The most irrational prohibitions tourists face across the globe

Different countries, different customs...

Many tourists have already encountered some very absurd regulations while travelling.

Flight and hotel search engine Jetcost has compiled the world's most curious bans - so travelers will not stumble upon them unprepared...

1. Going to the toilet after 22:00 in Switzerland

In Switzerland, nocturnal urinating is apparently forbidden: Toilet visits must either be postponed until the next day or, in another, less hygienic solution, the flush should not be used till the next morning. It is also definitely not allowed to pee while standing at such a late hour, since, especially without flushing, your neighbors' opinion of you is not likely to get any better...

2. Chewing gum in Singapore

Singapore is one of the cleanest countries in the world. In 1992, a public purification bill was adopted to fight... floor sticking by prohibiting sales and consumption of chewing gums! Since 2004, the ban has relaxed slightly and the residents have been allowed to chew gum - but only after getting a medical prescription for quitting smoking or countering digestive disorders...

3. Kissing in public in Dubai

Dubai is currently one of the most popular destinations for honeymooners. The newlyweds, however, should be careful where they let their feelings free. Kissing in public is prohibited in Dubai because it does not comply with the rules of local culture and customs. Due to the number of couples arrested, the government has published a brochure explaining foreigners' respect for certain behavioral patterns during their stay. The rules include, among other things, the fact that alcohol cannot be consumed on the street, drunk driving or dancing is forbidden, and permits of affection such as kissing or holding hands are allowed. In addition, taking drugs, swearing, violent behaviour and spitting are also not tolerated...

4. Frank Sinatra's "My Way" in the Philippines

In some countries karaoke is a very serious thing. This is the case, for example, in the Philippines, where Frank Sinatra's "My Way" 2010 had to be banned in karaoke venues, because of incidents that led to murder. The last decade before the ban, at least six indidents were recorded during which people were actually killed for...poor performance. Although the authorities were unable to prove that the deadly quarrels were caused by Sinatra's song, the press described the acts as the "my-way crimes"!

5. Jogging groups in Burundi

During the civil war, which raged in Burundi from 1993 to 2008, the citizens ran in large groups to relieve tension and protect themselves from the dangerous militia. In March 2014, however, the country's president, Pierre Nkurunziza, forbade running in groups with the argument that the collective runs would be used as a cover coat of subversive restraint against the government. The law is so strict that it provides real prison sentences. Fortunately, it only applies to groups while individual persons can continue jogging...

6. Playback singing in Turkmenistan

In Turkmenistan, the government imposed a ban on playbacks for singers and groups in television shows and cultural events in 2005 in order to "preserve the authentic culture of the country". Opera and ballet were also included in the ban...

7. Surprise gifts inside toys in the United States

A law which forbids any food being placed inside toys has been enacted since 1938 in the US, to protect children from swallowing dangerous items. So you better watch out for involuntary smuggling on holiday, because, as www.jetcost.de could find, such an import is punishable with 2,500 dollars per egg.

8. "Back to the Future", "Terminator" or "12 Monkeys" in China

This ban seems like a fictitious fairy tale but it is far from it: in China, all films revolving around the subject of time travel are strictly prohibited, both in reality and in fiction! The ruling People's Party, China, states that "TV dramas are not allowed to address figures that move in time and rewrite history as this is contrary to Chinese history." 

9. Jeans and piercings in North Korea

North Korea has prohibited wearing of jeans and body piercings as a restrictive measure against Western fashion, which Pyongyang deems as exerting harmful influence on North Korean society. The citizens are monitored and checked by regime-loyal young militias. The aim of their mission is to "prevent the corruption of public morality and trace capitalist inclinations by means of clothing, such as skirt length, shoes, t-shirts or hairstyle".

10. Dying in the British Parliament

In the UK, it is forbidden by law to die in Parliament, because it has the status of the palace of the royal family and,  accordingly, the deceased person would have the right to receive a state funeral with all the honors of the Crown. For this reason, anyone who suffers a heart attack or a seizure in Parliament will have to be carried away. And if anyone should think about entering the Parliament in armor, this is also forbidden...

 Στο Éboli απαγορεύονται τα φιλιά στο αυτοκίνητο με πρόστιμο 500 ευρώ, με την αιτιολογία ότι μπορεί να αποσπασθεί η προσοχή του οδηγού και να συμβεί ατύχημα.Στο Capri η αναζήτηση των κατοίκων για ησυχία οδήγησε τις αρχές να συλλαμβάνουν τουρίστες που φορούν σανδάλια και τρέχουν.

11. Run in sandals, build sandcastles or kiss in the car: forbidden things in Italy

On the beaches of Eraclea, in the neighboring areas of Venice, where many summer tourists travel to find peace shovels and buckets should be safely left at home: the construction of sand castles on the beach is not permitted.

In Éboli, authorities are more concerned about safety at the wheel and have therefore banned any distracting behavior, such as kissing near the driver's seat, which is punishable by a 500-euro fine.

In Capri, however, residents are more concerned about their peace and quiet, leading the authorities to arrest two summer tourists for running and making smacking noises with their sandals...

12. Great caution when driving in the United States

The United States is probably leading the list of the strangest laws and prohibitions, with some of the rules of traffic reaching the limit of the absurd. In Alabama, for example, it is forbidden to drive with your eyes closed, but, on the other hand, it is allowed to drive in the opposite direction of a one-way street as long as the driver is holding a lantern. In Waynesboro (Virginia) women are still not allowed to drive on the main roads. In Tennessee, women are allowed to drive a car, but only as long as a man stays ahead swinging a red flag to point out their course. In California, the driver may not jump from his driving vehicle at a speed of 65 mph (105 km/h), nor be covered with a bathrobe. In Denver, no black cars can be driven on Sundays, while Georgia one cannot spit out of a driving car or bus, unless he or she is a truck driver.

And finally, the greatest caution is to get your elephant connected to a parking meter, because you have to pay the corresponding tariff for a car. And with a gorilla as a passenger, you should be careful in Massachusetts: whoever is caught by the police, must pay a fine... 

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Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons Copyright: Marek Ślusarczyk (Tupungato) License: CC-BY-SA