Top 10 Tough Laws in the World

Ignorance is no defense – especially when it comes to ignorance of the laws in countries you plan to visit. While it may seem natural to study some of the general customs and laws in major foreign countries you might not expect, for example, to have to look for strange law changes in somewhere like Florida. Most places in the world are relatively easy to get along in. Some strange laws are nothing more than folklore. Every once in a while, though, you’re going to run into something a bit off the wall and it’s important for you to be prepared in advance.

10. DON’T FEED THE PIGEONS (ITALY)

In Italy it is illegal to feed the pigeons. Ok, that’s a bit of a blanket statement. The rule actually has the potential to change from city to city. Make sure you leave the pigeons alone while you’re in Venice, though – the locals are tired of cleaning up pigeon poop. You’ll also want to avoid jumping into fountains, walking around without your shirt on (would you DO that as a tourist), and sitting on the sidewalk to eat your lunch. Fines range from a warning to monetary infractions anywhere from $50 to $600.

9. EATING IN PUBLIC (UNITED ARAB EMIRATES)

Before you leave for the United Arab Emirates you’ll want to make sure you aren’t visiting during Ramadan. During that time you are not allowed to eat or drink in public during fasting hours (ie. daylight hours) at all. Think we’re kidding? Tourists have been fined up to $275 for drinking juice in public. Avoid public displays of affection as well unless you want to spend a few months in jail.

8. DON’T PAY IN CHANGE (CANADA)

Ever have the urge to empty your piggy bank of quarters and run down to the corner store? Don’t do it in Canada. The Currency Act of 1985 prohibits consumers from using unreasonable amounts of coins to pay for purchases. This means you can’t pay for an item in all coins (especially if it’s over $10). Even the use of dollar-coins is limited. The shop owner has the right to choose whether or not he wants to take your coins but doesn’t have to.

7. WASH YOUR CAR (MOSCOW)

In the beautiful city of Moscow it is illegal to drive a dirty car. The definition of dirty, however, is up in the air. Is a dirty car one on which you can draw pictures in the dust? Does it hide the license plate? Does it make the driver invisible? We suppose you’ll find out if the police poll you over but the fines tend to be whatever the police decide to charge you – unless, of course, you offer him a bit of cash.

6. LEAVE YOUR HEADLIGHTS ON (DENMARK)

Studies in Denmark have shown that vehicles with their headlights on are more noticeable by other drivers than those who have their headlights off. You’d think this law would apply to night driving but it doesn’t. Drivers here are required to leave their headlights on during the day as well or may face a fine of up to $100.

5. DON’T STOP ON THE AUTOBAHN (GERMANY)

You’ve heard of the Autobahn, right? The notorious German road where there are no speed limits? Make sure you fill your gas tank BEFORE you get on this daunting road. It’s illegal to pull over on the side of this road for any reason and, if you do, it’s illegal to get out and walk. You are, after all, endangering the lives of the people who are still driving at warp speeds.

4. PUT YOUR SHIRT ON (THAILAND)

In Thailand it is illegal to drive a car or motorcycle without a shirt on – regardless of how hot it is that day. Punishments range from verbal warnings to tickets costing about $10. This is no joke – the local police will pull you over.

3. DON’T KISS YOUR LOVER GOODBYE (FRANCE AND ENGLAND)

Love died a little bit on April 5th of 1910. Lovers spend so much time kissing each other goodbye at train stations that trains were actually running late. The law is relatively old, though, and really isn’t enforced today – in France, that is. In Warrington Bank Quay in England, however, you’ll be asked to move your goodbyes to the “kissing zone.”

2. WEAR A COVER UP (GRENADA)

The folks at Grenada really do have a point. Cruisers visiting the beaches for day excursions have taken to strolling city streets in nothing but their bathing suits. In order to reign in a sense of decency, the city has instituted a fine for those who aren’t wearing decent clothing off of the beaches. Fines can reach up to $270 but the local tourist boards would like you to believe that the law is not enforced. Perhaps its best to simply cover up rather than trying to find out for yourself.

1. NO GUM CHEWING (SINGAPORE)

Those with gum chewing habits may want to call it quits before heading to Singapore. The government really wants to keep the city clean and will fine you for chewing gum, feeding the birds (it causes poop) and forgetting to flush a public toilet. The only legal gum you can chew is Nicorette but you have to get it from a doctor and they will give your name to government officials to confirm you’re allowed to have a wad in your mouth. These aren’t the only strange laws around the world but they’re certainly worth noting. Make sure you do your research before leaving on your next trip. Better safe than sorry!

And the drum rolls...

Well just so we know what the occasion is, this is my 'supposed' 200th post. So long ! And also speaking of which just shows how as humans we expect some weird adulation for every small thing that happens around us. Kill a spring buck, oh not that, kill a squirrel at an age of 5 makes you a hero and some followers hang around, join a super cool school, college, get a girl friend, get a swanky car, get an amazing gadget, get a job, that cool pay hike, more pay hike, trip to some exotic land far far away etc etc... now don't know if all this stems out of insecurity or what, but I reckon, men (along with women that is and domesticated creatures (that have been living closely with men)) expect such adulation and not the wild creatures. Wonder why?

Anyway, I should be more often able to frequent this space. I am getting this writers sickness. Have lot of things to write but it just does not flow south to the pen. Sadly.

Later

Sad state of affairs.

"Red light zone" in India is such an apathy. You don't remain stone hearted when you know get to know the stories. How much of a trick people play - parents, siblings, husband, wife and other external sources - call it poverty, income issue where you don't know how to bring the food on the table.

I was appalled not by the other known issues that do the round within India (poverty etc), but to see that the heartless and senseless people end up having small infants next to them when they get forced into this act. Children look around and it is their brain that gets so influenced that eventually the parent will not be able to correct them or whatever coz the child when they hit the Teens will surely turn around and call their parent a 'slut'. So eventually, the child is either going to take into the profession much earlier than they should - thanks to the ever increasing orgies of men and women around us !Some of the women there would definitely would like to touch that emotional chord by saying they were forced into the profession. Some could actually be telling 'true tales' but whatever it is the pictures indicate a sad story to a mighty big extend. Why can't we fucking leaglize sex just for all this sad things to happen and operate outside the homes? Atleast we are not hurting the future generation, that's the least we can do. Why can't Indian government sell sex toys to a good extend to Indians? That way they would know who to pick and certainly not a lactating women. Come on for christ sake....

Come to think of it, can Dowry in form of 100-150 soverigns of gold, car, home, land etc that come along with the girl when people get married, will that make them a slut or are we free to make a different classification because it happens in a different league? Perhaps they would call it punctilio of the family! It all started in Europe,yea Dowry started off from there. But Asians have come to understand the nitty-gritty of how to get a maximum mileage out of this concept. That is one reason why this has come to stay like that black spider in Spiderman :-)

We all end up thinking and beating ourselves for all the wrong doing. I guess as long as we have that punctiliously defined out right - we are following our actions defined by our lineage, culture and every one is happy. So long my friend....

Eventful day

Today is when I bought my own car... Woo hoo. I will add pictures of the beauty that I own but it is yet to sink in much. I keep reminiscing about what LP sang when I get into this zone.

Yea, I own Maruti Suzuki Swift VXI with ABS - silver grey with all cool wheel upgrade. Awesome. I am waiting to get my hands on the Stereo once that happens I would be very excited. It is right now a check between JVC and Pioneer.... Life with options at every stage in life, isn't it :-) Oh I am not married yet, just if you thought I got the car by something as cheap as a Dowry !!! Moralistic man, respect.

Podcast me,oh the trend!

Thought about the funny evolution the world is going through - change (read it with all caps). Be it education, structure or execution of anything there is a whole lot of perception changes, the paradigm shift I would like to call.

Ages back the way project was executed (read it as anything) was not derived or based on a particular way of standards. Top corporations seem to be catching up with lost time purely by adapting to the difficult approach that is outsourcing and offshoring (still not many know the difference between the two!). But my note here is not about either of them. Instead it is about another change that has simply swept everyone off their feet - podcasts. This rather simple - apple owned, term is amazing to believe how much it has become the rule-of-life for any knowledge sharing or best practises.

Hard to believe that Apple claims it has 1,00,000 podcasts in its stores. Hard isn't it? To again retrospect and feel that in such a short span of time since its evolution to have got a ground like this is a fantastic achievement as such. Four years back no one knew about this, now every a college going teen knowns what this is and how to use it in the optimal way. I am always a big fan of technology and improvements, to me this is a massive way forward. As we move ahead, we have ensured that we don't leave breadcrumbs behind to know where we started from. This is change is going to stay and for all my money will improve a zillion times with time.

(Isn't this the same way an USB port started coming in desktops to begin with and with time it is so exclusive that no computer is accepted as a computer without an USB!).

Magic of change. BTW, there is a podcast for change too :-]

Oh morals wherefore art thou?

I was itching to write up an article soon after 'officially' it was announced that Indians are targeted in Australia and slowly it caught up the imagination of people and became the breakfast-lunch-dinner news for days and into weeks. Are we right with our cutthroat analysis and the 'sensationalizing' attitude to petty information? Now, don't get me wrong I called it 'petty'.

Let me list what my take is on this whole tamasha. Now, in any country there are certain places you should not go to - no matter alone or in a group esp when you don't specialize in violence at any point of time in your life (and FYI, specializing on violence is not about like beating up your brother or some animals and emerging a victor!) . A group is no power when people retards are tagged in one side in the other side. Well, in the US, the downtowns are the most dreaded spots where the black form a group and harass people. I was called up at one time from the back and I did not react to that call from them and my friend and I walked (my friend wanted to respond to the call by going to them!) It still chills my spine wondering what would have happened if we had reacted. But the simple fact is "losers" are part of any society. It is about how you are sensible enough to avoid them. So people who don't exercise this will eventually get mugged. That happens in India too. Isn't it?

Common sense is not common as they say is the more important reason for what happened and how it happened in Australia. Indians for some reason seemed to have larger interest on residentship and all that which stopped them from lodging a complaint to the cops. This just makes me smile on how gullible people become and eventually blinded by this whole 'interest'. Isn't protecting yourself foremost important than coming to India with one eye or one hand and say 'mate I am an Australian'? I always believed in one thing - 'Action - consequence' chain and what happened to most of the gullible people is the consequence to the action they chose.

Coming back to the main point, Is India a racial free country? We take extreme measure to go and tap everyone's table whenever we think they are doing something. Yea, what the Indian government did by intervening is good but it is like the 'top selling hypocrisy' that will surely rock the best sellers table ! We, in India, have a religion wise divide, linginuistic divide, region wise divide, skin color divide. We beat up the deep lower middle class people and make them get into sewers and mind you these jobs are only for these people. We call ourselves 'non racial' and to me it is beyond any doubt that we are trying to do a political puppet show to satiate the people who voted them to the position. And irony is that the 'developed' countries will never be in a position to counter react when they are classified as 'racial'. Funny thing is it is like that killer blow, it is like the this - a lean guy can call a person 'ugly fat' guy but when the fat guy calls a person a 'lean' guy, it is offensive :-]

Haven't we done horrendous acts of crime to the foriegn nationals when they are in India? The political heavy weights get involved and bury the case because there was a same religion tag team that worked that time.

People beat the shit of students and many others just like the losers in Australia, did that make India a racist economy? When Indians burned down trains when some petty same 'religion' motto was compromised, did that make India a racist economy? When youngsters get beaten/women burnt by junkies as a result of ragging or for non compliance of some practices from the past, did that make India a racist economy? When we sent 'certain' sect of people only into 'live, smelly' sewer pipes, did that make India a racist economy? When we have the classification and Or is it that the nomenclature - rascism is defined and practiced when it is appropriate or needed?


We all feel it is an opportune moment to send in a hard punch to Australia by calling it 'racist economy'. Are we right? Perhaps vindicated for some things that happened in the past ... Might be.

Yo mayte ! if you did not like what I wrote, me thinks you are a racist !!

so long so long...

When did I last visit this place? Ah... six months back. That is some time and I cannot imagine how time flies. Lot of things happened in that period. I wanted to write but I did not have the urge to go on. New found hobbies, attacks, more attacks, elections, recession, more recession and then into 2009 and it has just hit the ground running. I am still to come to terms with the very fact that 4 months have gone by so soon.

Now there is a psyche attached to people who want to vent their feelings or perhaps say what they want to, that they don't get a medium to say things. Interestingly the lull follows soon after. I was caught up with this lull and now am wanting to write, the thoughts desert me.

Having made the attempt I will however write more often. So long ....