Weird Rules Around the World

It’s easier to make a cultural faux pas when you are travelling if you don’t know the customs and laws of countries. Let’s take a look at some of them.

1. Only in the USA

There are many different states in America and each one has some unique laws, but some of them are really bizarre. Carrying an ice-cream cone in your pocket is illegal in Kentucky. In New York City, you may have to pay $350 if you are caught honking your horn. Waking a sleeping bear to take its photograph is illegal in Alaska. In Washington, pretending to have rich parents could get you arrested.

2.  Eating and Feeding

Every country has its own customs and laws about this, however there are really unusual ones that will surprise you. Here are two of them: If you try feeding pigeons on the streets or sidewalks in San Francisco, you will probably face a fine as it is illegal to do this. If you eat at a restaurant in Denmark, and don’t feel full at the end of the meal, you do not need to pay. You can ask for more food until you get full.

3. Fashion Laws

Have you ever heard a law from 1799 in Paris which states that “women who want to wear trousers must get special permission from the police”? Or that in Victoria, Australia women are not allowed to wear pink pants after midday on Sundays? How about the law that forbids men from wearing a fake moustache to church? Well, now you know.

4. Etiquette

Of course, no one can expect this to be the same everywhere in the world. Something which is considered to be good manners in one country, can be a bad thing in another. For example, making noise while eating is considered annoying in most western countries, but it is the opposite in Asian countries. Loudly slurping your soup is a compliment to the chef! There’s another strange one. Smiling is thought to be a sign of happiness, but it can sometimes mean something different in Korea. Smiling at a foreigner is offensive as it means you think they are not intelligent.

These laws are not taken seriously these days as they do not apply to modern living.