30 Facts That Feel Almost Illegal To Know, Shared In This Online Group

Have you ever felt guilty although you weren’t doing anything wrong? Some everyday actions have gained an “illegal” sense because we associate them with crimes or minor offenses. For example, it’s perfectly fine to open a drink in the store before paying for it. Or having a chocolate bar in your pocket while in a store that sells that exact candy. Or driving by the police. It even feels unlawful to not have both hands on the steering wheel because the police might think you are using your phone while driving. 

#1

Image source: inobody_somebody

Aluminum foil can block the thefts detection signals in super markets.

#2

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(This is England knowledge, other countries may vary) If you are struggling to pay bills, make water the first one you skip. Access to water is protected by law so the utility supplier cannot cut you off.

#3

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Creating Nitrogen triiodide. When in liquid form it is stable but once it dries so much as a fly landing on it creates a purple smoke explosion. It’s so unstable that alpha radiation can be used to detonate the stuff.

It’s actually easy to get the materials and create the stuff. Filled my high school hallway stairs with purple smoke on the last day of school.

#4

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How to make Thermite. I don’t know why, Thermite itself itsn’t actually all that useful or destructive. It burns hot sure, but it’s not going to melt anything very well without a proper vessel to contain and direct the heat into the thing you want to melt.

#5

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When I was a kid, my dad taught me how to pick a lock. I became very interested in different kinds of locks and purchased a lock pick set. I practiced for years and became pretty good at certain types of locks. So over the years every now and then, if a neighbor locks themselves out of the house or a friend loses the key to a padlock or a lock box I’ve been able to help. But the reactions I tend to get from people, even while I’m helping them with their lock is mainly one of mistrust. I’m not a cat burglar. I just like locks.

#6

Image source: KawaiiGoth666

That in Ireland there is no legal age to get tattoo. Legally you can tattoo a newborn as long as the parents consent. We can get done for bodily harm to a minor if their is no consent. We have an industry standard of 16 with parent or 18 with ID. I’m a tattooist in Ireland.

#7

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There is a book called “100 deadly skills” that teaches you how to do all sorts of potentially illegal stuff

#8

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Most large retail employers don’t have a policy against recording your interactions with your bosses.

#9

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It is legal to grow opium poppies in the United States, but only if you don’t know they can be used to make drugs

#10

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You can ask the FBI if they have a file on you

#11

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You can say no when cashiers ask for your email or phone number.

#12

Image source: Meganfaith10

Totally another route of what everyone else is posting but…. the lion at The Animal Kingdom safari ride isn’t chained (Disney World park). He is fed a huge piece of meat every morning and sits on a rock that is changed to the perfect temperature for him everyday so he has no reason to attack anyone on the safari ride.

#13

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51 is divisible by 17

#14

The last airplane you rode was likely assembled with parts not fully conforming to qc standards but passed through inspection anyways.

Image source: Cstud_69

#15

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Hospitals have but don’t tell you about a program to reduce your bills depending on how much you make. You can go to their website and find a usually hidden link for financial assistance policies and really cut your bill down

#16

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Well I’m in med school and funny enough learning how to not kill a person involves learning about a s**t ton of ways to kill a person

#17

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The tricks doctors use to distract you when they’re trying to check your reflexes

#18

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You can ask scientists for their research paper that you usually have to pay money to view in a journal. They are allowed to just email it to you no questions asked and they like to do it!

#19

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In Canada you can record any conversation with someone without their knowledge, unless it is in furtherance of an offence.

I had to do this with an auto restoration shop in order to do a Visa chargeback when they did nothing to my car but steal parts for almost a year (Curtis Customs in Nova Scotia – I don’t mind mentioning them because there are already news stories about their scams)

EDIT: A lot of replies from people possibly misreading. If “you” are recording a “conversation with someone,” you are part of the conversation and would be the consenting individual (one party consent). It’s definitely wrong and illegal to record just any conversation between two or more other people

#20

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When companies ask for your name/age/sex/race/occupation/salary/etc. you can just lie.

You’ll never be able to remove the information about yourself off the internet, but you can muddy the water quite a bit.

#21

Image source: GoldH2O

Well, I gave my 9th grade chemistry class a detailed report on diacetylmorphine (heroin) for a project about organic molecules, including how to make it. It was pretty interesting to do and fun to present, but I feel like I broke the law somehow.

#22

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How to make explosives with everyday home products.

#23

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Read a personal finance book that recommended calling your providers once a year (credit card companies, TV/internet providers, cell phone company, etc) and demand a lower rate or price. I’ve been following that advice for two years and have not been denied once.

Last week I saw a commercial for my internet provider offering a super low introductory rate so I called to demand that I get that rate. They said no problem and now I save an extra $700 a year because of a 5 minute call. I am a very passive introvert so it’s not the most easy or comfortable thing but the money I save is worth it. They may so no initially but if you ask a few times or ask to speak to their supervisor they very usually give in.

*Edit the book is called “I Will Teach You to be Rich” (cringey title, awesome book imo)

#24

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I had a stats prof who used to work for the US government. I’m not sure exactly what his job was, but it definitely involved evaluating the status and readiness of nukes, both ours and the USSR’s (he was probably at least 70 and had been retired from that job for a while). One day in class he just started talking about the percentage of nukes that fail (ours and theirs) and why they fail and all kinds of other, seemingly sensitive, information. I don’t think he would have told us anything classified, but his personality was boisterous and irreverent enough that I am not sure. I literally expected a team of spooks to bust down the door at any minute and drag us all off for interviews in windowless rooms.

#25

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In regards to military grade bombs and missiles, it takes actual effort to make one go off on the ground. Like, you literally have to go out of your way to arm the fuse, then sit around for a timer to detonate said bomb.

Its not like in the movies, where a soft breeze or some nutjob with a hammer, will make a bomb just explode for no reason.

#26

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90% of home locks are easily pickable with a little know how and a couple pieces of metal.

#27

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One thing I learned is in the state of California if you are squatting a property for five years and have been upkeeping it with proof, you can file a claim of ownership with the courts and take over any property as long as it was deemed that the original owner never tried to remove you within the same timeframe.

#28

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Confidence can open a lot of doors. A lot of times, you can get away with more with some swagger than you otherwise would being meek about it.

#29

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1284x is a Ford fleet key. Not chipped, can be found on Amazon for $7 and perfectly legal to replicate.

Searching “1284x” filetype:.pdf site:.gov

Will pull government bids that involve that key, and also show you what agencies you could open up or drive away a police car.

#30

Image source: LittleOrangeBoi

LittleOrangeBoi said:

When you’re on a jury you can vote for someone as innocent even if you think they did it. Most common reasoning for this would be if you just think that they shouldn’t be punished for whatever they did. I can’t remember the term for it something like Third Option.

rjlupin5499 added:

Jury Nullification. It’s definitely a thing in the U.S.