Five laws, about which a tourist may not know, but which threaten him with a fine and even imprisonment, were presented the other day in the foreign press. Moreover, we are talking about countries popular with Ukrainians, including European countries such as Italy and Greece, as well as exotic countries that are not very relevant to Ukrainians.
So, here are five unusual laws:
Germany – the street changes to red. Many people know about the discipline of Germans, who are ready to stand at a “red” traffic light even on a deserted and car-free street. But not everyone believes that this discipline is reinforced by stiff fines. In Germany, turning on a red light is considered crossing the road in an illegal place – and a fine is imposed for this. In the amount, by the way, from 5 to 10 euros.
Italy – feeding pigeons. It is illegal to feed birds in Venice. Moreover, the fine for a tourist caught at the scene of a crime – in the process of throwing even pizza crumbs to the birds – is very substantial: the poor man risks paying up to 700 euros (over 30 thousand hryvnias) for this. However, Italy, and especially Venice, is generally rich in various fines from tourists – it is advisable to get acquainted with them separately before the trip so that the budget is not affected.
Greece – no women’s hairpins on the Acropolis. Few tourists know, but since 2009, the Greek authorities have banned female tourists from wearing high heels while visiting the Parthenon, and the Acropolis in Athens in general. The official reason is that heels can damage the “historic” marble. The amount of the fine is not specified. But let’s add – since the asphalt in this historical area is flat – only where the tourist buses approach and the ticket offices are located, the rest of the museum territory is historical paving, that is, uneven and quite slippery marble, there is a risk of paying for good high-heeled shoes, in at best, a dislocation… There is also consolation – in the rest of Greece, you can wear studs as much as you want.
Barbados and other exotic islands – are fine for camouflage. Sources warn that it is not worth it to go fishing on exotic islands in your favorite fishing camouflage. You can “catch” even a prison term. This applies to a good dozen tropical countries, including Barbados, Jamaica, Grenada, Antigua, Dominica, Trinidad, and Tobago, where civilians are strictly prohibited from wearing camouflage. The reason is the association with terrorists. The risk that a yacht with tourists will be opened fire without warning is small, but, for example, in Grenada, you can even go to jail just for the uniform.
Sri Lanka – selfie with Buddha. With the images of the founder of Buddhism revered on the resort island, which is very popular with tourists, one should be very careful. Tourists have already received real terms for taking selfies with the Buddha statue in various poses, including trying to kiss the statue and even displaying Buddha tattoos. According to sources, many Sri Lankans believe that the Buddha is the 9th incarnation of the god Vishnu, and crimes related to his image are taken seriously. However, it is not forbidden to photograph the statues themselves, the ban applies only to selfies.