Surprising things that are illegal around the world

Sometimes when you hear about a law you simply cannot believe it exists...and perhaps why people even need a legal limitations to keep them from doing these things!

Strange laws make their way into pop culture, usually by exaggerations or misinterpretations. However, sometimes these weird laws are real and very enforceable.

That is why it is better to know a few of them, especially if you are traveling and want to avoid a mishap with the law. Most of these make more sense when you understand the context.

One example is a 2004 ordinance banning silly string on Halloween night in Hollywood Boulevard. According to a press release by the LAPD, the ban came after the city had to spend $200.000 on cleaning up the stuff.

According to Fox News, it is illegal to mess with a crane game or claw machine game in Arizona. It is also unlawful to misrepresent the value of the prizes in the claw machine.

The Salmon Act of the UK contains a very known strange law: it is unlawful to "handle salmon under suspicious circumstances." While it seems a bit silly, the law mainly exists to prevent the illegal fishing of salmon.

Another famous weird law is Sinagpore's ban on chewing gum to avoid littering. The restriction has loosened up a little over the years, but it is still uncommon to see people chomping on gum.

According to Business Insider, Singapore has a small collection of weird bans that seem ridiculous from the outside. Another example is a $500 fine for feeding pigeons.

Also, walking around naked inside your apartment with open curtains in Singapore is illegal. It can result in a fine of $2,000, imprisonment for three months, or both.

According to travel security firm Global Rescue, wearing camouflage patterned clothes is illegal in several Caribbean countries, like Jamaica, Antigua, and Barbados. It even extends to luggage or bags.

An expert cited by the company claims the bans are placed in countries that have suffered from internal conflict from rebel groups or terrorists. That is also why special equipment like night vision binoculars can be banned in some African countries, such as Zimbabwe or Zambia.

If you like mountain climbing, camping, or trail walking, beware: satellite phones are banned in many countries. In Cuba, for example, they are considered tools for subversion.

On the other hand, India has different reasons to ban the object: Satellite phones were the primary tool used by the terrorists of Mumbai's November 26, 2008 attacks.

Terrorists are also behind the walkie-talk ban in many European countries and Japan. According to Global Rescue, the UK, France, and Germany closely regulate frequencies and sometimes require licenses to use them.

If you want to see the ancient spots in Greece, you better wear flat shoes. According to NPR, heels are banned from these areas because they can damage the sites.

Slaughtering your cattle was illegal in Cuba from 1963 to 2021. The law first came about as a temporary measure to replenish the country's cattle after a hurricane killed 20% of it, but it stood as the island faced scarcity.

According to CBC, Canadians cannot use more than 25 pennies in one transaction. The restriction became law in 2013 when the Government decided to phase out the coin gradually.