang off a tree/fence or chuck it in the bushes

Seatbelts – none at all. On my 15 minute walk to/from the station each day at least 5% of drivers don’t seem to need them

Cars with bald tyres, one brake light or no brake lights etc

As above chewing gum, fag butts and littering in general

Spitting in the street.

Misuse of Drugs Act is pretty futile.

antigee

lower speed limits for commercial vehicles on national limit single carriage roads and dual carriageways

The bosses are mainly to blame for this. There’s routing software that’s used by a lot of companies now that tells them how fast you can get from A-B and you get quizzed if you’re running late. The argument that the computer says you can do 30 miles in 26 minutes despite the vehicle being limited to 56mph doesn’t wash so everyone goes at 56 on single carriageways and country lanes to make the time up.

Oh and locally parking on zigzags or cycle lanes will get you a ticket. Unless you’re a taxi. Especially if you’ve got a bulb blown or a bald tyre 🙄

desuetude

Scooping dog poop

Yeah, I’ve gone right off him since he did the car insurance ads.

There’s a ton of motoring ones.

Copyright theft.

From another thread, tampering with your telephone master socket rather than informing BT. (-:

On a local note, the “STRAIGHT AHEAD ONLY” sign on Neville Street in Newcastle by the station drop off. Why spend a minute following signs around the block when you can try to squeeze round the fencing, get stuck in a queue and block up one of the busiest roads in the town centre.

Ignoring school crossing patrols.
http://www.kidderminstershuttle.co.uk/news/11280048.Bid_to_put_stop_to_drivers_ignoring_crossing_patrols

The article mentions £1000 fines, but rather than fine the motorists, they will put up a few posters instead, as if anyone who ignores a lollypop lady is going to stop and read a poster. 🙄

Middle lane driving

– not cycling on the pavement

Pretty sure that’s not a law, just one of a 100 recommendations in the highway code which seem to be optional.

NB 50% of the pavements in Cambridge are dual use, the other 50% aren’t. Which basically means people cycle on them all as it’s pretty confusing as to which bits are / aren’t (signage is very poor).

parking on the ‘oncoming traffic’ side of the road after dark.

An aussie friend was shocked when she saw how many people did it here…..and thats from a nation with shocking driving habits.

Technically, at an indicated 85, you’re doing 74.5, so hardly ‘speeding’

It is though isn’t it. Over the speed limit = speeding. Not getting into a moral argument about it, justify speeding if you want to, but don’t pretend it’s not speeding.