Around the world, there are a lot of strange and confusing laws that are still in place. Not all of them are enforced, but the fact that they exist in the first place makes you wonder what sort of story inspired them. Who were the original offenders that caused such a disturbance that their actions inspired a law? Well, whoever they were, perhaps they are the ones to blame these absurd laws on.

London – No sex on a parked motorbike

With some context, this law would probably make a lot of sense. However, what is so strange about it is that it’s very specific. It’s not just ‘a motorbike,’ it’s ‘a parked motorbike’. Is the implication that it’s okay to have sex on a motorbike if it was moving? On top of this, there is already a law in place in England concerning sex in public, so what happened to make them write a whole new law to cover the rest of their bases? More than likely, this law was put together to stop couples from repeat offending rather than to protect the general public. Perhaps at the time, there were more than a few romantic unions taking place on the back of parked motorbikes.

Indonesia – Women can’t straddle a motorcycle

Although it hasn’t been verified whether or not this law is still in effect, three years ago, women in Indonesia were banned from straddling a motorbike. This stemmed from Sharia law, as it was thought that it was improper for women to straddle motorbikes and to sit so closely to male drivers that they were not married to or related to by blood. Of course, if a woman was driving the bike then she would be allowed to straddle it, but she would have to be dressed appropriately. Indonesia is the only country that implements Sharia law that has this particular motorcycling law. There was a lot of protest when it was first announced, so it’s difficult to say whether or not it’s still in effect.

USA – You can’t ride a motorcycle while wearing a costume

This is yet another very strange law that raises a few questions. There is already a law that exists in America that forbids people from wearing face coverings and masks while they’re driving. This sort of law sounds completely reasonable, because if something slips over the driver’s eyes, they could cause an accident. However, this law that applies to motorcycle riders refers to costumes and disguises. It doesn’t refer to what the appropriate attire might be or why you can’t wear a costume. Perhaps some criminals in disguise used motorcycles as their getaway vehicles or someone in a Batman costume got their cape caught in the wheels. Whatever the reason, this might mean that you think twice before putting on a fake moustache and taking your bike out for a spin.

These laws, while both funny and tragic, manage to outline something very important about motorcycles: motorcycles are very dangerous vehicles. Sometimes the smallest, pettiest things can cause accidents, so always drive with care and get your bike properly insured. Look online to compare motorcycle insurance and always wear the appropriate gear.