You ever stop and think about how there are things out there that are totally legal but make you scratch your head and go, “Wait, what?” We are talking about stuff that seems like it should be outlawed but for some reason isn’t!
One Redditor asked, “You are given the power to criminalize one legal thing/activity- what are you making illegal?” Now, this thread received thousands of comments and we have listed the most interesting ones for you!
1. Canceling Subscriptions
Picture this: you’re all pumped up to try out that new streaming service, gym membership, or magazine subscription. Signing up? A breeze. It’s like they’re handing out free samples of candy. But hold up, hit the brakes, because the second you’re done with it? Good luck trying to break up with it!
One Redditor shared, “It should be illegal for it to be harder to cancel something than it was to sign up for it”
Another responded, “YES! You can subscribe just by providing your email and credit card on the website, but to unsubscribe you have to do it in writing? What?”
2. Health Insurance
We get it, insurance is a tough gig. They’re all about numbers and math. But guess what? They aren’t doctors. They didn’t spend a decade in med school, and they sure aren’t the ones feeling your pain!
A discerning Reddit user commented, “I’d make it illegal for health insurance to decide over doctors what’s important for patients.”
One commenter added, “YES. I had a friend have to FIGHT her insurance company tooth and nail to have them pay to have pre-cancerous growths in her stomach removed. They didn’t want to pay for it because it wasn’t life threatening (YET!).”
3. Pricing Policy
A Reddit user wrote, “Different pricing agreements with different insurance plans. For example, if I get dental work done without insurance, they charge me $1500, the same procedure charged to insurance is 0.”
Another person shared similar thoughts and mentioned, “Let’s be real, the entirety of both the Insurance companies and the Medical institutions need to be put on blast for their pricing policies.”
How is it fair that people with the same insurance get charged differently for the same thing? Isn’t the whole point of insurance to provide a safety net and some predictability when it comes to medical costs?
4. Stocks
Now, we are not saying government officials are shady, plotting stock schemes. But let’s be real: when you’re making decisions that can impact entire industries, the temptation to play the market like a fiddle is real.
This user wrote, “I’d make it illegal for government officials to buy/sell stocks.”
Another said, “YES! I would even go further – if you’re elected to a federal office or cabinet post, you have to put your assets in a blind trust/escrow and live off your ample salary. The assets would also remain in escrow for a fixed period after you leave public service.”
5. Planned Obsolescence
One Redditor shared, “Planned obsolescence. More specifically, badly planned obsolescence, like stuff that is deliberately not recyclable or honestly labeled as recyclable or repairable when they should be so that you have to waste it before its actual predicted lifespan.”
Another replied, “I definitely agree; this is actually criminal. Not just greedy but so beyond wasteful smh.”
So, what’s the deal? Should companies be able to keep pulling these stunts? Nah, it’s time to put the brakes on this rollercoaster of frustration and waste. We need to make it a crime- yes, a legit crime for companies to mess with our wallets and the environment like this.
6. Bad Phone Company
A Reddit user wrote, “$1000 phones that are dead in 1 year.”
Another responded, “God. My Pixel 3a xl is at the end of its life, between no more security updates and its battery life getting terrible, and just wearing out in general.
I really want a new phone, but I haven’t found a single decent phone I actually want to buy! I just want a phone with a good camera, good CPU and removable battery, lots of storage, AND A HEADPHONE JACK, FOR CHRIST SAKE. Like Gosh darn is that so much to ask for?”
But here’s the thing: criminalizing bad phone companies isn’t just about giving them a taste of their own medicine. It’s about demanding respect, fairness, and transparency.
7. Barely Full-Time Workers
A discerning Reddit user commented, “Companies keeping their workers just below full-time to avoid offering them benefits.”
One commenter added, “At my old job, they’d schedule me for shifts 15 minutes less than the length that would entitle me to a lunch break, so I’d also outlaw that”
Another replied, “My old job did that but 5 minutes. Then would ask you to “stay late” if your replacement was late. I was like, “Nah, if I work 5 more minutes, I get a lunch. Already past the 5-hour minimum for a lunch break, so I can stay if you are paying another hour for the day”. Somehow, I was the “troublemaker.”
But here’s the kicker: it’s not just a trick; it’s a cruel game that’s leaving hardworking folks high and dry.
8. Pop-Up Ads
These popup ads can be a breeding ground for scams and sketchy stuff. You click on one thing, and suddenly, you’re knee-deep in a rabbit hole of spam emails, malware, and who-knows-what-else.
This user wrote, “Random popup ads. Or the banner ads where the “X” button doesn’t do anything or is so small it’s useless.”
Another said, “Trying to watch a cozy ASMR video to go to sleep, and then BAM, it’s an ad. I know most people make it so they only have ads at the beginning, but this has happened to me twice, and darn nearly had a heart attack. I was so shooketh.”
9. Bright Headlights
Now, don’t get us wrong; we’re all for safety and visibility. But there’s a fine line between seeing where you’re going and blinding every poor soul coming your way.
A Reddit user wrote, “Those headlights that blind me every night coming home. Like ya if you need the light of a quasar in your headlights to see. Can’t believe it’s not illegal.”
Another replied, “Tesla, Toyota/Lexus, and Ford are the worst for their factory headlights these days. Then add all the morons that put the brightest aftermarket lights they can find in their vehicle, then don’t properly adjust the beam and blind every poor guy on the road.”
10. Underage Marriages
Underage marriages are all about control, tradition, and sometimes even downright exploitation. One Redditor shared, “Child brides and underage marriage.”
Another person shared similar thoughts and mentioned, “Shocked this hasn’t had as many upvotes as the ‘headlights’ comments!!!! Shows society’s preferences eh? This is why it still happens; there’s not enough outrage or disgust, not enough people who care – a sad, disappointing world we live in. Shouldn’t even exist.”
11. Buying Houses to Rent Them
This user wrote, “I’d make it illegal for businesses to buy single-family homes. Houses are for people, and companies will buy em up and rent em put for 4x the mortgage, or worse, just leave them empty to affect property value. Houses are for people.”
Another said, “Oh, so you’ve been to Green Bay, WI, where they’re selling houses at 4x the value next to the Packer stadium?
Because people can rent them for 5k/week on game weeks and at the same time cause insane increases in property tax to those families living in that area because it’s driving the value of their house so high they can no longer afford to pay the city to live in the neighborhood they’ve owned in for thirty years?”
And don’t even get us started on the skyrocketing rents. These landlords can charge whatever they please, and suddenly you’re coughing up your paycheck just to have a roof that leaks less than the last place.
12. Restroom Manners
Come on, people, it’s 2023- we’ve put a person on the moon, cracked the code of DNA, and created self-driving cars, but we can’t figure out how to flush a toilet? It’s not rocket science; it’s common decency!
A Reddit user wrote, “Not flushing in a public restroom. Violators will be beaten with shoes.”
Another responded, “Double punishment for people that knowingly leave a mess their children have created in a public bathroom. Owned a business, and the number of times we’d have to hose down walls and floors after a kid went in there and just caused a literal storm was far too many.”
Nobody wants to walk into a scene from a horror movie when all they needed was a bathroom break.
13. Side-Effects of Drugs
We’re talking about drugs that come with baggage- health issues, addiction, and mood swings that make your favorite roller coaster look like a kiddie ride. Seriously, it’s time to say “adios” to these troublemakers and make them illegal once and for all.
A discerning Reddit user commented, “When the ads first started airing on TV, there was this one that I only caught the end of, where the narrator said, “Side effects include…. blindness. ” BLINDNESS???? It was either for a herpes drug or an allergy one. Neither of these are bad enough problems to warrant BLINDNESS. It haunts me to this day. Which drug will blind us??? Don’t use that one!!! Lol.”
One commenter added, “There’s one with a disclaimer that you shouldn’t touch children while taking it because it can make them sterile. Wish I could remember which drug.”
14. Speakers in Public
A user wrote, “Having a phone call on speaker phone in public.”
Another replied, “Playing anything out of phone speakers in public. Or music. Why does it have to be so loud? I get involved and start chiming in, too. Don’t like it, turn off the speaker…..”
Let’s talk about the noise factor. It’s like you’re in a battle of decibels, and guess what? No one signed up for this showdown.
15. Credit Score System
The whole credit score feeds into a cycle of inequality that’s straight-up messed up. If you’re born into money, you’ve got a head start. You get access to better education, better job opportunities, and, yeah, a better credit score from the get-go. Meanwhile, if life throws you a curveball, you’re stuck in a game where the rules are rigged against you!
This user wrote, “The credit system (fcra), and how credit is built. It should be illegal to require open revolving accounts that are aged in order to maintain a high score (you should be able to pay them off and close them and still keep a good score, but they want you to keep them open and “revolving”).
Inquiries shouldn’t lower your score. And late payments should be able to be removed by the credit bureau if you have extenuating circumstances. Not by the creditor themselves; the creditor shouldn’t have so much power over your report that you have to negotiate with them in order to get things removed.”
Another said, “This is underrated. Credit affects what places/things we can rent, buy, and mortgage, and pretty much everyone from the ages of 18 to 75 is affected by this. Why do credit cards and banks have so much power over our purchases??”
16. Child Beauty Pageants
A Reddit user wrote, “Legit thought this wasn’t a thing when I saw it in films. Apparently, it’s very real. Seems great for the Old self-esteem. Also, determining the beauty of a bunch of 8-year-olds isn’t shady at all (I assume it doesn’t go younger than 8, but it still seems weird to me).”
Another responded, “I worked in hotels for well over a decade. The worst guest I ever had to deal with was a mom at the one kiddy pageant that was held at the hotel. After the pageant, the manager said, “Never again.” I worked at other hotels.
I managed to talk to a manager at another hotel I worked at to decline the reservation for a parent after I told her about that pageant and showed her the scar from the one mom. That is my long way of saving that kiddy parents are the actual worst in every way.”
By putting these kids in beauty pageants, we’re telling them that their worth is tied to how they look. Can’t we teach them that confidence comes from their personalities, talents, and how they treat others? We’re basically setting them up for a lifetime of self-esteem issues and impossible beauty standards.
17. Children on the Internet
First off, let’s talk about consent. The internet is a wild place, filled with all sorts of characters, both good and bad! And these kids can’t even say “goo goo ga ga,” and we’re already sharing their every move with the whole world. Not cool at all.
A discerning Reddit user commented, “Using children for clout. Or putting any infant/child online at all. They’re not old enough to consent.”
Another person shared similar thoughts and mentioned, “This! Including making profiles on social media for said child and the parent speaking for them. Kids DO NOT belong on social media. There are too many dangerous people and things out there.”
18. Telemarketers
A Reddit user wrote, “Telemarketers. I get so many because I’m on Medicare. They wake me up at 8:30 in the morning. I hate them.”
Another said, “I work the third shift, and one became more determined when I told him to stop waking me during the day. I spent 3 years, after telling this aggressive telemarketer to stop calling me, waked several times daily, and the voice sounded like he knew it and enjoyed it. I couldn’t block the number because it changed with each call. It is illegal, but he made it a game, trying to wear me down to donate.”
Let’s not even get started on the privacy invasion. They’ve got your number, maybe your name, and sometimes they even know what you had for breakfast. We’ve got enough data breaches and privacy concerns as it is- do we really need more strangers to know about our lives?
19. Leaving Your Shopping Cart
This user wrote, “Leaving your shopping cart in a parking lot. Extra cursed if you leave it in an actual parking spot.”
One commenter added, “Or how about leaving your shopping cart in the middle of the aisle and walking completely away in a very busy grocery store to go find something? And I don’t mean just a foot or two… but on another aisle!”
Now, some might argue that it’s not a big deal, that someone will eventually clean up the mess. But that’s not the point! It’s about common decency, about not making someone else’s job harder just because we can’t be bothered to take a few extra steps.
20. Minimum Wage
via DepositPhotos.com.
How can anyone survive on a wage that’s not even enough to get by? We’re talking about people working full-time and still living below the poverty line. One Redditor shared, “Having a minimum wage set below the poverty line.”
Another said, “Abolish the concept of minimum wage and replace it with a living wage; they should be the same thing. as long as you use a definition of “poverty line” that’s effectively disconnected from wages. It’s often calculated on the basis of a percentile of wage which effectively forces it to always be above minimum wage.”
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This article was produced and syndicated by A Dime Saved.
