We all want to respect the laws, as much as we can and be good citizens, with clean records and high standard moral values. Or at least, in theory. But what do we do when we go to other countries and face some odd laws and regulations, or even hear about them? Some are impossible to explain, some are absurd, contradictory and, to an extent, incredibly funny. The question regarding how can those citizens live to those rules immediately imposes itself, making us wonder exactly how crazy this world is. So today we take a look over ten weird, funny and somewhat impossible laws some countries implemented. Beware, the penalties are not something to joke with!
1. Hold your liquor
Do you plan to go out and get drunk tonight? Be careful to stay in that bar or club for the entire party time, because going in the street can cause you a lot of trouble. Usually, many states forbid drinking in public places or in the street, but if you’re in Saint Louis don’t drink beer while you sit on the sidewalk. In Chicago it’s worse, since you can’t have your beer either sitting or standing nowhere in the street.
2. Nuclear explosion
In Prague, check your cab driver setting the price. If you see the travel rates going over Level 1, you’re ok. If he sets the meter above Level 2, you should be concerned as you might get conned. Level 3 and beyond means that you are in big trouble. It’s a governmental law that stipulates Level 3 as being officially used by all taxi drivers and all taxi circuits in case of a nuclear explosion.
3. E.T. call home
There is a Cosmic Space Act from 1986 that allows the British State Secretary to order a “reasonable force” attack against an alien invasion, as long as the invasion wasn’t authorized. If the visit (let’s not call it an invasion, just a friendly visit) is authorized, then the aliens can use their UFO’s and space crafts in normal conditions within the British air field.
4. Natural functions programming
You are the constipated type? The regular type? Bad luck either way, as if you want to follow nature’s call in Switzerland, first, check your watch. If it’s over 10 p.m. you should heavily refrain to use the toilet, as in this great country flushing the toilet after said hour means breaking a regulation. So… just… hold…your…pants…
5. Drop it like it’s hot
Safari in Kenya? A dream came true and an experience of a lifetime. But! If your local guide all of a sudden feels the need to get all his clothes off and walk the endangered, savage areas naked like new-born, we advide you to not follow his lead. It is completely forbidden by law that tourists get naked in the Masai Mara area, while locals have no issue in doing that. We would advise you not to get naked in a safari for another 100 reasons, though…
6. Freedom of speech my brother!
Not in Thailand, though… For insulting the king you do 15 years of jail. It can’t be any simpler than this.
7. No gum
Singapore, the place where they banned chewing gum since 1992. You can not buy it from nowhere, you can not chew it in the street and God forbid you throw one on the sidewalk! Even nicotine gum is prescribed and you can buy it only in pharmacies. Nobody actually believes this but you can actually go to jail if caught breaking the gum law.
8. Public transportation
Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia have a lot in common. One thing is the durian fruit, an exotic strange looking combination between a porcupine and a pineapple. People just love it but they are forbid to eat it in public transportation means, in the subway, in hotels, airports and almost every other public, high traffic places. Why? Because it smells so bad it can literally make somebody (or a lot of people) throw up.
9. All you can eat
Denmark is a weird, funny place to live in. Let alone you should check if there aren’t any children under your car every time you’re getting ready to leave somewhere, but in their restaurants there is a policy stating that a customer should pay the bill only if he or she feels full and satisfied.
10. The butterfly effect
If you feel like harassing the butterflies in California, think again! The penalty for this is around 500 dollars fee, not to mention the guilty conscience you’ll get regarding the butterflies shock and personal drama.
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