Don’t forget to flush!
Here are some strange and unexpected laws that I have come across in my travels... good stuff to know if you're traveling to any of these places in the future! 1.Singapore likes to keep its streets and facilities clean so that neglecting to flush can cost you $500! Littering can cost up to a $1000 fine and being caught chewing gum can cost $600! These are at least only financial penalties, but still a good idea to abide by them so don't forget to flush and leave your gum at home!
2. Venice, Italy, has an issue with feeding pigeons...this has become illegal there with a fine of $700! There's a huge concern with statues and buildings becoming 'christened' with pigeon droppings which has lead to this fine.
3. The island of St. Lucia in the Eastern Caribbean has a law against wearing camouflage! So, highly recommended is to leave the camo at home...
4. Some historic monuments in Rome & Athens will have you remove your shoes if there's fear of them damaging the ancient sites such as the Parthenon in Athens or the Colosseum in Rome. So, leave your stiletto heels home or at least back at your hotel if you're visiting any of these types of sites when in Greece or Italy. Not sure why anyone would even think of touring in this type of footwear, but you never know!
5. Believe it or not, it's illegal to smoke marijuana in Jamaica! Since 1913, Jamaican law has made it illegal to grow, sell or possess marijuana.
6. In the United Arab Emirates, public displays of affection (PDA's) can land you time in jail, that is, kissing,, hugging or even holding hands! It's even technically illegal for unmarried couples to share a hotel room although this one would be a difficult one to enforce, fortunately.Fiji is a beautiful tropical paradise where sunbathing and swimming are part of daily life, but don’t get caught with your top (or pants) down…
7. Fiji is an extremely conservative and Christian nation and public nudity and topless swimming or sunbathing are illegal. So stay covered up and out of jail.
8. Thailand has a lot of weird laws but one of them that tends to be the most difficult to enforce is the one that prohibits you from leaving your house without any underwear on!! Definitely a good idea to ensure that you bring enough underwear with you when traveling there (or be prepared to wash it out as required) rather than risk ending up in a Thai prison! As you can see, it's wise to become familiar with local laws wherever you may be traveling, just in case, since you just never know! A good Travel Professional can help you with this and would prefer to do that than help to bail you out of jail!