Listicle: 10 weird things that are banned in different countries
Kinder Surprise Candy Eggs. US. Not all surprises are sweet. Especially if your toddler opens a chocolate eggshell, discovers there’s a tiny toy inside and decides to eat it too. The eggs have been banned in the US since 1997 because they are a choking hazard. Families that have lost children to choking incidents in the UK have campaigned for a ban too. Among adults, the toys are collectibles.
You can get fined up to $100,000 (SGD) for chewing gum in Singapore.
Chewing gum. Singapore. A good way to prevent hard bits of gum stuck on public property? Don’t let citizens chew it in the first place. The ban was implemented in 1991. You can get fined up to $100,000 (SGD) and be put in prison for up to one year if you’re a first-time offender. Medicated gum is fine, digestible gum is OK too. Want fresh breath? Pop a mint.
Guatemala has banned the sale of whistles that look or sound like the ones their police squad uses.
Whistles. Guatemala. Whistles are great fun. Guatemalans do not know that joy. The Central American country has banned the sale and import of whistles that look or sound like the ones their police squad uses. There’s fear that they will be misused. Besides, police whistles are shrill and loud enough to be used as weapons themselves.
All maps that show Western Sahara, a disputed territory, are banned in Morocco.
Maps. Morocco. Vacay planning for this African country is tricky. All maps that show Western Sahara, a disputed territory, are banned. There are checks at the border and fines for those who carry the wrong maps. NASA included Western Sahara in a map of Morocco it released two years ago. On the ground, Waze will help you get around safely.
Canada has banned baby walkers due to fears that babies might move too fast.
Baby walkers. Canada. The wheeled tools that help crawling babies to walk on two legs have been banned since 2004 because there are fears that babies might move too fast, topple over or bump into something before parents can stop them. Sounds alarmist, but they’re pretty serious. Being caught with one can result in a fine of up to CAD 1,00,000.
Military prints are not allowed in Qatar, Oman, Zimbabwe, Saudi Arabia, Jamaica and Nigeria.
Military clothing. Qatar. The country’s own military wears sand-colour camo prints. But across the desert nation, all kinds of camo prints (even Barbie pink, presumably) are banned, presumably so that civilians are not mistaken for combat trainers. Other nations that enforce this ban: Oman, Zimbabwe, Saudi Arabia, Jamaica and Nigeria.
Movies that involve time travel, like The Time Traveller’s Wife, are a no-no in China.
Books and movies about time travel. China. So, no The Time Traveller’s Wife, Interstellar or Dark. No Back to the Future even. In 2012, China’s Bureau of Broadcasting issued a “guidance” that shows, films and books that have time travel storylines cannot be screened or released. Filmmakers are still allowed to make TV shows that feature flashbacks and non-linear narratives. They just can’t jump through the space-time continuum.
High heels are banned in Greece at monuments and ancient structures.
High heels. Greece. Only at the monuments, as a way of protecting ancient structures (as well as your feet). Greece banned heels on tourists and locals in 2009. You can slap them on for a night out clubbing; this is something India could benefit from as well.
In Thailand, Japan, and Hong Kong, you can’t eat Durian in public.
Eating Durian in public. Thailand, Japan, Hong Kong. It’s too smelly. The fruit is usually eaten raw, with rice or fried, and is quite popular. But the smell tends to linger, spills are sticky and it turns away tourists. What you can get is durian-flavoured candy, chocolate, ice-cream and other less-offensive souvenirs.
Across Italy, it is illegal to drive in flip-flops or high heels.
Flip-Flops. Capri, Italy. Across Italy, it is illegal to drive in flip-flops or high heels because they can impede coordination. In the Bay of Naples however, the sound of chappals flapping on the streets is too distracting for the locals and tourists. Sneakers, sandals and quieter footwear are welcome. So, there’s no noise from people walking. But what about all the people talking?
From HT Brunch, May 04, 2024
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