So, just found out this is illegal in America.

[Soubriquet]

Black current juice. Apparently there is a fungus that lives on black currents that would be bad for the economy, so it’s banned.

You can buy a gun, but not black current juice

Or kinder eggs either btw

[quote Ruthietuthie]@MissConductUS, I agree with you. I am a Brit who has lived in the US for the past 20 years.
Yes, the US has many issues, but the amount of nonsense I read on Mumsnet about what it is supposed to be like here just makes me shake my head.[/quote]
Thanks. I've gotten to know several women on MN who are British ex-pats now living in the US and I never hear this type of nonsense from them.

In fairness to the Americans we still have all sorts of bizarre laws still on the books but no one enforces. Suspicious handling of Salmon, springs to mind

Wrong information. They WERE banned, a century ago.

Now they aren't.

metro.co.uk/2021/08/03/why-were-blackcurrants-banned-in-america-15029326/

Seldom laughed so much at something. But its actually serious....
Can we find out what is illigal or banned or whatever in other countries too? I would hate to go to The Netherlands next year and get arrested.

16:57Clovacloud

How do they know how many you have?
And why ONLY 6?

The dildo thing, how is it policed? Do you have to register them?

@Ellowyn, where I live in Canada, kool aid is highly sought after (as a playdoh ingredient). I get it at the market sometimes but I have to sled there from my igloo because it is always a frozen tundra here in BC, just up the road from Washington state. The snowline starts exactly at the border - it's amazing to see...

@WindInTheWillows7

I notice a lot of America-bashing on mumsnet.

Try being irish on here.... irish twins, assumptions we are all backwards holy Mary's, wide eyed posts about visiting Ireland, do they have trains ...

Any opportunity to sneer at others tbh

They are allowed to sell shit chocolate though, that Hershey crap, god knows what it's made from.

I dont think its anti american i think its just fascinating some of the reasons for the banned stuff

You can buy unpasteurized cheeses in the United States at specialty stores for high prices. There isn’t demand for much beyond tasty cheddar or mozzarella. We do have Kraft Singles and Cheese Whiz, which are cheese food products and nothing like wholesome cheese.

That's why they are crazy to get their hands on Ribena! Blackcurrants are fabulous!

You could buy Ribena in the international aisle of my local supermarket in America 20+ years ago, unless this is a new rule.

But you can get 'Made in the USA' haggis.

As the veteran of many Burns Night celebrations in the US, I can attest to the presence of haggis, at least in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina.

Crossing the road where there isn’t a designated crossing is also a crime - jaywalking.

You can get clotted cream in New England, but it’s rare and expensive.
Texas is like a whole other planet. They have many Puritanical laws, such as their new six week ban on abortion. I doubt they do dildo raids. I know many people with more than six in other states.
We have squash here, such as Hawaiian Punch, but nice people don’t give that or KoolAid to their children, opting for real juice diluted or neat.

Try being irish on here.... irish twins, assumptions we are all backwards holy Mary's, wide eyed posts about visiting Ireland, do they have trains ...

Any opportunity to sneer at others tbh

Spot on about the sneering. It could be worse. You could be an American of Irish ancestry, like yours truly.

@Soubriquet

I had a quick google and America are right in some of the items they banned such as endangered animals but still. Kinder eggs and black current juice is just mad

They also don’t allow the sale of a absinthe.

We have kinder eggs, they just separate the food part from the toy part. My kids love them haha.

I notice a lot of America-bashing on mumsnet.

Along with 'any counntry which isn't the UK' bashing.

@immersivereader

Once saw a guy in New Hampshire driving a motorbike on the highway without a helmet. No helmet. Going at 120 km.

Land of the Free and all that

That's New Hampshire, which has an odd and deep libertarian streak.

[quote everythingbackbutyou]@Ellowyn, where I live in Canada, kool aid is highly sought after (as a playdoh ingredient). I get it at the market sometimes but I have to sled there from my igloo because it is always a frozen tundra here in BC, just up the road from Washington state. The snowline starts exactly at the border - it's amazing to see...[/quote]
We have deep snow right now south of the border and it's 12F (minus -11 C). I can send you some kool-aid to save you having to hitch up the huskies if you want. Save you having to go oot, eh?

They've also banned having a sense of humour in the USA as well judging by the grumpy posts on this thread

Suspicious handling of Salmon, springs to mind

I guess this means salmon poaching, but it does conjure up images of rain coated men meeting under the station clock at midnight, exchanging the super secret password ‘the sparrow flies backward over red square’ and exchanging a covert amphibian

Just me then! I’ll get my coat

@Mommybunny

In some states in the US (definitely New Jersey and possibly still Oregon) it is illegal to pump your own petrol. I was told when I was growing up in NJ that it was to prevent discrimination against the elderly and disabled - ie self service was cheaper so the elderly and disabled were forced to use full service and forced to pay more. Not sure I buy that argument but that’s another example of strange illegalities in the US.

This is absolutely true in NJ, at least it was when I was there in the 90's. The reason is nothing to do with discrimination but to do with the strength of the trade unions and protecting employment. many many people in NJ were very worried about employment and foreigners coming in to take their jobs. I am not sure how valid the worry is or whether it is fostered by the unions to keep their power. I knew I could never get permission to work there and didn't want it. I was over there with my late husband who worked for a huge multinational and had been seconded there to do specialist work. I flew into there twice and both times was grilled by airport staff about why my husband had been allowed to work in NJ and why the work couldn't be done by an american. Both times I said I didn't understand his job (big fat lie) and I didn't know why he had been sent to NJ to do it (big fat lie). In order to be on a tax return, you need a social security number which you MUST have. Its also used as part of the info on your bank account and driving licence. when I wanted to open a bank account I presented myself at the social security office and was refused a SS number "because you are not allowed to work" One thing you do not do at government offices is disagree, even politely. I told them about the bank account and was given an official letter of refusal which the bank accepted. About a month later I needed a driving licence and was told at the driving licence office that I needed an SS number...couldn't get a licence without one.....back to social security, put through the interview and given another refusal letter....back to DVLC and given licence. THEN DH had to do a tax return and put me on it so I needed a SS number so back to SS . Interviewed again and refused until I pointed out that therefore I could pay no tax. Lady sniffed at nme and scowled and said I could have one that would only allow me to pay tax and not to work........Now that office KNEW at the first interview that I would need to be put on a tax return and therefore would need (and was entitled to) an SS number...but they still refused me twice because of foreigners coming here and taking our jobs. Got to say that outside of government organisations, the people I met in NJ were all lovely and very welcoming.

We have kinder eggs, they just separate the food part from the toy part. My kids love them haha.

Was just about to point this out - Kinder eggs widely available in the USA, but they are packaged a bit differently to avoid a choking hazard situation. Time we can stop repeating it over and over again on MN maybe?

And yes, you can get haggis there too.