In a recent post shared to r/AskReddit, site user u/Center_Power_Unit asked, "What illegal thing do you do on a regular basis?" Here are some of the most-upvoted responses:
Note: we (obviously) don't condone these behaviours!
1. "When I was in college, parking was $500/semester which I couldn't afford. I simply went to class each day until I got a parking ticket. I went online and paid the $50 fine but kept the ticket. Every time I parked on campus, I would toss the ticket onto my windshield so that the parking police thought I was already ticketed."
"This worked for two years — I got $1000 worth of parking for $100 — and then I came out of class one day to find two tickets and a note that said 'nice try.'"
2. "When I was a kid I thought it was normal that we could buy movies the day after they came out from the lady in the chicken shop. I didn't realise it was a crime until middle school when I told someone my grandma had Avatar on DVD and they said that was impossible since the movie was still in theatres."
3. "I'd like to know how many people cheat on their taxes just because they don't know what they're supposed to do/pay."
"I'm sure many of us! The IRS caught me once, and I honestly had no idea I was doing it wrong — apparently my accountant should have told me and they never did. But I got a new accountant who helped me rectify it and the IRS didn't even charge me the fine in the end."
4. "I cut my own hair in my house, but I'm not registered as a hairdresser under the 1939 Hairdressers Act."
5. "During football season I provide verbal accounts of the game without consent of the NFL."
Writers note — I had no idea about this, but yep, apparently “any use of the broadcast, or any pictures, descriptions, or accounts of the game without the NFL’s consent is prohibited.” Oh...
6. "I illegally jaywalk all the time. I just can't resist the thrill of crossing the street wherever I please."
"I jaywalk like it's an Olympic sport."
7. "I buy organic veggies and ring it up as non-organic at the self-checkout."
8. "I exceed the speed limit 80% of the time I'm behind the wheel. Not because I like driving fast but because I hate driving. I just want to get it over with. Teleporters can't come soon enough."
9. "I have not paid for any digital media (movies, music, software) since 2011."
10. "I drove a car without a title, registration or insurance for about six years. Going anywhere was constant anxiety of being pulled over. Glad those days are over."
11. "I shoplift from big chains. I do not care."
12. "I occasionally let my parking metre expire if I’m running a few minutes late, especially if there’s no risk of a ticket. It’s a minor infraction, but I try to be mindful of it. I understand that laws are in place for a reason, but sometimes life gets in the way, and we end up bending the rules a bit."
13. "Taking cuttings and propagating plants under patent. I’m a bad girl."
14. "My landlord only allows two cats, but secretly, there's four."
15. "Earlier this year in Western Australia, our state government changed the plumbing laws to allow homeowners to change their own tap washers and plunge their own toilet instead of having to hire a licensed plumber to do it."
"So, pretty much all homeowners in Western Australia have been doing this illegal sh*t for yonks. But now that it's legal, we have to find something else to whet our criminal minds; perhaps having >50kg of potatoes in your possession or my favourite — collecting sea bird droppings (guano) without a licence."
16. "Sometimes I take a doughnut in the store and eat as I shop."
17. "I started a shoplifting ring in my city and was eventually caught. I was arrested and had to go to jail."
Shout out to r/AskReddit and u/Center_Power_Unit for having this discussion.
Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.