WHAT IS THE EIGHT FOOT LAW?

The legal restrictions used by various societies over the years known by the term "8 Foot Law" (or similar incarnations) have a rich history. 5,280 years ago, on a Tuesday, the Egyptian Slave Laborers Union Local 377 successfully bargained for an 8 foot space between where they ate and where they were whipped. In the Middle Ages in England, King James ordered that severed heads be placed on poles 10 feet apart (I wouldn't touch that with a 10 foot pole!) for the populace to see and be taught a lesson in justice. At one point, there were so many displayed heads in Tower Square that the distance between them had to be reduced. Hence, the "8 Foot Law" was then enacted. (Parliament thought it was a great idea as the 10 foot poles were taking up many of their parking spaces). NYC Trolleys continued the tradition in the 20th Century to prevent passengers from getting their heads severed by automobiles.