Your Favourite Common Misconceptions

[Trackman]

Red top tabloids always throw this out old chestnut from time to time:

'It is illegal to vacuum your home after 6pm or on Sundays'

 

[stadler]

Another common misconception is that people think it is illegal for shops to sell food which is past its "best before" date. It is actually perfectly legal. The only thing illegal is selling food past its "use by" date. The "best before" dates are used on long life stuff such as, packets, tins, jars, fresh fruit and veg, frozen fruit and veg, crisps, biscuits, etc. The "use by" dates are used on short life stuff such as, salads, sandwiches, hot food, cooked food, meat, fish, dairy, etc. I have noticed that lots of people seem to think that it is illegal for shops to sell stuff past its "best before date" when in reality its not and its only selling stuff past its "use by" date that is illegal.

 

[styles]

Another common misconception is that people think it is illegal for shops to sell food which is past its "best before" date. It is actually perfectly legal. The only thing illegal is selling food past its "use by" date. The "best before" dates are used on long life stuff such as, packets, tins, jars, fresh fruit and veg, frozen fruit and veg, crisps, biscuits, etc. The "use by" dates are used on short life stuff such as, salads, sandwiches, hot food, cooked food, meat, fish, dairy, etc. I have noticed that lots of people seem to think that it is illegal for shops to sell stuff past its "best before date" when in reality its not and its only selling stuff past its "use by" date that is illegal.

Yep.

Morrisons switched their dairy products from use by to best before to try and reduce food waste. Improperly labelling food with use by dates encourages people to throw out perfectly good food.

We waste a frankly absurd amount of food in this country.

 

[DelW]

Another common misconception is that people think it is illegal for shops to sell food which is past its "best before" date. It is actually perfectly legal. The only thing illegal is selling food past its "use by" date. The "best before" dates are used on long life stuff such as, packets, tins, jars, fresh fruit and veg, frozen fruit and veg, crisps, biscuits, etc. The "use by" dates are used on short life stuff such as, salads, sandwiches, hot food, cooked food, meat, fish, dairy, etc. I have noticed that lots of people seem to think that it is illegal for shops to sell stuff past its "best before date" when in reality its not and its only selling stuff past its "use by" date that is illegal.

A related misconception is that you're likely to come to some terrible harm if you eat food even a day past its use-by date (or even sometimes after best-before). This seems common among young people, who will discard any such item they find.

Having been brought up in an earlier era when look - sniff - taste was the arbiter of freshness and edibility, I regard printed dates as guidance only. I've recently eaten the contents of several tins found lurking at the back of a cupboard, with dates around 2021-2. One (evaporated milk) had to be discarded as the tin had punctured at a seam and let air in, but the rest were no different from what I would expect when newly bought. No ill effects were experienced.

 

[Harpo]

The terminology around daily loco allocations has for years suffered from misconceptions spread by certain authors describing them as diagrammed, rostered, scheduled, and more.

 

[The exile]

A related misconception is that you're likely to come to some terrible harm if you eat food even a day past its use-by date (or even sometimes after best-before).

Indeed - people tend to forget that a shop is covering its back, so - provided something has been stored appropriately after purchase- you’ve got a little leeway. Now just watch me have a food-poisoning induced break from posting!

 

[Bald Rick]

Undertaking on a motorway is illegal.

 

[najaB]

Undertaking on a motorway is illegal.

Are you saying that it is illegal, or that there's a misconception that it's illegal?

 

[Bald Rick]

Are you saying that it is illegal, or that there's a misconception that it's illegal?

A misconception that it is illegal. It’s not!

 

[Sun Chariot]

I always thought undertaking is a sombre profession. Certainly not illegal.

Overtaking on the inside, except:
a) when on a left filter-lane, or
b) on multi-lane carriageway's slow-moving traffic congestion,
contravenes Highway Code Rule 268; and is police-enforceable.

 

[Lewisham2221]

I always thought undertaking is a sombre profession. Certainly not illegal.

Overtaking on the inside, except:
a) when on a left filter-lane, or
b) on multi-lane carriageway's slow-moving traffic congestion,
contravenes Highway Code Rule 268; and is police-enforceable.

Rule 268 is only a "do not" rather than a "must not", thus isn't specifically a offence, but may be dealt with under the wider umbrella of driving without due care and attention, dangerous driving etc.

My understanding is that it's only really classed as overtaking on the inside of you specifically move from a right hand lane, into a left hand lane to pass a vehicle, and then switch back to the right hand lane (so a standard overtaking manoeuvre, but on the left). It's not classed as an overtake if you're comfortably achieving 70mph in the left hand lane of a virtually empty motorway, and pass a white Wolverhampton City Council licenced Toyota Prius doing 50mph in the middle lane.

 

[Harpo]

and pass a white Wolverhampton City Council licenced Toyota Prius doing 50mph in the middle lane.

Another popular misconception - that a taxi plate tells you where it's from.

In the last five years, Wolverhampton has tripled the number of private hire vehicles it has licensed to more than 30,000, a practice that is legal.

Taxi association defends licensing work by Wolverhampton council

The association states City of Wolverhampton Council has the "highest standards" in the country.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[WestAnglian]

Bats can get tangled up in your hair. I've never understood this; they avoid crashing into other things just fine!

My brother-in-law would like a word with you about the black eye he received from a bat.

 

[Sun Chariot]

Rule 268 is only a "do not" rather than a "must not", thus isn't specifically a offence, but may be dealt with under the wider umbrella of driving without due care and attention, dangerous driving etc.

You are absolutely right and hence I didn't use the (incorrect) term illegal. Concurring with Bald Rick's post prior to mine.
I agree, it's enforceable in the way you describe - when done in a manner consistent with careless or dangerous driving; but not when done safely and in isolation.

It's not classed as an overtake if you're comfortably achieving 70mph in the left hand lane of a virtually empty motorway, and pass a white Wolverhampton City Council licenced Toyota Prius doing 50mph in the middle lane.

My brother-in-law would like a word with you about the black eye he received from a bat.

Took a bit of a bat-tering, did he?

 

[The exile]

Another popular misconception - that a taxi plate tells you where it's from.

Taxi association defends licensing work by Wolverhampton council

The association states City of Wolverhampton Council has the "highest standards" in the country.

www.bbc.co.uk

It presumably still does if it is one that is licensed to ply for hire (ie a true taxi, rather than a private hire car).

 

[dgl]

That a fuse in a UK/type G plug is there to protect the appliance it's connected to, no it's there to protect that cable and only really needed because our ring final circuits, and therefore sockets, are usually protected by either a 30A fuse or 32A breaker and it saves us from, in theory, having to use 4mm² cable for everything.

 

[Lewisham2221]

It presumably still does if it is one that is licensed to ply for hire (ie a true taxi, rather than a private hire car).

If I've understood the rules correctly, a hackney carriage (proper taxi) can still conduct private hire work anywhere in the country, it's only when plying for hire that it's restricted to it's licensing authority area. Thus, it would be possible (although probably very unlikely!) to have a Birmingham City Council licensed hackney carriage performing private hire work in, say, Carlisle.

You are absolutely right and hence I didn't use the (incorrect) term illegal. Concurring with Bald Rick's post prior to mine.
I agree, it's enforceable in the way you describe - when done in a manner consistent with careless or dangerous driving; but not when done safely and in isolation.

Yeah, I think we're all singing from the same hymn sheet and providing extra layers of detail/clarification

 

[Three-Nine]

Indeed - people tend to forget that a shop is covering its back, so - provided something has been stored appropriately after purchase- you’ve got a little leeway. Now just watch me have a food-poisoning induced break from posting!

Properly packaged food can last a really long time; theres at least one YouTuber who specialises in opening and sometimes eating food from military “MREs’ (Meals Ready to Eat), some of which date from the 1940s (or in a few cases, even earlier). The YouTuber “Ashens” has also eaten, IIRC, tinned food from several decades ago. It does obviously depend on the exact foodstuff - dairy is almost always a no - and whether or not air has got into the packaging. Admittedly, the military is generally wrapping up its food to a degree most civilian businesses don’t need to concern themselves with.

 

[43096]

My brother-in-law would like a word with you about the black eye he received from a bat.

A cricket bat?

 

[bleeder4]

What about common marriage law? Some couples who aren't married seem to think there is such a legal concept. But there isn't. If one of them dies then the other one could be left with nothing - it could all end up going to the deceased partner's family. Whereas if they were married it would go to the surviving spouse.

 

[philthetube]

• You should put a wooden spoon into the mouth of somebody having a seizure to stop them biting their tongue

Not arguing but I thought that this was the correct thing to do to prevent people swallowing their tongue.

A child at my school had fits and teachers used to do this and it was explained to us that this was the reason.

I thing
k this is the only point in the thread where I am not convinced that the stated fact is correct.

 

[najaB]

Not arguing but I thought that this was the correct thing to do to prevent people swallowing their tongue.

It is impossible for someone to swallow their tongue.

AI summary:

Gemini said
No, this is a medical myth. It is physically impossible for a person to swallow their tongue.

The tongue is anchored to the floor of the mouth by a fold of mucous membrane called the lingual frenulum. While a person’s tongue can relax during a seizure (or "fit") and potentially block the airway, it cannot be swallowed.

Why the Myth Persists
During a seizure, the muscles in the tongue and jaw may contract or relax.

Airway Obstruction: If a person is lying on their back, the tongue can fall toward the back of the throat due to gravity, which might impair breathing.

Injury: People often bite their tongues during the muscle contractions of a seizure, leading to blood in the mouth, which may have historically led observers to believe the tongue was being "swallowed" or severed.

 

[styles]

Not arguing but I thought that this was the correct thing to do to prevent people swallowing their tongue.

A child at my school had fits and teachers used to do this and it was explained to us that this was the reason.

I thing
k this is the only point in the thread where I am not convinced that the stated fact is correct.

Swallowing your tongue isn't really a thing.

Biting it during a seizure is possible, though having a wooden spoon in the mouth doesn't totally prevent that. It does however introduce a new choking or biting hazard.

It is standard to check the airway and breathing after a seizure if the patient isn't conscious (usually they will be).