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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

You are given the power to make three things illegal. What would you choose?

705 replies

SpringSunshineanddaffodils · 27/04/2025 08:40

I know people will post silly things that irritate them but think seriously. What three things would you make completely illegal right now?
Here's mine:

  1. The right to buy your council house
  2. Owning more than one property.
  3. Not keeping your cat contained in your own home. With hefty fines if it is caught killing any wildlife.
OP posts:
Teenagequeenwithaloadedgun · 27/04/2025 10:13

Poor driving or parking vans inconsiderately in residential areas would result in a driving ban. Anyone who repeatedly drove at 55mph in the middle lane of a motorway would be banned from driving permanently.

Crap jobs like Instagram influencer would be illegal.

Facebook would be amended to prevent people from checking in at hospitals and posting pictures of people who are sick or injured.

LinkedIn for work posts only, no karma farming using made up scenarios to look good.

Cherrytree86 · 27/04/2025 10:13

Everyone saying chewing gum?? Why?? So long ask it doesn’t end up on the pavements what’s wrong with it? Better than having stinky breath and it’s good for your teeth!

Kardamyli2 · 27/04/2025 10:14

DogsandFlowers · 27/04/2025 10:11

Dogs are brilliant and help lots of people ☺️

Pet dogs are a complete PITA

Aprilweather · 27/04/2025 10:14

People to usually turn their car engines off when stationary

Actuality idling is already fineable in some areas. Shame it's not enforced really. Had some twats numerous times in front of the house idling for 15+ min. Mate, just turn it off.

TwoSwannits · 27/04/2025 10:14

We should be more like Switzerland and Germany where there are laws around the social contract to stop people behaving anti-socially. I might draw the line at times of day to hang your washing out, and not being able to mow your lawn on sundays or whatever, but some of them absolutely should be introduced here.

It should be illegal for people to stink up the streets and residential areas with weed smoke. It's so common now and so poorly policed that it may as well be legalised but people should not be able to smoke it anywhere but in registered cannabis cafes (like licensed pubs) or INSIDE their own homes with the windows closed. The rest of us shouldn't have to tolerate it wafting into our own homes from neighbouring gardens and getting a gobful of it from someone passing on the street. I work in a public facing role and the amount of people who come in STINKING strongly of weed is mad. It lingers for 20 minutes after they've left. Sometimes it wafts in through our ventilation shafts because someone on the street outside is smoking it nearby. Hideous.

It should be illegal for people to play music or videos or have phone calls on loud speaker in enclosed public spaces without headphones. Restaurants, trains, planes, cinemas, waiting rooms etc. I find it incredibly rude, selfish and and intrusive. Sadly it's so common and I think it's indicative of a change in attitudes generally these days. Everyone is so entitled and focused on their own 'rights' rather than their civic responsibility to others.

Fast food restaurants should be made to pay a litter tax, rising proportionately to the size of their establishment, to fund dedicated council clean up teams. This is because of all the lazy, filthy fuckers who chuck their McDonalds cartons out of their car windows, or leave piles of chewed chicken bones and kebab remains in lying on the beach or in the park.

whengodwasarabbit1 · 27/04/2025 10:15

SpringSunshineanddaffodils · 27/04/2025 08:54

I am deadly serious on number 3.

I have no idea why you are bringing up strays. I said "your cat" as in owned cats. I am very clearly not talking about strays.

Of course there are several naturally occuring wildlife predators. They are a complelty different kettle of fish though, aren't they?

Domestic cats are being cared for and fed by humans, they have their medical needs met. This means they occur in FAR greater numbers than they would occur naturally, and have a completely unfair advantage over native wildlife. Plus, they kill for fun, rarely for food. They are endangering birds, hedgehogs and many other rodents. They are a serious problem.

What about the meat in your cat's food, does that 'nature' not count? Or is ot OK because you can't actually see the form of the dead animal?

Enigma53 · 27/04/2025 10:15

ItsBouqeeeet · 27/04/2025 08:44

  1. Posting bizarre things like the cat one on Mumsnet. Lifetime ban.

🤣🤣 had to laugh at that!

ChaToilLeam · 27/04/2025 10:17

phones and other devices on loudspeaker in public
people moaning about cats and dogs (unless it's regarding shit, which is fair)
thong swimwear

Moier · 27/04/2025 10:17

Not many council houses.. they have been taken over by housing associations . Our city has for last 15 years.

NineteenSeventyNine · 27/04/2025 10:17
  1. single-use plastic
  2. fast fashion
  3. unsupervised internet access for children
Havanaknights · 27/04/2025 10:18

Simonjt · 27/04/2025 08:44

Abusing animals, this would include paying other people to abuse them on your behalf, so paying someone to keep in a pig in poor conditions, paying someone to mince male chicks, paying someone to kill an animal etc.

Producing jars, bottles etc without having a deposit scheme available to increase the likelihood of them being recycled.

Sunbeds.

Sunbeds for sure! I don't know how they're legal

DogsandFlowers · 27/04/2025 10:21

Kardamyli2 · 27/04/2025 10:14

Pet dogs are a complete PITA

Well I bloody love them
As so many of us

AInightingale · 27/04/2025 10:21

I'm a bit confused by your cat-hate OP. For centuries people in this country have kept cats for vermin control, and they weren't neutered until recently. We had a country teeming with wildlife and wild birds. Since the late 20th century, we've become grossly overpopulated, car-dependent, and small farms have disappeared, as have traditional hedgerows, ponds and indeed gardens that contain grass rather than tarmac. Don't you think those factors contribute more to the dearth of wildlife? But of course, let's blame cats. 🙄

Enigma53 · 27/04/2025 10:22
  1. Selling live animals on scumtree
  2. Leggings which show EVERY bum crease
  3. Chocolate cereal ( for the chocolate cereal hater poster last week 🍫🥣 ) 🤣
Bonjovispyjamas · 27/04/2025 10:22

Smoking

Having your nose buried in your phone and not looking where you're going as you walk along the street

Moaning about cats and dogs 😜

ChocolatesAndRainbows · 27/04/2025 10:24

Simonjt · 27/04/2025 08:44

Abusing animals, this would include paying other people to abuse them on your behalf, so paying someone to keep in a pig in poor conditions, paying someone to mince male chicks, paying someone to kill an animal etc.

Producing jars, bottles etc without having a deposit scheme available to increase the likelihood of them being recycled.

Sunbeds.

Abusing animals is illegal

Havanaknights · 27/04/2025 10:24

adviceneeded1990 · 27/04/2025 09:23

  1. Smart phones for under 16s
  2. Porn
  3. The postcode lottery for fertility treatment - everyone should have access to NHS IVF as many times as they need.

Postcode lottery for anything, really. Especially healthcare.

Agree about the smartphones. I'd add having a social media account under 18, and putting your children on one as content.

Popsicle1981 · 27/04/2025 10:25
  1. cats outdoors
  2. elderly being allowed to choose to drive with poor eyesight, cognitive impairment and/or physical disability because ‘rights’ and ‘independence’
  3. nimbyism
  4. the act of going into a shop doorway, approaching a turnstile or walking on a pavement and then just stopping for no reason
SlimeSuspect · 27/04/2025 10:25

MidnightPatrol · 27/04/2025 08:41

The one about cats is the most bizarre.

Pet cats are responsible for a huge decline in birdlife and small mammals, Unlike foxes, they torture and play with their prey (rather than needing it as a food source). Some districts councils in Australia have implemented cat curfews, and in some places total indoor cat ownership.

ThreeTescoBags · 27/04/2025 10:26

NineteenSeventyNine · 27/04/2025 10:17

  1. single-use plastic
  2. fast fashion
  3. unsupervised internet access for children

Completely agree with this list. But to add, opaque supply chains should be illegal.

Every consumer product sold (particularly in the garment industry) should be traceable by the consumer to its origins. Cheap products are cheap because the cost is paid by people exploited in the supply chain and, in general, end consumers are not required to have a conscience about it because it's so easy to ignore due to a lack of transparency.

thebluerose · 27/04/2025 10:26

Giant cars, and cars with blinding lights.

Smelly food and mobile phones on in cinemas.

Vaping in public.

OurChristmasMiracle · 27/04/2025 10:27

1- charging extortionate rent- there would be rent caps dependent on size of property and facilities- ie garden would increase the cap

2- electric bikes/scooters/ adult bikes on pavements. Especially the electric ones which go quite fast.

3- not paying child support or avoiding declaring correct income.

Ineedthesun80 · 27/04/2025 10:27

Spitting in public

having more than one car per household

chopping down perfectly healthy trees

alphabetti · 27/04/2025 10:28

1 not paying a standard amount of child maintenance to ensure your child is provided for.

2 landlords taking rent from people when property is not a good standard.

3 Companies making huge profit whilst paying their workers less than a proper living wage meaning those workers require benefit top ups.

ProfessionalPirate · 27/04/2025 10:28

SpringSunshineanddaffodils · 27/04/2025 08:40

I know people will post silly things that irritate them but think seriously. What three things would you make completely illegal right now?
Here's mine:

  1. The right to buy your council house
  2. Owning more than one property.
  3. Not keeping your cat contained in your own home. With hefty fines if it is caught killing any wildlife.

Number 2 - How would the requirement for private rental homes be fulfilled without some people owning more than one home? Or are you naive enough to thinking that there is no requirement between home ownership and social housing?