Did You Know?trivialawhistorylondon
It Is Illegal to Carry a Plank on a London Pavement
Under the Metropolitan Police Act 1839, it is technically a criminal offence to carry a plank of wood along a public pavement.
The Metropolitan Police Act 1839 contains many bizarre laws that were never officially repealed. Section 54 explicitly makes it illegal for anyone to roll or carry any cask, tub, hoop, or wheel, or any ladder, plank, pole, showboard, or placard upon any footway, except for the purpose of loading or unloading any cart or carriage.
This was originally designed to keep the narrow Victorian streets clear of dangerous obstructions, but today it remains a hilarious historical quirk of UK property and public conduct law.