Burkinis, elephants, UFOs... A few municipal by-laws in France.
By topffer
@topffer (42156)
France
September 23, 2016 6:44am CST
I have seen at myLot several discussions about the prohibition of burkinis on some French beaches. Burkinis have been forbidden by municipal by-laws by a dozen of mayors in France. When it comes to local police, a French mayor might take any by-law that will be valid in the territory of the municipality, after its legality has been controlled by the local representant of the state, the préfet.
We have 36 529 mayors in France, and some by-laws are really funny :
- a mayor in Normandy has forbidden the beaches of his town, not to burkinis, but to elephants. When he took this by-law a circus was walking its elephants on a beach during the night, and it affected the quality of the bathing. Elephant poo you know
...
- Châteauneuf-du-Pape produces a good wine, but it goes fast to the head. In the 1950's the inhabitants were seeing a lot of UFOs landing. The mayor had to do something. He wrote a municipal by-law forbidding to any UFO to land, take-off or flyover his territory. Any UFO landing will be placed in the pound. It was a complete success : no UFO has landed since this by-law
. They probably do not want to pay the fee for the pound.
- The mayor of a small village with 800 inhabitants has forbidden last July at The Pokemon Company and Niantic to put Pokemon Go characters on his territory. The by-law says : "Considering the virtual and wild implantation of Pokemon Go characters on the territory of the municipality ; Considering the danger constituted by the search of Pokemon characters because of the inattention of pedestrians and drivers watching their phone ; (...) ; Considering the danger of the addiction represented by this game for young people, etc.
I am not sure that Niantic has complied
.
- Another one took a by-law forbidding "to any person not having a vault to die in the town. Offenders will be severely sanctioned."
Well, the maximum fee one risks to not follow a municipal by-law is 38 Euros, and you cannot pay if you are dead
.
Comments welcomed. Have you by-laws like these in your country ?
...
- Châteauneuf-du-Pape produces a good wine, but it goes fast to the head. In the 1950's the inhabitants were seeing a lot of UFOs landing. The mayor had to do something. He wrote a municipal by-law forbidding to any UFO to land, take-off or flyover his territory. Any UFO landing will be placed in the pound. It was a complete success : no UFO has landed since this by-law. They probably do not want to pay the fee for the pound.
- The mayor of a small village with 800 inhabitants has forbidden last July at The Pokemon Company and Niantic to put Pokemon Go characters on his territory. The by-law says : "Considering the virtual and wild implantation of Pokemon Go characters on the territory of the municipality ; Considering the danger constituted by the search of Pokemon characters because of the inattention of pedestrians and drivers watching their phone ; (...) ; Considering the danger of the addiction represented by this game for young people, etc.
I am not sure that Niantic has complied.
- Another one took a by-law forbidding "to any person not having a vault to die in the town. Offenders will be severely sanctioned."
Well, the maximum fee one risks to not follow a municipal by-law is 38 Euros, and you cannot pay if you are dead.
Comments welcomed. Have you by-laws like these in your country ?20 people like this
20 responses
@Mike197602 (15487)
• United Kingdom
23 Sep 16
Nothing like that at all.
Mayors seem to have a lot of power in France...outside London they have more or less no power here.
3 people like this
@topffer (42156)
• France
23 Sep 16
Mayors are supposed to be police officers in France, but nobody remembers the last time a mayor arrested somebody. Municipality by-laws are controlled by a préfet and they also can be contested in an administrative court. The maximum fee is very low, and it is rare, but it was done for one of the burkinis by-laws this summer.
. Municipality by-laws are controlled by a préfet and they also can be contested in an administrative court. The maximum fee is very low, and it is rare, but it was done for one of the burkinis by-laws this summer.2 people like this
@Mike197602 (15487)
• United Kingdom
23 Sep 16
@topffer I suppose we might have local bylaws here but I don't know what they are
2 people like this
@topffer (42156)
• France
23 Sep 16
@Mike197602 There is an interesting one from the beginning of the 18th C that has never been abrogated in this city, that I will perhaps test now that I live near the street : you have the right to discharge water from your window to the street if you say before "A l'eau ! à l'eau !" ("water ! water !"). It is pronounced the same way than "Allo", and I think it legalizes water bombing
.
.2 people like this
@OneOfMany (12150)
• United States
23 Sep 16
Watch that that one village has the highest spawning rate of Pokemon than any other village. It may be random but watch that place evolve into a nest.
2 people like this
@topffer (42156)
• France
25 Sep 16
@OneOfMany It has been controlled and considered legal by the préfet, and nobody contested it in an administrative court, then it is definitely valid until it will be abrogated by another mayor. But they are rarely abrogated : we have by-laws since the 16th C in my city which are supposed to be still valid, and it would be very funny to follow some of them.
The problem with this by-law is elsewhere : I do not think that they will be able to fine Niantic, except if a board member visits this place, and it is highly improbable.
.2 people like this
@OneOfMany (12150)
• United States
25 Sep 16
@topffer Setting up a law after something has already been done is usually a low move. That's like singling out a person and getting them arrested just because they don't like him. I think the law is invalid. :D
2 people like this
@CaptAlbertWhisker (32507)
• Calgary, Alberta
24 Sep 16
As if it will stop aliens from doing light shows on their town. How will they arrest beings with superior technology.
My country is the only country with no divorce, thanks to Vatican control. Muslims can divorce though.
2 people like this
@topffer (42156)
• France
24 Sep 16
@CaptAlbertWhisker You have been lucky. I would bet that many others have not been so lucky. I remember that about a decade ago thieves caught red handed were killed in the streets by the police in Madagascar. It was really frightening, and such things should never happen in a democracy.
@topffer (42156)
• France
24 Sep 16
Aliens probably read it, as they have not landed anymore in this place
.
There is another country with no divorce, it is Vatican city. They do not need it because they do not marry. Seriously, I suppose that your parliament is free to vote a law authorizing divorce in your country. You have just to do a better choice for your deputies.
.
There is another country with no divorce, it is Vatican city. They do not need it because they do not marry. Seriously, I suppose that your parliament is free to vote a law authorizing divorce in your country. You have just to do a better choice for your deputies.2 people like this
@CaptAlbertWhisker (32507)
• Calgary, Alberta
24 Sep 16
@topffer I use to be supportive of that Policy, Until I almost got killed because of rush judgement.
1 person likes this
@Drosophila (16573)
• Ireland
29 Sep 16
Lol someone made a law against Pokemon go? Right.... that's really taking the biscuit. What happened to people taking responsibility of their own actions instead of just blaming their failings on the newest game, tech trend, social media, or even books man!
2 people like this
@Drosophila (16573)
• Ireland
29 Sep 16
@topffer ya, but once again.. it's the let's blame everyone else, except the person who's own stupid fault it is to get themselves into the stupid situation mentality that really really ticks me off.
As it will never truly solve "the stop stupid people doing stupid things" issue. It will only encourage the case
1 person likes this
@topffer (42156)
• France
27 Sep 16
@RubyHawk They might be abrogated here, but it is rarely done. In my city the oldest by-laws are from the 16th C, and they are supposed to be still valid, except if we have a law or a regulation more recent for the same thing. De facto, only a few of these old by-laws would be considered like valid by a court today, as we have laws and regulations for quite everything today.
2 people like this
@allen0187 (58438)
• Philippines
24 Sep 16
Those by-laws are serious compared to the laws that are passed here in the Philippines.
Oh wait, Philippine politics is one big joke so I'm sure we have more 'by-laws' similar to what you wrote.
LOLed, perhaps too loud, to the UFO one. 
2 people like this
@allen0187 (58438)
• Philippines
25 Sep 16
@topffer whatever these law-makers are drinking I want a gallon of!
2 people like this
@marguicha (215030)
• Chile
24 Sep 16
It seems that the city where I live is very dull. 
But I will have to read this post and the answers slowly after I go to bed. It is better than my book!
But I will have to read this post and the answers slowly after I go to bed. It is better than my book!2 people like this
@marguicha (215030)
• Chile
24 Sep 16
@topffer The worst are those with small font nowadays.
2 people like this
@topffer (42156)
• France
27 Sep 16
True, but it is difficult to understand why he targeted only elephants. There are often by-laws forbidding beaches to all domestic animals and it would have been the way to go. The place is Granville. I checked and there is 13000 people there. I hope they do not walk their dogs on the beach
.
.2 people like this
@LadyDuck (457156)
• Switzerland
23 Sep 16
@topffer It was the same reason for Le Lavandou, no more emplacement left in the cemetery. Falciano has not a cemetery, they have to go to the closest village, the law was written to protest and ask for a cemetery. While the mayor of Sellia wrote a crazy law asking to all his 500 citizens to take care of their health or they would have been fined, stating by-law that nobody was authorized to die in Sellia. 
2 people like this
@topffer (42156)
• France
25 Sep 16
With all the municipalities we have, it is difficult to tell, but I think that, despite of the success of this by-law, there is not another place that took a similar by-law.
What was also funny with this one, is that it was not to the local police to put UFOs in the pound. The mayor had assigned this job to the local "garde-champêtre", which is in France a kind of forest ranger/guard of the fields, more trained to arrest poachers than aliens.
.2 people like this
@JESSY3236 (18841)
• United States
26 Sep 16
I love reading weird laws. But that pokemon law is good. because there have bad stuff going on with that game.
2 people like this
@topffer (42156)
• France
26 Sep 16
The one about Pokemon is well written compared to many of these laws. It does not target gamers but Niantic and The Pokemon Company, and I do not think that they can force them to remove Pokemons from a place with a fee of only 38 Euros. It is only $42. I think that people at Niantic laughed a lot if they read this by-law.
2 people like this
@toniganzon (72285)
• Philippines
19 Feb 18
None at all. I guess we don't have local law makers that are as humorous as yours!
1 person likes this
@toniganzon (72285)
• Philippines
19 Feb 18
@topffer Let me serach for stupid ones, I might find one.
1 person likes this
@stringer321 (5643)
• Kiryat Ata, Israel
30 Oct 16
In my country, there is a rule that can sometimes be irrational to follow: loitering.
Loitering is just walking with no goal, no place to go to, just walking in the street. If it happens in circumstances where a crime happens, it can get one being arrested.
Other than that, I don't know about any ridiculous laws.
Maybe some municipal helping laws like not to hang laundry in a window that faces to the street. That law is to keep the overall look of the front of the building.
Not to have snails in the backyards, but, I've just read it in an old article.
1 person likes this
@topffer (42156)
• France
30 Oct 16
Wow! How far does this loitering thing goes ? I mean, I did a bicycle ride today, like every Sunday, was I guilty of loitering ? And joggers ? And tourists ?
We had vagrancy in the past, it was the fact to have no home and no money. Any tramp was considered to be dangerous in the past. But all of them knew the law and had a minimum amount of money with them before vagrancy was suppressed in the 1980's.
It is also forbidden here to hang laundry at windows. I do not know if it is a state or municipal regulation.
! How far does this loitering thing goes ? I mean, I did a bicycle ride today, like every Sunday, was I guilty of loitering ? And joggers ? And tourists ?
We had vagrancy in the past, it was the fact to have no home and no money. Any tramp was considered to be dangerous in the past. But all of them knew the law and had a minimum amount of money with them before vagrancy was suppressed in the 1980's.
It is also forbidden here to hang laundry at windows. I do not know if it is a state or municipal regulation.@topffer (42156)
• France
1 Nov 16
@stringer321 I understand. At least there are some limits, and I can continue to loitering with my bicycle during the weekends
.
.@stringer321 (5643)
• Kiryat Ata, Israel
31 Oct 16
@topffer No, no no, this loitering law is against loitering suspiciously. If one jog or just ride bicycle, it's not considered suspicious. Of course, I will try to take a sportive walk a sportive walk and maybe walk in places that no crime can happen there, like places with no homes, a field...a walking trail...
1 person likes this
@Hate2Iron (15730)
• Canada
25 Sep 16
None that I know of, but I haven't been living in Manitoba for very long. I really must look it up lol!
2 people like this
@jstory07 (134188)
• Roseburg, Oregon
24 Sep 16
Those are really silly by laws and if I had a flying saucer I would land there and take off really quick. I might just get on my flying dragon and land there so they will add flying dragons to the list of things that can not fly there or land.
2 people like this
@topffer (42156)
• France
24 Sep 16
Be serious : we all know that we have no more dragons in Europe. What is even more silly in this by-law is that it is the job of the "garde-champêtre" to put the flying saucers to the pound. A "garde-champêtre" is a mix of a forest ranger and a police officer keeping the gardens and the fields in rural places, usually more trained to arrest poachers than aliens. If a dragon lands, I hope that they will recruit knights to put the dragon to the pound.
. What is even more silly in this by-law is that it is the job of the "garde-champêtre" to put the flying saucers to the pound. A "garde-champêtre" is a mix of a forest ranger and a police officer keeping the gardens and the fields in rural places, usually more trained to arrest poachers than aliens. If a dragon lands, I hope that they will recruit knights to put the dragon to the pound.1 person likes this
@antonbunot (11091)
• Calgary, Alberta
26 Sep 16
LOL . . . @topffer so, UFOs are visiting France?! I wish they visit Canada, too!
1 person likes this
@topffer (42156)
• France
26 Sep 16
We take UFOs seriously in France. We have an official service at the CNES (the equivalent of the NASA in France) that works on any testimony about UFOs collected by the police and publishes the police records. They remove the names to protect these witnesses from aliens and gossips. I give you the link.
. We have an official service at the CNES (the equivalent of the NASA in France) that works on any testimony about UFOs collected by the police and publishes the police records. They remove the names to protect these witnesses from aliens and gossips. I give you the link.
CNES Centre National des Etudes Spatiales GEIPAN Groupe d?Etudes et d?Information sur les Ph?nom?nes A?rospatiaux non Identifi?s Menu Toute l'actualit? du GEIPAN VOS QUESTIONS J'ai observ? un ph?nom?ne ?trange, que dois-je faire ? OVNI, UFO, PAN,
2 people like this
@topffer (42156)
• France
26 Sep 16
@antonbunot I read that in one of your comments. French should not be very difficult for a Spanish speaker, if you move to Québec.
Perhaps are you missing a good source of laughter with this link. To speak seriously, they consider that 13% of the phenomenons declared to their service cannot be explained scientifically. They give all the testimonies, and their interpretation. It is really done scientifically, and I am not sure that many countries have a similar official service.
.
Perhaps are you missing a good source of laughter with this link. To speak seriously, they consider that 13% of the phenomenons declared to their service cannot be explained scientifically. They give all the testimonies, and their interpretation. It is really done scientifically, and I am not sure that many countries have a similar official service.2 people like this
@antonbunot (11091)
• Calgary, Alberta
26 Sep 16
@topffer Thanks for the link . . . But reading the linked article, written in French, is like I was lost in the forest of Japan! Canada has two official/national languages - English and French . . . But I was told to go to Quebec to learn French!
2 people like this
