Singapore's chewing gum sales ban
In effect since 1992, this regulation essentially bans the import and sale of chewing gum to prevent things like subway door malfunctions and damage to public facilities. It does not criminalize chewing gum itself, but rather regulates buying and selling it in stores. Since 2004, gum for medical or therapeutic purposes β such as nicotine gum requiring a dental prescription β has been available as an exception through pharmacies.
The UK's "handling salmon in suspicious circumstances" law
Section 32 of the Salmon Act 1986 makes it a criminal offense in the United Kingdom to buy, sell, or receive salmon while knowing or suspecting it to be poached, and the provision remains in force today. Created to crack down on salmon poaching, its vague and distinctive phrase "suspicious circumstances" has made it a frequently cited example of a quirky British law, and it has indeed been applied in real cases involving the trade of poached salmon.
Denmark's baby naming law
Denmark operates a naming law (Navneloven) under which parents must choose a baby's name from a government-approved list of roughly 7,000 names. If parents want to use a name not on the list, they must apply separately to a church or government office for approval, and names deemed inappropriate for the child's gender or likely to invite ridicule may be rejected. The system is intended to protect the welfare of the child.
Canada's coin payment limits
Under Canada's Currency Act, one-cent coins are legal tender only up to 25 cents, while 5-, 10-, and 25-cent coins are legal tender only up to 10 dollars. In other words, if someone tries to pay an amount larger than that using only small coins, the other party has the legal right to refuse to accept them. Bills and one- or two-dollar coins have no such limit, which makes the fact that the rule differs by coin denomination an interesting quirk.
Countries' differing rules on bringing in everyday medicine
Ingredients found in common cold or allergy medicines sold over the counter in one country may be treated as stimulant precursors in another, restricting their import altogether. For example, some countries impose strict import restrictions on high-dose pseudoephedrine cold medicine or certain painkiller ingredients, so even medicine you use every day at home can cause trouble at the airport if you don't check the destination country's regulations before traveling.
Licensing rules for electrical work in parts of Australia
In some Australian states, such as Victoria, it is prohibited for unlicensed individuals to perform certain electrical work, such as newly wiring a light fixture or handling fixed wiring. Simply screwing a light bulb into a socket is not an issue, but work involving the wiring itself must be done by a licensed electrician. This rule exists to prevent safety accidents and fires, and is sometimes exaggerated in popular retelling as "you can't even change a light bulb yourself."
Nighttime noise ordinances in parts of Switzerland
Rather than a single national law, Switzerland has many local municipal ordinances restricting noisy household activities β such as running a washing machine or mowing the lawn β after 10 p.m. There are exaggerated rumors along the lines of "you can't even flush the toilet after 10 p.m.," but the accurate picture is that nighttime noise is often managed at the level of apartment building rules or municipal ordinances.