Are you even aware of things that are banned in your own country?
We have already published a few posts about some of the most ridiculous and crazy laws and regulations that used to be or still have been in effect in some American states and cities but obviously, the U.S. is not the only country that has imposed a ban on some weird stuff. From wearing noisy shoes and leaving elephants on the beach to die, check out these 25 strange things banned around the world.
In Lyme Regis, a little coastal town in West Dorset, England, slapping people with a dead eel is prohibited. There was a tradition known as “the conger-cuddling”, in which people swang dead eels at each other but in 2006, the game was banned by local authorities after an animal rights group claimed it was disrespectful to the dead fish.
Well, movies and shows about time travel. Actual time travel isn’t possible yet, unless China knows something the rest of us don’t. Anyway, apparently, Chinese authorities felt that representations of time travel resulted in frivolous depictions of “serious history,” so they decided to ban it. China also bans Whatsapp from time to time.
In the Russian city of Chelyabinsk, driving a dirty car is against the law. If you drive a car that is not clean enough, you can get fined up to 2000 rubles (currently around 35 American dollars).
When traveling to Singapore, remember to leave your chewing gums at home. In 2004, this city-state in Southeast Asia imposed a strict ban on chewing gum imports. Under the rule, no gum is allowed to be bought or sold in Singapore and there is a $500 fine for spitting out gum on the streets.
Capri, an island located in the Campania region, Italy, is a popular tourist destination. However, if you decide to visit avoid wearing flip flops. Flip flops and sandals that make loud noises are banned.
If you find yourself in London, make sure not to break the 1986 Salmon Act that says handling salmon in suspicious circumstances is illegal.
Manila, the capital of the Philippines, banned all of Claire Danes’ movies due to her disrespectful interview while promoting the Brokedown Palace.
North Korea is a country where bizarre laws and regulations come as no surprise but Pyongyang, the country´s capital, has some that those who visit, should definitely know. For example, visitors cannot use local currency (the North Korean won). They’re not even allowed into the city´s department stores.
In Torino, Italy, it is against the law not to walk your dog at least three times a day.
There are many things women are not allowed to do in some Muslim countries (such as driving a car, voting, reading fashion magazines etc.) but in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia they are even banned from using hotel swimming pools and spas.
Hawaii is considered one of the greatest summer holiday destinations in the world but those who like singing at night might want to consider choosing another place. In Honolulu, the state´s capital, it is illegal to sing loudly after the sunset.
Melbourne is also a place where men are banned from dressing up like women. According to an old law, it is illegal for a man to appear in public wearing a strapless gown.
When traveling to Granville, a commune in northwestern France, remember to leave your elephant at home. Or at least don’t bring him to the local beach. According to a 2009 municipal law, elephants are not allowed on the beach. The law was a reaction to circuses that brought their elephants to the sea where the animals would then defecate.
In Tuszyn, a little town in Central Poland, Winnie the Pooh is banned from playgrounds. Local authorities argued that Pooh is “half-naked” and of “dubious sexuality”, which is totally inappropriate for little children. Apparently, Pooh is also banned in China.
Another popular law passed in England is the one prohibiting people to die in the Houses of Parliament. Completely true and confirmed, the law was based on the fact that the buildings counted as a royal palace, therefore anyone who died there was technically entitled to a state funeral.
Italy is often considered one of the most romantic countries in the world but be careful when kissing your lover here. In Eboli, a town in Southern Italy, kissing in a moving vehicle is banned. Breaking this law can cost you several hundreds dollars.
In 2005, Ignacio Jimenez, a mayor of Icononzo, a town in Colombia, passed a law under which, badmouthing was illegal. He argued that waggling tongues could be the difference between life and death for residents of the city, thanks to ongoing warfare between Marxist rebels and far-right paramilitary outlaws.
Located just about 15 kilometers (9 miles) from Milan, the city where frowning is illegal, Monza also boasts of some very unusual regulations. In 2004, the city passed a law that prohibited housing a goldfish in a bowl, claiming a fish kept in a bowl has a distorted view of reality and suffers from it.
VENICE, ITALY – AUGUST 27: Actor George Clooney during the ‘Burn After Reading’ Photocall part of the 65th Venice Film Festival at Palazzo del Casino on August 27, 2008 in Venice, Italy. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)
Liverpool, the hometown of The Beatles, boasts one of the most ridiculous laws in the world. According to the law, a woman is prohibited to walk around topless, unless she sells exotic fish in a store. However, some sources claim that there has never been such a law and that this is completely made up.
Kids and adults love them, teenagers think they’re dumb… They’re like Legos for your mouth!
But it turns out the FDA bans “the sale of any candy that has embedded in it a toy or trinket”, which means those chocolate eggs with a surprise toy inside of them cannot be sold or even brought into the US. In 2011, customs confiscated 60,000 individual eggs from travelers’ baggage. These (most likely unknowing) travelers each had to pay a fine of up to $2,500 per egg…
If you want to visit Milan, make sure to smile all the time. The Italian metropolis has imposed a ban on frowning. The city states that it is a legal requirement to smile at all times, except during funerals or hospital visits. Grouches who dare to break this regulation can face a fine.
In Victoria, the second most populous state of Australia, you are not allowed to change a light bulb unless you are a licensed electrician. Those who don’t comply can face a fine of up to 10 Australian dollars.
In France, Red Bull was banned once. Not anymore, thankfully. But until 2008, the energy drink was banned in the country because of concerns over the chemical taurine used in the drink’s recipe. The company had been selling a slightly altered version of the drink without taurine previously.
In Melbourne, Australia, vacuuming your house between 10 pm and 7 am during weekdays and 10 pm and 9 am during the weekends is against the law.
In North Korea, Blue Jeans is Banned. Not black jeans. Just blue jeans. Apparently, the color is associated with the United States, so North Korea banned them.
The Iranian government issued a list of appropriate male hairstyles in 2010, which prohibited ponytails, mullets, and hair that was too spiky.
