It’s exciting to be able to travel abroad! Wonderful new adventures await. The purpose of this post is to help insure that your new adventures don’t include a trip to the local constabulary’s jail! Warning: The purpose is to help educate, not frighten you about international travel. With the easy access to search engines and answers on just about everything under the sun, you can be in the know before you go!
As with any country, there are laws. And ignorance of the law is not an excuse. Know before you go! As an American, some of these laws do not apply here in the United States, but better you know than you don’t! And in looking at the list below, I find that I am guilty of a couple of them!
- Wear Camouflage – “Camo patterns can be trendy in the U.S. but leave them behind when you venture out in certain countries such as Antigua, Barbados, Grenada, Jamaica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago. It’s also forbidden in Oman and for those on an African river cruise or safari tour organized by a cruise line. It’s illegal to wear camouflage clothing in countries like Zimbabwe. Laws ban civilians from donning gear or outfits that could lead to other people thinking that they are with the military or law enforcement.”
- Engage in Public Displays of Affection – “Countries with a strong state religion, such as Islam or Hinduism, often see kissing as a violation of their decency or obscenity codes and foreigners have been fined, deported and arrested for making out in public. Even in countries where it’s technically not illegal, like Jordan or Morocco, you’ll attract angry looks.” Theres a right time and place for everything.
- Forget to Flush the Toilet – “Singapore has a host of laws intended to keep its busy city-state clean. (Although contrary to popular opinion, you can chew gum in public — you just can’t deposit the gooey mess anywhere outside a trash can, as littering is also against the law.) And we’re not exactly sure how they would enforce this one, which applies to public facilities. But Singapore has a low tolerance toward rule-breakers, so best to mind your P’s and Q’s.”
- Ride Bikes Unsafely – “In Mexico, keep both feet on the pedals or else; one-footed bike riding is illegal. In Austria, it’s both hands that have to be touching the bike.” If you are riding a bike be cautious of pedestrian and motor vehicle traffic. If you’ve ever been to Amsterdam, you may get run over by a bike!
- Post a Photo of Your Beer – Guilty! We always take a photo of the local beer enjoyed, preferably with a building of interest in the background. I have a folder on my computer entitled, “Beers of the World”. “But perhaps the weirdest (Thailand) law prohibits the advertisement of drinks and alcoholic brands — including on social media. So no selfies with a bottle of Singha!”
- Snack While on Church Steps or Monuments – “Florence has some gorgeous houses of worship and the steps seem like an oh-so-inviting place to devour your delicious gelato. But the amount of resulting litter has made city officials so angry that they’ve taken to dousing church steps with water to deter tourists from sitting. In Rome, the ban goes further: No eating on fountains or historic monuments, such as the Pantheon, the Colosseum and even the Spanish Steps.” Actually, this is just a good practice to follow anywhere you travel.
- Feed the Pigeons – “Overtourism has been the topic du jour in Venice, where officials believe the city is literally sinking under its tourism weight. For many years, it’s been illegal to feed pigeons in St. Mark’s Square, as the city tries to rid itself of what many describe as “flying vermin.” San Francisco has a similar ordinance. Note: It’s not illegal to feed pigeons in New York City, but if excessive droppings are tied to your activity, you may receive a fine if you don’t clean them up!”
- Wear Stilettos – “Pointy-heeled shoes are forbidden at ancient monuments and sites in Athens and elsewhere in Greece, the reason being that the sharp tips dig into the fragile marble. Trust us: You really don’t want to wear heels on your trek up to the Parthenon anyway.” Join the rest of us by wearing comfy walking shoes!
- Use Facebook – Guilty…again. But we weren’t in China! “China is a huge tourism destination and a major cruise port. But the government still has iron-clad control over the internet, and popular sites such as Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter and YouTube, among others are verboten (although you can still access it in Hong Kong, where many Southeast Asia cruises originate).”
These are but a few of the international laws that I’ve shared from a Cruise Critic article. Know before you go, to avoid an unexpected “tour guide” providing you with an unwanted shore excursion!
Tip: Attend the on-board excursion talks. These can be helpful regarding many facets of being in a foreign country – everything from a bit of history to currency to tipping and yes, to laws to avoid breaking while visiting. These are generally held in the late afternoon/early evenings in the ship’s main theater.
The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.
– Saint Augustine
Twenty Steps at a Time 