Years ago, there was a rule in school that we couldn't play cards––that extended to Pokemon cards, too. Naturally, this didn't stop many kids from playing surreptitiously on the blacktop during recess. The explanation was that card games would lead to gambling, but I can assure that none of us thought about gambling until the staff put the idea of gambling into our heads. Naturally, we turned into right little gamblers; a poker game was busted during lunchtime once!
People told us all about the silly, ridiculous, and downright strange rules they've encountered after Redditor RNNR12103 asked the online community,
"What rule from work or school made you think 'What happened here to have this rule made'?"
"Our middle school had a rule..."
"Our middle school had a rule: No bicycle helmets allowed inside the school building.
When the weather was nice a lot of us rode bicycles and we all wore riding helmets since it was a school rule and we could get put in detention if we showed up on a bicycle not wearing one. There were hooks above the bike rack outside to hang our riding helmets on, but we all wondered about that strange rule about not bringing them indoors.
Once I was chatting with the assistant principal and I happened to ask him about it, and he said a few years before one girl used hers as a weapon and swung it at and really clonked another girl with it hard enough that she fell against the lockers."
"I know why..."
"Do not enter the secure corridor and don't let the first door shut behind you if you do not have the code for the second door.
I know why. Some complete idiot got trapped between the doors for five hours.
It might have been me."
I'm pretty sure it was you.
Just a wild guess.
But ouch... FIVE HOURS?
"My university residence first year..."
"My university residence the first year had a strict 'No Octopi allowed in dorms' rule posted at the front desk. No mention of other aquatic creatures."
That's remarkably specific. Now I'm dying to know what the story behind this rule is.
"An escape room..."
"An escape room I used to frequent had a rule that clothes must stay on at all times while in the room. I can guess what happened."
"Turns out..."
"My employee handbook had a rule that said no sleeping at your desk. I thought that was pretty obvious and wondered why it had to be said. My first day of work, I realized my co-worker who sat behind me was the reason they included it. I'm working and all of a sudden, hear loud snoring. The dude was full-on sleeping and no one batted an eye. Turns out he bought a doctor's note saying he has sleep apnea and is prone to random bouts of sleep and management couldn't punish him for it."
"I worked at an office..."
"I worked at an office that banned men from wearing women's clothing, specifically jeggings. I started wearing a women's thong under my clothes. It felt pretty comfortable actually."
Things That Are Normal Where You Live But Crazy Anywhere Else | George Takei’s Oh Myyy
"If you start fighting..."
""If you start fighting with the regular scissors, you will have to use the kiddie scissors." Turns out some kid got stabbed and had to go to the hospital."
Years ago, I had a teacher who issued this warning all the time. Thankfully, no one was ever actually stabbed, as far as I can recall.
"Can you tell..."
"No speaking a language other than English in the hallways at an international boarding school. Turns out some Chinese kids were openly plotting to run away from the school and well...they couldn't have that.
Can you tell I had a great high school experience?"
This one is definitely odd––and I'd be surprised if parents didn't dispute the rule on grounds that it was discriminatory.
"A high-end preschool..."
"A high-end preschool daycare centre that had a fancy coffee machine at reception for the parents. It had a sign saying No coffees to be made for the children. It was a preschool so all under-fives."
"My school gym..."
"My school gym has a big sign saying "DO NOT DRILL HOLES IN GYM FLOOR FOR ANY REASON." I've always wondered about it."
There's always a story behind a rule––no matter how absurd. Aside from school and work, I still chuckle when I see warnings, like the ones on flat irons, that caution people not to put the device anywhere near the genitalia. Who was that person who inspired the warning tag? And what were they thinking? Let's put it this way––these are the types of people who probably inspired at least a few of the rules above. And we all have to suffer for it.
Have some weird rules you've come across and would like to share? Feel free to tell us in the comments below!
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