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Strange and Wierd Facts

Posted: Wed 26 Sep, 2007 21.42
by barcode
I know some strange facts:

*Every day 20 banks are robbed. The average take is £2,500
*Forest fires move faster uphill than downhill!
*The longest recorded flight of a chicken is 13 seconds!
*The Nobel Peace Prize medal depicts three naked men with their hands on each other's shoulders!
*The fear of vegetables is called Lachanophobia
*Men are 6 times more likely to be struck by lightning than women
*101 Dalmatians and Peter Pan are the only two Disney cartoon features with both parents that are present and don't die throughout the movie.
*Ireland is the only place where windmills turn clockwise.
*4 people a year died form randomly falling Vending machine
* 100 Choked to death each year on the lids of ball point pens
* Donald ducks comics were banned in Finland because he had no pants!

Does anyone else know any more?

Re: Strange and Wield Facts

Posted: Wed 26 Sep, 2007 22.06
by Sput
Time slows down when you move

Re: Strange and Wierd Facts

Posted: Wed 26 Sep, 2007 22.13
by Gavin Scott
The length of your foot is the same as the distance between your elbow and your wrist (according to Pretty Woman which is on ITV2 at the moment)

Re: Strange and Wierd Facts

Posted: Thu 27 Sep, 2007 00.32
by Neil Jones
It is illegal in the UK to be drunk in public houses.

It is illegal to mow the lawn on Sundays in Switerzland.

It is illegal to wear suits of armour in the Houses of Parliament.

It is a legal requirement (and has been so since the year 1551) that everybody in England must walk to church on Christmas Day. No exceptions. Bikes can be confiscated and sold for charity. No longer enforced but still on the statute books.

Re: Strange and Wierd Facts

Posted: Thu 27 Sep, 2007 00.38
by Sput
A duck's quack does echo
I can lick my elbow

Just to get them out of the way!

Re: Strange and Wierd Facts

Posted: Thu 27 Sep, 2007 01.46
by Stuart*
Neil Jones wrote:It is illegal to mow the lawn on Sundays in Switerzland.
Or in Germany. But the penalties for infringement are perhaps more severe! :shock:

I remember before I moved to Germany being kindly provided with a book detailing local customs. There were forbidden and permitted hours of lawn cutting which were not just limited to Sundays; there were specific hours in the week when it could only be done. Rubbish disposal - you think you have a problem with 2 bins - they have 5.

As for crossing the road when you think nothing is coming - that a "no no" (just slap a sticker on saying "Pass me to the nearest Gas Chamber Please!"). Don't think you will make it to the other side of the road!

EDIT:
Only some of that was true of course. I thoroughly enjoyed living in Germany. It's such a clean and welcoming country, they are very friendly people.

**Herr Schmitt, you can take that gun out of my mouth now, I typed what you said!**

Re: Strange and Wierd Facts

Posted: Thu 27 Sep, 2007 08.20
by Jenny
barcode wrote:I know some strange facts:
* Donald ducks comics were banned in Finland because he had no pants!
Twaddle.
http://www.snopes.com/disney/films/finland.asp

Re: Strange and Wierd Facts

Posted: Thu 27 Sep, 2007 08.23
by Ronnie Rowlands
There is also a very old law that they still haven't got rid of. Legally, a taxi driver must carry a bale of hay in his taxi for the horse to eat. Of course, this is from the days when taxis were horse drawn.

Re: Strange and Wierd Facts

Posted: Thu 27 Sep, 2007 11.33
by timgraham
I believe the same still applies in Australia..of course up until 1901 Australia and the UK were the same thing so perhaps it's no surprise.

There are quite a few of those kinds of laws in the US..in New York I believe it's still illegal to shoot a hare from a moving streetcar.

In Victoria, where I live, it's illegal for yoof to buy or sell ciggarettes but perfectly legal for them to smoke them.
According to the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) it's illegal for a modem to pick up on the first ring.
Only licensed electricians may change a lightbulb.
It's illegal to walk on the right hand side of the footpath.
You need a license to ride a bike in Israel.

Of course none of these are enforced..I'm pretty sure there were a few more (they all went around in a chain email a while back)

Re: Strange and Wierd Facts

Posted: Thu 27 Sep, 2007 13.49
by rts
Is it true a Policeman has to oblige if a pregnant woman asks for his hat if she needs to urinate?

Re: Strange and Wierd Facts

Posted: Thu 27 Sep, 2007 15.16
by Jamez
rts wrote:Is it true a Policeman has to oblige if a pregnant woman asks for his hat if she needs to urinate?
Only in Wales.