Passengers urged to leave ‘heels’ at home if they want to avoid fine

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Experts at BPP University Law School shared some of the most unusual rules in different countries and explained how to avoid breaking the law during the winter break, which could potentially bring a lot of problems and ruin the Christmas trip.

Wearing high heels to the Acropolis in Greece

The Greek authorities made it illegal to wear high heels at any of the ancient sites around the Parthenon and the Acropolis in Athens.

The law was introduced in 2009, as “concerns about the monuments becoming scratched or damaged started to grow”.

Therefore, travellers may want to leave their high heels at home and opt for more comfortable footwear if they are visiting Athens this winter.

It is important to note that wearing high heels is permitted in the rest of the country, including the Greek islands, and this only applies to ancient sites and attractions in the capital. 

Feeding pigeons in Venice, Italy

Since 2008, it is banned to feed pigeons in Venice and travellers could get a fine of up to £622 (700 euros).

“Many tourists were attracted to the area by the extremely tame birds, that would flock to eat food out of their hands.

“However, Venetian lawmakers decided enough was enough, as cleaning up after them proved to be very expensive.

“If you are lucky, the fine may only be around £62 (€70), but this could still make a significant dent in holiday funds,” the travel experts revealed.

Jaywalking in Germany

If travellers attempt to do this in Germany they could face a fine of around 5,000 to 10,000 euros.

The experts explained that this law “was implemented to keep people safe on the roads, but is also embedded deeply into the culture of the country, meaning you may face backlash from the public for not waiting for the green light”.

Wearing Winnie the Pooh clothing in Poland

In 2014, the Polish town of Tuszyn decided to ban any clothing associated with the children’s character, Winnie the Pooh.

Polish authorities were worried that images of the half-clothed bear were not appropriate for children.

“Due to this, if you have a fondness for the now strangely controversial character, it could be a good idea to leave your merchandise at home,” the experts recommended.

Camouflage in the Caribbean

Other unusual rules include wearing camouflage clothes in the Caribbean, and they are forbidden in Jamaica, Grenada, Antigua, Dominica, St Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago, St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Members of the public are not allowed to wear camouflage to avoid “civilians being confused with military officials or the police”.

While the penalties vary from country to country, in Grenada, for example, wearing the popular pattern can lead tourists to jail time.

Taking selfies with Buddha in Sri Lanka

In Sri Lanka, taking a selfie with a Buddha statue has been forbidden since 2012, when three French tourists were given jail time for posing while kissing the statue.

A woman was also deported in 2014 for displaying a Buddha tattoo. The experts said: “As many people in Sri Lanka believe that Buddha is the 9th avatar of the god Vishnu, crimes regarding his image are taken extremely seriously.

“If you are planning to travel to Sri Lanka, always take your photographs while facing the statue of Buddha to avoid offending locals – as having your back to his image is also seen as major disrespect.”

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