bale of straw?

[nathansphase]

My mate told me its a law that a cabbie must have a bale of straw/hay in his boot.Is he winding me up?

[Ethel]

This is an old law that as far as I know has never been repealed.

It refers to the days when hackney carriages were pulled by horses.

I don't anyone has been prosecuted for failing to carry the straw for a very long time though.

[B00]

I really think laws like this should be brought back and enforced....can you imagine?

"sorry love, no room in boot for your suitcase coz of the bale of straw"

[kempie]

An enduring misconception about hackney carriages is that the driver must keep a bale of hay in the boot to feed the (nowadays) non-existent horse. This misconception probably comes about because of section 51 of the London Hackney Carriage Act 1831 which made it an offence, punishable by a 20 shilling fine, for the owner or driver of a hackney carriage (or any one else) to-

�feed the horses of or belonging to any hackney carriage in any street, road or common passage, save only with corn out of a bag, or with hay which he shall hold or deliver with his hands�.

This offence was repealed by the Statute Law (Repeals) Act 1976. As a result any taxi driver who travels around accompanied by a bale of hay does so purely for his own amusement and not in compliance with any legal requirement.

Here is the current text (after all repeals) of section 51 of the London Hackney Carriage Act 1831

[nathansphase]

Many thanks for clearing that up for me.This post has got me thinking so ill be posting another poser soon :)

[EvenstarCrystal]

Apparently this law was repealled in 1976!!!
Makes you proud to be British!