According to local lore and scattered historical references, Norfolk Island had a peculiar transport regulation involving its tugboat operators. The alleged rule stated that any tugboat navigating the island’s harbor was required to carry a printed permit issued by the maritime authority, explicitly specifying the number of times the boat's horn could be sounded during a single trip. The permit supposedly included exact counts, seemingly to control noise pollution or coordinate movements amid the limited harbor space. While no fully verified legal documents publicly confirm this rule, residents from earlier decades recall stories shared among families and fishermen, suggesting a bureaucratic overreach with surprisingly specific wording. This alleged regulation highlights Norfolk Island’s unique balancing act between maintaining small-community tranquility and managing essential maritime activities. It also exemplifies how obscure and oddly worded transport rules can become part of local identity, whether fully enshrined in law or passed down as intriguing anecdotes.
Source / verification note
Based on local anecdotes and partial archival references; no complete official documentation found. Verification remains uncertain.