And Now for Some Astronomically Stupid Rules

I remember when I was a kid getting a special tour of the Houses of Parliament, but if I had dropped dead during the tour, I would have been in very big trouble as it is apparently illegal to die in the Houses of Parliament. It is also illegal to enter the chambers in a suit of armor. Liverpool’s ban on walking around topless seems pretty run of the mill—until you notice the exception chiseled for women working in tropical fish stores. If you are ever in need of a restroom in Scotland, simply knock on the door of a resident, for denying someone the use of your home convenience is against the law.

These laws are extremely silly, and we are left wondering, “why on Earth would they do that?” However, economist F.A. Hayek hypothesized that society doesn’t often know why it adopts certain rules, they have just found that they are better off with them, often assuming that the rules managed to solve some sort of long-forgotten problem. Perhaps dying, or plague ridden members of Parliament had been making proceedings difficult .

However, we should not mock all silly rules too much. Sometimes when we remove the seemingly superfluous rules, the long-forgotten problem pops up again. If the underlying problem has gone away for good, then the old rule may inhibit better rules or conditions. Caution is necessary, however, as the making of new rules often leads to unintended consequences that prove worse than the underlying problem.

All three problems manifest themselves in business and society. Legislators or managers mock “the old ways,” and cause disaster when they believe they know better. The starvation of millions of people in the 20th century certainly reminded humanity that property rights were probably “a keeper.” As for good intentions but unintended consequences, Congress quietly dropped a proposed law requiring airplane passengers to buy seats for babies, after calculations showed that the law would result in the deaths of more children in car accidents. Despite rapid changes in technology, rules governing the “natural telephone monopoly” lasted for decades. Over the years, these outdated rules and regulations cost American consumers billions of dollars in unrealized savings and access to new technologies.

Three things to think about before changing, adopting, or throwing out any old or new rules in your city, county, state, country, or workplace. Oh, and since the article on silly rules picks on the British, one of my students dug up this gem (HT: Kasey Jolly) from my adopted hometown of Wichita.

"In Wichita, at the intersection of Douglas and Broadway, all motorists are required to stop at the intersection, exit their vehicles, and fire three shotgun rounds, before continuing on their way.”

So that explains all the gun racks—time I became a law-abiding citizen.

Comments

[KHC]

I'd like to see the citing for that Wichita law. I, too, feel the call to obey such a law.

[Alastair Walling]

Sorry KHC,
I went looking for chapter and section in the Wichita Municipal Code but to no avail. However, navigating the code is a little difficult, so it might still be buried in there somewhere, or it may still be on the books but did not make the leap to the city's website. Alas, while the law is often quoted, a proper legal cite is never given. It does make an appearance on this Kansas Fun Facts page, but that is the best I can do.

http://www.legendsofamerica.com/OZ-Facts2.html

AL

[Mike]

I live in Northern England and my fiancee is Scotish, so we intend asking a resident if we can use there toilet next time we go up there!!! Good way of putting good points across.