10 Weird Laws in Trinidad and Tobago

[Shadowhunter]

It is illegal to:


1. Beg - s.45(b) of the Summary Offences Act 1921, as amended.


2. Engage in fortune telling - s.45(e) of the Summary Offences Act 1921, as amended.


3. Repair, wash or clean a vehicle on the street - s.64(1)(a) of the Summary Offences Act 1921, as amended.


4. Fly kites. - s.71 of the Summary Offences Act 1921, as amended. Kite flying is only legal in Queen's Park and Arima Savannahs


5. Blow your horn in municipal areas between 9pm ? 5:30am - Rule 12(2) of The Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Regulations under the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Act 1934, as amended. N.B. Municipal area? means one of the areas under the First and Second Schedules of the Municipal Corporations Act 1990, as amended


6. Sell fresh meat or fresh fish in Princess Town outside of the public market - Section 6 of the Country Markets Act 1905, as amended. The fine is currently $200


7. Import a mongoose - s.2(1) of the Mongoose Act 1918


8. Pay workers with anything other than money - The Truck Act 1918, as amended. The truck system was the practice of paying wages in goods, or of requiring workers to purchase goods at certain shops. This led to workers being compelled to take goods of inferior quality at a high price.


And the others
9. Whilst considered incestuous and therefore illegal prior to 1911, a man can now legally marry his sister-in-law after his wife has died. - Deceased Wife?s Sister?s Marriage Act, 1911


10. The extremely unfair Landlord and Tenant Ordinance, 1846 has never been amended and unfortunately remains law in Trinidad and Tobago in 2015.

[Source: http://trinidadandtobagolegalrights.blogspot.com/2015/02/10-t-laws-you-didnt-know-existed.html]

 

[anthonemorris]

OK I knew of 1 & 5, but 3? That takes the cake as I wash my car and repair it at the side of the road every time I do either. Good thing police don't enforce it. Many times they see me doing it and ask if I need help lol. But they are weird laws.

 

[nirtime]

Well look at that. Some very interesting laws there. However we dont really see these things being enforced, not necessarily a bad thing as I see nothing wrong with repairing a car in the street as sometimes cars do break down in the middle of a journey and sometimes 10 minutes of simple repairs can get you going again.

 

[Shadowhunter]

I think in cases of a car breaking down in the street, sometimes you don't have a choice but to fix it right there. Also some people may not have access to a garage or would be able to use theirs for car washing so I'm glad these aren't enforced. I have seen most of these going on without anyone batting an eye though so I was surprised. We used to read palms in school and a lot of the kids played around with tarot cards etc and we were never told anything. I was also thinking of getting a kite to fly nearby with the nice breeze I'm getting on the days with good weather. Better watch myself lol

 

[nirtime]

I knew there were laws around Kite flying but didn't know what it was. You'll be alright but not on a bad day lol.

Honestly speaking, I hardly see anybody washing their own cars anymore to begin with so its really uncommon to see that at least in the areas I visit.

 

[Shadowhunter]

I see the car washing thing every time I go out, especially for people that don't live on the main road, even if they have a garage. I definitely see how it's easier to wash off the dirty suds down the drain than in your garage though so it's good that it isn't enforced in that case, as well as for people that have no other alternatives.

 

[nirtime]

Yeah thats a good point but it really does not feel nice driving over someone's car wash water though. Some people are so inconsiderate they see you coming and they still spraying the car with high pressure while all the mist gets blown toward the road and on to people's cars.

 

[Shadowhunter]

I've seen that happen as well. Thankfully I've seen a lot of people aim their hoses in the drain or even stop everything they're doing completely until cars and people finish passing.

 

[nirtime]

Most people are considerate enough to do that but there will always be the inconsiderate ones. Its just like people who wack the lawn. Some of them will stop when cars are passing, others will continue despite blowing a horn. Then when you stop and get on with them they don't know anything lol.

 

[Shadowhunter]

lol that reminds me of CEPEP. Sometimes they have people holding up a piece of tarp or something so nothing pitches off or grass doesn't dirty cars etc but not always. I remember going out with a relative when I was younger and coming back to see the workers cutting grass by the side of the road (read: it was one worker cutting and the rest were sitting and talking to the side). One of the windows had trouble closing all the way up so not only was the side of the car covered in grass, but a little bit got inside too lol

 

[nirtime]

LOL that still isn't so bad. The stones that pitch from wacking the lawn can seriously injure someone or put a decent crack in your glass. Often times its CEPEP I see doing that. Then they will just leave the grass on the side of the road when they feel like it lol.