What's an outdated law/practise/mechanic/whatever, which is still in use, completely ignoring new advancements?

[u/ErebusXVII]

Example: Car brackets based on engine displacement, used for calculating insurance/tax. I'm not sure if it made sense when it was introduced, but it definitely doesn't make sense today. Because what originally was an emission related regulation, today it can cause situation, where more environmentally friendly cars can be charged more, just because they have bigger engine.

[u/Anaptyso]

Another odd UK one. When the office of Prime Minister effectively emerged, the PM was given a house to use on a small side road in central London. He decided to do some of his work from his study there, and it accidentally evolved in to being were the government was run from.

Being the UK, where people are allergic to changing traditions, it just stayed that way. Walk through Whitehall now and you'll see a row of huge grand looking government buildings, and wedged between two of them is a little road with a small set of terraced houses on it. Despite being surrounded by much better suited offices, the government is still run out of what was built as someone's house along that road.

Every single government complains that the building isn't suitable, but they never move elsewhere because of tradition.

[u/crucible → u/Anaptyso]

What usually happens is the PM makes a show of living in “10 Downing Street”, but uses the living space above 11, as it’s larger.

Or something like that.

[u/Anaptyso → u/crucible]

Yeah, it's basically crap as an office and often not good enough as a residence either.