Globetrotters get all the fun in the world- they get to see new places, they get to meet new people, and most importantly, they get to hoard a life’s worth of memorable experiences. They also get to learn some of the many quirks the world has to offer. Laws, culture, and traditions inherent to a particular country, or at times, just brought about by the oddness of some of its people have produced some strange experiences for foreigners.
Here are some of the fascinating, if a bit strange, travel restrictions from around the globe that have been encountered by avid travelers.
Instagramming your way to the police station.
Photo by BawBaw
With the prevalence of camera-equipped phones, taking pictures of travel exploits has become an absolute necessity for every globetrotter. At times, real-time photo sharing-via online social networking sites is even done by enthusiastic travelers who cannot wait for their vacation time to end before they make others wince in jealousy over their latest jet-setting adventure. But if you are in countries like
Thailand,
United Arab Emirates,
Vietnam, and
France, you might want to get a hold of yourself lest you find yourself unwittingly encouraging the ire of authorities.
In Thailand, tourists are not allowed to take snapshots of the Buddha unless they have secured a license from the Department of Fine Arts. This might rob you of a rather flattering and exotic profile picture, but if you wish to keep it safe, better zoom in to another equally flattering and exotic frame, like a group of elephants perhaps.
In the United Arab Emirates, taking pictures of people you do not know personally, especially women, can easily become your one-way ticket to the police precinct.
In Vietnam, United Arab Emirates, and in France’s resort town of
Antibes, government offices, police, and military officers should be exempt from your camera lens, otherwise there’s a great possibility that you would get an invite for a photo shoot wherein you will have to be the stand-in model- this is also known as mug shot.
Dress Code Violation
Photo by Joy S
Denmark celebrates Halloween. What the country doesn’t celebrate is the use of masks in public places-- any sort of masks. Even if yours’ is the perfect imitation of Hannibal Lecter’s face cover, it will not impress Denmark’s local authorities who are bent on keeping their citizens as transparent and candid as possible.
Meanwhile, in
Flint, Michigan, wearing saggy pants is a no-no. Even if you have a striking resemblance to Eminem or Snoop, you can’t get away with exposed buttocks once you are within its premises. Failure to abide by this law could lead to a fine of $500 dollars, or 93 to 365 days of imprisonment.
Travel Irony
Photo by chewyorange
Everybody loves irony. There’s always a backhanded humor to it which is hard to not appreciate, unless you have been victimized by it, of course.
If you do not want irony to give you a suckerpunch, bear in mind that in
Holland, cigarette smoking indoors is illegal whereas puffing joint is not. And in
Sweden, although sex workers are legal, soliciting their services can either lead to a fine or a six month stint inside the jail where you will have to get by on your own.
These are just some of the amusing, albeit a bit weird travel restrictions every jetsetter should know about.
The world, and life in general, sure has humor.
Our guest blogger, Amy Jackson, currently serves as the Director for Online Sales at High Class Travel NY. She loves traveling and looks to it more as a learning experience rather than a leisurely activity.