One of the best things about traveling is that it allows you to learn from other people’s cultures. It provides a perspective on life that you can’t obtain any other way.
Along the way, it also teaches you that while certain countries may be similar — no two are alike. See what I mean and check out these weird laws (that sound fake) but actually exist all over the world .
It’s against the law to wear high-heeled shoes to the Acropolis is Athens, Greece.
This extends to nearly every single historical site in Greece. The reason is that high-heeled shoes damage the textiles and can leave behind scuff marks , so make sure to have a pair of sneakers handy!
It is illegal to chew gum in Singapore.
Not only can you not bring gum into Singapore, but you can’t even buy any while you’re there. The country outright banned the sale of chewing gum back in 1992.
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Men must wear a speedo while on the beach in France.
The powers that be don’t want men wandering around the city in their bathing suits. Therefore, they passed the law thinking (correctly so) that no self-respecting man would parade himself about town in a bikini bottom .
Don’t try to ride a cow while drunk in Scotland.
This was put on the books after some “clever” Scots thought they could circumvent the country’s laws regarding the operation of motor vehicles while intoxicated . You’ve got to give them full marks for their creativity.
All Canadian radio stations must play a certain percentage of Canadian artists.
Thanks to the CRTC (Canadian Radio‑television and Telecommunications) all Canadian radio stations have to play a certain percentage of Canadian content. I, for one, am actually on board with this law.
Flying a kite is against the law in Victoria, Australia.
Technically, you can do it so long as you aren’t “annoying” anyone. As far as what constitutes an annoyance, that remains open to interpretation. Bottom line is that if you fly a kite, and someone complains — you can be fined up to $1000.
Don’t feed the pigeons while in Venice.
Back in 2006 , the city of Venice made it illegal for anyone to feed the pigeons. Tourists would flock from all over the world to feed the birds, and it wound up causing an awful mess.
Poland poo-poos ‘Winnie The Pooh’
Poland banned the wearing of Winnie the Pooh t-shirts and other merchandise from all public schools. Apparently, they found his sexuality to be too fluid and his dress attire too dubious. What a silly old bear!
You can be fined for running out of gas on Germany’s Autobahn.
I don’t think anyone ever plans to run out of gas, so this law seems somewhat redundant, doesn’t it? Regardless of intent, it is deemed illegal due to the fact that it is 100% preventable.
It’s illegal to wear a suit of armor to British Parliament in the UK.
I personally thought it was because people would try to dress up in suits of armor and pretend that they were statues inside the castle. Apparently, the law has been on the books since the 1300s.
You could go to prison for posing with the Buddha in Sri Lanka.
One thing you never want to do if traveling in Sri Lanka is to pose for a selfie with any statue of the Buddha. Turning your back on the Buddha is considered to be a serious sign of disrespect and can land you a hefty fine/prison sentence.
You can’t hike in the nude while in Switzerland.
I suppose the first question has to be, why would anyone want to hike in the buff? But then again, it wouldn’t be a law unless some idiot tried it at least once . Which clearly, they did.
You can’t kill a sasquatch in British Columbia, Canada.
It’s reading about laws such as this that really make me proud to be a Canadian . As far as anyone knows, no such person has yet been prosecuted for such a violation. Hopefully, that day never arrives!
Don’t go topless in Barcelona.
That is unless you happen to be at the beach. The city of Barcelona doesn’t take kindly to men and women walking around half-naked, and will fine you handsomely for violating this law.
Swearing is forbidden in much of the U.A.E.
Swearing is considered to be a punishable offense in much of the U.A.E ., but it doesn’t stop there. Vulgar hand gestures, text messages, and even the use of certain emoticons can land you in a whole heap of trouble.
