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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Why do you obey the law?

153 replies

Velveteenfruitbowl · 29/10/2019 10:03

Something I am reading made me wonder so I want to do a poll. Ignoring situations where the law coincides with your morals (e.g. you think it’s wrong to kill people so you don’t commit murder), why do you follow the law? You can take speed limits for example. Do you not speed because you don’t want to pay a fine or do you actually believe that going a few miles over the speed limit is wrong in some way?

YANBU = I follow the law because it’s the law!

YABU = I only follow the law because I don’t want to be punished.

OP posts:

CheerioGirl · 29/10/2019 14:56

I don’t want to go Jail

No, it depends sometimes it’d be morally wrong such as parking in disabled without a badge.

Or driving wise, whenever I consider going over the speed limit I always remember that advert “if you were going 5mph slower I’d of survived” with the child. Stops me immediately

CheerioGirl · 29/10/2019 15:02

@Itsjustmee I’m with you on the armed robbery

DGRossetti · 29/10/2019 15:03

Does every "crime" have victim ?

If not, should it be a crime ?

MarshaBradyo · 29/10/2019 15:06

Because I think it’s the right thing to do and the thought of being on the wrong side of the law’ makes me feel awful and unhappy.

Schwibble · 29/10/2019 15:08

Because having a criminal record can devastate your life, as can going to jail.

MrsBethel · 29/10/2019 15:09

Some laws I have broken / would break again:

Having a cheeky drink on the underground (in a way, I should add, that could never bother anyone)
Beeping my horn to let someone know they are driving like a twat
Accelerating after passing the edge of town, but before passing the new speed limit sign
Pocketing small change found on the street (ie not 'handing it in')
Being drunk in a public place (again, in a way that could never bother anyone)
Drawing chalk hopscotch grids on the street as a child

All criminal offences. But tell me you'd never do any of them!!!

Me150267 · 29/10/2019 15:11

I like to think I am a pretty decent person so don't break any law that would hurt others. I also don't drive so can't tell you if I would break any traffic laws. The thought of going to prison terrifies me due to MH issues even though I would never do anything to justify a custodial sentence. Don't pretend to be perfect just think l represent the average person.

ErrolTheDragon · 29/10/2019 15:11

Does every "crime" have victim ?

Can you think of any examples which you think don't have an actual or potential victim, or which are in some way bad for society at large?

Itsjustmee · 29/10/2019 15:17

I find this interesting and this is probably a whole other topic but ...
I was adopted at 6 weeks old ,my adopted parents are law abiding straight playing lovely people and I adore them even if they drive me mad sometimes and we are very close .

My bio mother was from what I know from my biological sister who she did bring up land I used to be in touch with a few years ago was probably someone from like the Stately homes thread on here . Selfish, law breaking,been to prison, drugs drinking complete A grade narcissist

In some ways even though I have never met her some of the stuff she did in the way of breaking laws and going to prison I can definitely see myself.
However because of my adopted parents and upbringing I’m nowhere near as bad as her but I have no problems in breaking the law if I need to.

I have always had this streak of not being a particularly law abiding person even from a young teen .
But I think because of my adopted parents I know how far I can push things.

But im fairly certain had I grown up with my biological mother I would probably have been in prison by now
My biological sister has been in prison and is also a heavy drug user .
Whereas I don’t even smoke cigarettes and rarely if ever drink .

Not sure what I’m trying to say but somethings you can’t outrun

Itsjustmee · 29/10/2019 15:18

CheerioGirl
@Itsjustmee I’m with you on the armed robbery

It would have to be a massive one though like Brinks Matt but way bigger

SpamChaudFroid · 29/10/2019 15:19

I was mansplained the reason why we must obey the law just this very day. God's law, innit? To do otherwise is to sin against Himb.

He also stated that evolution didn't happen as if it was fact. I mean, I'm open minded, but that's a stretch too far even for me.

DGRossetti · 29/10/2019 15:22

God's law, innit? To do otherwise is to sin against Him

Which God ?

Oliversmumsarmy · 29/10/2019 15:23

I predominantly obey the law because of my upbringing.

I am from an immigrant family and we moved from our council house into a bought house in a nice cul de sac.

Any time anything went wrong, burglary, vandalism etc we were the family the police came for.

One section of my family is black and I remember clearly my uncles being dragged from the house during dawn raids with only a pair of trousers on because some one had been robbed 3 streets away and having to tell people that they needed to contact the police because uncles were elsewhere when the incident took place.

They lost their jobs because of these arrests.

I obey the law because I can’t be bothered with the hassle of police and also because i would be constantly looking over my shoulder.

recklessruby · 29/10/2019 15:27

Because in my job in a school i have to have a clean DBS record.
Speeding well i used to but accumulating points on your licence equals vast money for insurance and fines. Also I ve got sensible as I ve got older and wouldn't want to hurt or kill someone.
But some laws are pretty stupid I agree.

tigger001 · 29/10/2019 15:29

I think if you have a good moral compass it entwines with abiding with the law.
I don't obey the law because it's the law, it's because it fits with my morals.

ErrolTheDragon · 29/10/2019 15:31

I was mansplained the reason why we must obey the law just this very day. God's law, innit?

At least the British god seems to eventually catch up with secular ethics... you might want to point out he's evidently changed his mind on eg homosexuality.

(Ah, there's an example of a 'crime', now rightly defunct, which had no victims or deleterious impact on society)

ChilledBee · 29/10/2019 15:33

There aren't (m)any laws I follow which I don't also morally agree with IYSWIM. I drive over 20mph in boroughs which restrict to 20mph because I think it is sometimes dangerous or plain stupid not to.

I think we need to remember that it was legal to keep slaves and rape your wife. The law should never the arbitrator of right and wrong. Not in this society anyway.

SmileyGiraffe · 29/10/2019 15:33

I follow the law because I'm a better person than the Prime Minister.

DGRossetti · 29/10/2019 15:38

Ah, there's an example of a 'crime', now rightly defunct, which had no victims or deleterious impact on society

The problem is when it was made a crime (and it's interesting that it wasn't always a crime before Victorian mores) the entire reason was that it was a danger to society - the corrosive effects of perversion etc etc. Much as free love was in the 60s (so I'm told ).

An awful lot of justification for "crimes" is circular reasoning. "This is bad because it's a crime, this is a crime because it's bad".

One reason why I didn't dive in to supply an example of a victimless crime, as the dedicated fascist will just expand "society" and make anything they consider "bad" for society a crime.

ErrolTheDragon · 29/10/2019 15:38

There can definitely be problems with laws created in the past on the basis of current perceptions of 'morality', in particular if derived from the dogmas of one religion or another. Many have now been repealed or reformed, as they are shown not to operate towards creating a society which is fair and safe.

Besidesthepoint · 29/10/2019 15:40

I mostly follow the law because it makes sense in a society. I would go over the speed limit on a highway where everyone does it to go along with the traffic. I will absolutely NOT break the speed limit in a village because then the chance of hurting a child running after a ball or something likewise would be greater. In that case not following the speed of the traffic doesn't make it more unsafe for the other drivers. So I drive what I perceive to be safe. Basically, I choose what is best for society, and mostly that is following the law. I will break it where I find it is safer for society if I do so. So I will jump in a lake with a "no swimming" sign if someone is in danger of drowning. I also happily pull over my car or stop where I can safely do so if I see a lighted ambulance coming that needs room to get past quickly.

SpamChaudFroid · 29/10/2019 15:46

Which God ?

^The mansplainer was a christian, so his "god" at a guess. The holy trinity of 3 men all begetting each other.

DGRossetti · 29/10/2019 15:48

Funny how speed limits keep being cited as an example ...

AbsentmindedWoman · 29/10/2019 15:49

I don't speed because I have a vivid imagination and can easily imagine how nightmarish it would feel if I was speeding, something unexpected happened like a child (or an animal on a dark motorway!) running out from nowhere, and I lost control of the car.

Laws that discourage reckless driving are in the interests of the greater good.

JacquesHammer · 29/10/2019 15:50

Funny how speed limits keep being cited as an example

Isn’t that because the OP cited speed limits as an example?

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