Every entry checked against the statute, or shown to have no statute behind it.
There is no federal law making dumpster diving illegal in the United States. The 1988 Supreme Court ruling in California v. Greenwood actually established that discarded trash in public spaces has no privacy protection — but local ordinances in certain cities and counties can and do restrict the practice.
It is a federal crime to intentionally destroy U.S. currency under 18 U.S.C. § 333, which prohibits mutilating or defacing banknotes with the intent to render them unfit for reissue. However, the popular claim omits the crucial legal element of intent — accidental destruction is not a crime.
Despite being one of the most widely believed driving myths in America, it is perfectly legal to drive barefoot in all 50 U.S. states. No federal statute, state traffic code, or DMV regulation bans shoeless driving of a passenger vehicle.
The claim that collecting or storing rainwater is illegal in Australia is completely false. In reality, rainwater harvesting is legal across all Australian states and territories, actively encouraged by federal and state governments, and even mandatory for new homes in South Australia.
Colorado's notorious Prior Appropriation doctrine once made almost all rainwater collection illegal without a water rights permit. Since 2016, most residents can collect up to 110 gallons in two rain barrels — no permit required — but large-scale collection without authorization remains prohibited.
It is not illegal to talk to wild dolphins in the US: the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 contains no ban on verbal communication. What it does prohibit is feeding, chasing, touching, or using sounds to lure them, all of which count as harassment. NOAA recommends watching wild dolphins from at least 50 yards.
Thailand's Identity Card Act B.E. 2526 (1983) legally requires Thai nationals aged 7–70 to possess and carry their national ID card, and failure to produce it upon official request is punishable — but only by a modest fine of up to ฿200, not arrest.
It is NOT federally illegal to collect rainwater in the United States — there is no national ban. However, some Western states, particularly Colorado and Utah, impose strict volume caps rooted in 19th-century water rights law, giving the claim a kernel of truth that gets wildly overstated online.
Mexico's federal Law on the National Arms, Flag, and Anthem (1984) explicitly prohibits altering the words or music of the national anthem and performing it without the required solemnity. Violators face fines, up to 36 hours arrest, and in commercial cases, much steeper financial penalties — and the law has genuinely been enforced.
A widely circulated claim holds that Hungarian law requires employers to provide free garlic to their employees at work. No such law exists in any Hungarian statute, regulation, or decree.
A circulating claim alleges that photographing a sunset in Greece requires a permit from the local municipality. No such law exists — Greek law explicitly permits photography in public open-air spaces without a permit.
The claim that Paraguayan law requires employers to provide workers with free yerba mate (or tereré) during work hours is a myth. No such provision exists anywhere in Paraguay's Labour Code (Law No. 213/93) or any other national labor legislation.