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Don't Risk Getting Arrested Abroad for What You Think is Innocent Behaviour!

Holiday_Ju
Holiday_Ju Posts: 7 Forumite
in Overseas holidays & travel planning
Travellers are being warned to check the laws in the countries they are visiting after it was revealed that many UK holidaymakers have been fined or put in prison for seemingly harmless actions.

Tourists have fallen foul of the law when feeding pigeons, playing bingo, and sitting on a monument.

Last year, over 19,000 tourists sought help from the consulate after being arrested or detained, many for what they thought was perfectly legal behaviour.

Many of these incidents occurred in familiar destinations like Italy and Holland.

Here are some unusual laws you probably aren’t aware of:

• In Florence you could be fined for eating or drinking in the immediate vicinity of churches and public buildings
• In Barbados it is an offence for anyone to wear camouflage clothing
• In Venice it is against the law to feed the pigeons
• Fiji prohibits topless bathing
• It is illegal to take mineral water into Nigeria
• In Barcelona it is an offence to wear bikini tops, trunks or go bare-chested away from the beach area
• Chewing gum is prohibited on the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system in Singapore
• In Japan it is illegal to use some nasal sprays
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Comments

  • jackieblack
    jackieblack Posts: 10,681 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Holiday_Ju wrote: »
    • Chewing gum is prohibited on the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system in Singapore
    All eating and drinking is prohibited on the Metro in Washington DC
    Everything will be alright in the end so, if it’s not yet alright, it means it’s not yet the end
    Quidquid Latine dictum sit altum videtur
  • Voyager2002
    Voyager2002 Posts: 16,349 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    And in England, you can be punished for carrying basic self-protection gear like a can of Mace spray!
  • Voyager2002
    Voyager2002 Posts: 16,349 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    In some foreign countries they even drive on the wrong side of the road: imagine!
  • peachyprice
    peachyprice Posts: 22,346 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    And it's illegal to feed the pigeons in Trafalgar Square.
    Accept your past without regret, handle your present with confidence and face your future without fear
  • interstellaflyer
    interstellaflyer Posts: 2,066 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Holiday_Ju wrote: »
    • In Barcelona it is an offence to wear bikini tops, trunks or go bare-chested away from the beach area

    Quite bloody right too, should apply to every town and city.
    I hate football and do wish people wouldn't keep talking about it like it's the most important thing in the world
  • Mr_Wang
    Mr_Wang Posts: 1,302 Forumite
    Holiday_Ju wrote: »

    • Chewing gum is prohibited on the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system in Singapore

    Chewing gum is prohibited in the entire country, with the exception of things like nicotine gum which must be prescribed by a doc.

    All eating and drinking is banned on the MRT.
  • _Andy_
    _Andy_ Posts: 11,150 Forumite
    Those nasty foreigners! How dare they have different customs, norms and laws to us. Shame on them!
  • SaveTheEuro
    SaveTheEuro Posts: 994 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Holiday_Ju wrote: »
    In Barcelona it is an offence to wear bikini tops, trunks or go bare-chested away from the beach area.

    Presumably anybody wearing a bikini top or trunks is ordered to remove them straight away.
  • worried_jim
    worried_jim Posts: 11,631 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    It is illegal to drive 100mph through the Judean desert even if you are a British Passport holder. (as I found out).
  • Dirk_Gently_2
    Dirk_Gently_2 Posts: 281 Forumite
    Ninth Anniversary 100 Posts Combo Breaker
    Voyager2002 wrote: »
    And in England, you can be punished for carrying basic self-protection gear like a can of Mace spray!

    One person's basic self-protection gear is another person's offensive weapon.
This discussion has been closed.
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