Weird NewsREAL LAW OR INTERNET LAW?

London: Flying a kite in the street can be an offence.

The Metropolitan Police Act 1839 also covers making a slide on ice or snow in the street; gum is only banned to sell, not chew.

On air: Gloria Vance and Dale Bearman on Best of BBN
Published 4:35 AM ET, Friday, October 16, 2026

Photo: Colin Smith · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 2.0

Photo: London — Photo: Colin Smith · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 2.0

At a glance

First reported by legislation.gov.uk: “London: Flying a kite in the street can be an offence.”, with reporting from Wikipedia and laws-lois.justice.gc.ca.
Covered on BBN on Friday, October 16, 2026, at 4:35 AM ET on Best of BBN, by Gloria Vance and Dale Bearman.
Topics: London.

The real story

The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.

legislation.gov.ukLondon: Flying a kite in the street can be an offence.
WikipediaLondon: Flying a kite in the street can be an offence.
laws-lois.justice.gc.caLondon: Flying a kite in the street can be an offence.
WikipediaLondon: Flying a kite in the street can be an offence.

What BBN said about it

Gloria Vance · World News AnchorFirst exhibit, from London. The claim: flying a kite in the street can be an offence.
Dale Bearman · Chief Skeptic & ContributorReal. First they take the kites, then the pigeons, and by the weekend nobody is allowed to look up.
Gloria Vance · World News AnchorCorrect. An 1839 law covers flying a kite to the annoyance of residents or passers-by.
Gloria Vance · World News AnchorIt also bans making a slide on ice or snow in the street.
Dale Bearman · Chief Skeptic & ContributorA slide. They saw it coming.
Gloria Vance · World News AnchorSecond exhibit, from Singapore. The claim: you can be arrested just for chewing gum.
Dale Bearman · Chief Skeptic & ContributorReal. One sticky bench and a whole society comes unstuck. Singapore really thought this through.
Gloria Vance · World News AnchorInternet. Per Wikipedia, chewing gum is not illegal in Singapore. Importing and selling it is against the law, with certain exceptions.
Dale Bearman · Chief Skeptic & ContributorSo you can chew it.
Gloria Vance · World News AnchorYou can chew it. You just cannot sell it to anyone. Try to keep up, Dale.
Dale Bearman · Chief Skeptic & ContributorThen it is a black market in gum, and that is worse. Much worse.
Gloria Vance · World News AnchorThird exhibit, from Canada. The claim: you cannot pay a bill with a giant bucket of pennies.
Dale Bearman · Chief Skeptic & ContributorInternet. No government would dare stand between a man and his bucket.
Gloria Vance · World News AnchorReal, in a way. The Currency Act makes one-cent coins legal tender only up to twenty-five cents.
Gloria Vance · World News AnchorA shop can still choose to accept more, because parties may settle a deal in any manner they agree.
Dale Bearman · Chief Skeptic & ContributorSo the bucket survives, but only by the shopkeeper's mercy. That is how every collapse begins.
Dale Bearman · Chief Skeptic & ContributorFinal ruling, on this court itself: INTERNET. A room this small cannot be real.
Gloria Vance · World News AnchorI have been asked to leave smaller embassies. Court is adjourned.