Travelers often encounter the unexpected when abroad – and in legal matters the surprises can be particularly striking. In Singapore, for example, the sale of chewing gum has been outlawed since 1992 to keep its transit system running smoothly. In the sleepy French village of Sarpourenx, the mayor once forbade any resident without a pre-booked plot from dying there. Tales of bizarre prohibitions abound – from an Austro-Hungarian decree requiring all Milanese to smile to a ban on high heels at Greek archaeological sites.
In the pages that follow, we embark on a global tour of the world’s most unusual laws. We group them by theme and geography, probing the real events and local values behind each one. Some are archaic leftovers – relics of another era that linger awkwardly on the books. Others sprang from specific incidents: a public nuisance or safety scare that prompted lawmakers to act. A third category addresses cultural or environmental priorities that outsiders might not guess. For each law we’ve delved into legal archives, news reports and local sources to separate fact from legend. Each section ends with a boxed Legal Reality Check summarizing whether the law is still enforced today or largely an Internet myth.
Whether you’re a trivia buff or a cautious traveler, this investigation aims to inform rather than merely entertain. We rely on official documents and scholarly research – for example, Thailand’s strict lèse-majesté law carries 3–15 year prison terms for insulting the monarchy, and Canada’s Criminal Code (until recently) punished fraudulent fortune-telling as “pretending to practice witchcraft”. Practical guidance is woven into the narrative: for instance, a Swiss tenants’ association notes that a household rule banning toilet use after 10 p.m. “wouldn’t hold up in court”, debunking the viral “10pm flush ban” myth. With this context in place, we begin in Asia, where unusual laws on public cleanliness, royal respect and neighborly peace are famously stringent – and sometimes downright surprising.
In the 1990s, Singapore’s new MRT trains faced an unexpected foe: stray chewing gum. Vandals stuck gum on subway door sensors, causing repeated service delays. As a drastic solution, Singapore outlawed the sale or import of chewing gum in 1992. The law imposes fines (and even jail) on suppliers, but it does not criminalize chewing itself. In fact, the ban was eased in 2004: nicotine and dental gums became legal (with prescription). Importantly, tourists are allowed to bring a small amount of gum for personal use. Enforcement today focuses on smugglers, not casual chewers. As one transit official recalls, the gum ban was a tough-love fix to protect public infrastructure. Today visitors may find gum in pharmacies (for allergy or nicotine therapy) – but walking around popping bubblegum remains a rare sight.
Thailand’s laws on royal criticism are famously strict. Article 112 of the Criminal Code – the lèse-majesté law – makes it a crime to defame, insult or threaten the king or royal family. Each offense can draw 3–15 years in prison. In practice the law has been applied broadly: even social-media posts or offhand remarks can result in lengthy sentences. The British Foreign Office explicitly warns visitors that criticism of the monarchy is illegal and heavily punishable. In one case, a university student was given 35 years (later reduced) for Facebook comments. The intent is to preserve national harmony around the monarchy, but outsiders must be vigilant: any mention of the king (or showing his portrait) must be purely respectful.
Thailand’s laws on royal criticism are famously strict. Article 112 of the Criminal Code – the lèse-majesté law – makes it a crime to defame, insult or threaten the king or royal family. Each offense can draw 3–15 years in prison. In practice the law has been applied broadly: even social-media posts or offhand remarks can result in lengthy sentences. The British Foreign Office explicitly warns visitors that criticism of the monarchy is illegal and heavily punishable. In one case, a university student was given 35 years (later reduced) for Facebook comments. The intent is to preserve national harmony around the monarchy, but outsiders must be vigilant: any mention of the king (or showing his portrait) must be purely respectful.
In the Philippines, karaoke (videoke) is ubiquitous – so noise complaints have been political hot potatoes. A proposed House Bill 1035 (2018) would have made it illegal to hold karaoke outside 8 a.m.–10 p.m., imposing fines or six months’ jail. Similar ideas were even suggested by President Duterte. However, this curfew never became law. Today, singing hours are governed by general noise ordinances rather than a special karaoke statute. In practice, frustrated neighbors might call the police, but offenders are usually told to quiet down rather than prosecuted. In short, Filipinos can still belt out ballads, but discretion is expected late at night.
A favorite internet “law” claims that in Switzerland it’s illegal to flush a toilet after 10 p.m. In reality, Swiss building regulations only establish general quiet hours in apartments; no federal law bans flushing. As Politifact notes, “these regulations do not prevent people from flushing toilets late at night”. In fact, Swiss experts confirm there are no blanket rules on such household noises. Individual landlords may impose “quiet hour” clauses, but a sweeping prohibition on toilets would be impractical and, local authorities say, unenforceable. In short, you won’t go to jail for midnight plumbing in Zurich.
In 2008, Gérard Lalanne, mayor of Sarpourenx, France, made international headlines by “outlawing” death for those without burial plots. The law read: “All persons not having a plot … are forbidden from dying in the territory of the commune. Offenders will be severely punished”. The backstory was that the village cemetery was full and expansion blocked by higher authorities. Lalanne’s decree was pure satire – a protest to draw attention to bureaucracy. The villagers and the press took it tongue-in-cheek. Within months, a cemetery enlargement was authorized. Obviously, one cannot legally punish someone for dying, so this ordinance is symbolic. It highlights local frustration, not an actual criminal code.
One of Britain’s oft-cited odd laws is Section 32 of the Salmon Act 1986. It punishes anyone who “receives or handles” salmon in “suspicious circumstances.” This sounds whimsical, but it was written for a serious reason: to clamp down on salmon poaching. In plain terms, “suspicious” means knowingly dealing in fish that were illegally caught. Prosecutors use it to close a loophole when poachers sell or distribute illegal salmon. The law even was extended to trout in 1998. In short, while the phrasing is peculiar, the statute’s purpose is straightforward wildlife protection. Poachers and sellers of stolen salmon are the real targets.
According to legend, Milan’s streets are regulated by a “happy law” requiring all citizens to smile. This story has some basis in history: under Austro-Hungarian rule in 1876, Milan enacted a municipal edict essentially mandating a pleasant public demeanor, with exceptions for funerals or illness. In practice today it’s more folklore than law. The old ordinance is locally remembered as a quirky leftover, but no one is ticketed for a serious face. Visitors and locals alike usually interpret it as a charming piece of trivia. Some tour guides even point it out playfully, but ask any Milanese – enforcement doesn’t exist in modern times.
Greece has a practical reason for one of its weirder laws: protecting antiquities from damage. Since 2009, Athens and other sites ban pointed high-heeled shoes at archaeological venues. Museums and ruins put up warning signs: wearing heels can crack soft marble. Tourists caught violating the ban face fines (initially €150, reports say some sites raise it to €900). The rule is real and enforced at major landmarks. Archeologists explain that even small risks (stiletto tip) add up to serious erosion over time. On a visit, you’ll often see women swapping into plastic footwear or simple flats at the entrance. It’s one of those odd but sensible regulations that sneaks up on travelers who didn’t read the guidebook.
A persistent myth claims an Arkansas statute forbids pronouncing the state name incorrectly. In truth, the only “rule” came from an 1881 legislative resolution encouraging the pronunciation “Ar-kan-saw.” Crucially, it carried no penalties. No Arkansas law criminalizes saying “Arkansaw.” The legend of fines or jail for mispronunciation is just that – a legend. Even the Arkansas Gazette notes it was a jovial change of spelling, not an enforceable rule. American tourists can say the state’s name any way they like without fear of arrest.
You may have heard that Arizona forbids a donkey in your bathtub after 7 p.m. – another oft-repeated “dumb law.” This is apocryphal. No Arizona statute addresses livestock in plumbing fixtures. The myth likely originates from a misinterpreted 1920s Oklahoma law and has no basis in Arizona’s Revised Statutes. Legal analysts agree it’s pure fiction. In short, Arizona’s laws, however quirky, do not include any donkey-bathtub clause. Travelers should note it for amusement, but not for compliance.
Canada’s criminal code once contained a surprising-sounding offense: Section 365 made it illegal to “pretend to exercise witchcraft” for fraudulent purposes. In effect, fortune-tellers or clairvoyants operating as scammers could be prosecuted under this provision. However, this was a legacy law dating back to 1892, and it was repealed in 2018. In practice, prosecution under Section 365 was extremely rare in modern times. Today, Canadians should know that pretending to be a psychic is no longer a crime in itself (though fraud is), and the old “witchcraft law” no longer exists.
Oklahoma law explicitly forbids secret eavesdropping on private conversations. For example, Oklahoma Statutes Title 21 §1202 makes it a crime to “secretly loiter about any house or building … for the purpose of overhearing the discourse” of others, intending to annoy or injure them. In practice, this means you can’t lurk outside a home or car to record someone else’s talk without their knowledge and harass them with it. Ordinary conversation and public photography are not targeted – the law is aimed at hidden listening devices or spies. For travelers, the takeaway is straightforward: listening in without permission to private talks is unlawful in Oklahoma.
In Western Australia’s post-war era, potato farming was heavily regulated. The Potato Marketing Corporation was empowered to enforce production quotas. Under these rules, officers could stop vehicles suspected of carrying more than 50 kilograms of potatoes, seize the excess as evidence, and prosecute the owner. This bizarre-sounding rule was designed to prevent market oversupply after World War II. In recent decades, potato marketing controls have been largely deregulated, so this law is effectively a historical curiosity. (Today you can buy 60 kg of potatoes at Costco without fear of prosecution.)
A widespread claim has it that only licensed electricians can change a light bulb in Victoria. In fact, the law explicitly lists lightbulb replacement as a permitted task for ordinary people. Victoria’s electrical regulations exempt “insertion or removal of a light globe” that doesn’t require live wire access. In other words, if changing the bulb doesn’t expose the socket, you don’t need a certificate. The confusion may come from rules against DIY rewiring, but replacing a lamp in a household socket is allowed for anyone. The Victorian government clarifies: dealing with live circuits requires a professional, but everyday bulb swaps do not.
One of the internet’s most viral claims is that Samoa punishes husbands for forgetting their wife’s birthday. Local fact-checkers and legal experts have roundly debunked this. The Samoa Observer reports that a local lawyer called the story “purely apocryphal”. A search of Samoa’s statutes uncovered no such law on the books. In reality, Samoa has typical family laws, but none involve birth dates. This legend appears to have originated from dubious social-media posts and has no basis in Samoan law or custom.
A notorious legend claims that in York, England, one may legally shoot Scots with a bow and arrow. This story has no statutory basis. Historians and York officials find no trace of any law granting such an exemption. As skeptical researchers note, even if local wartime ordinances once allowed targeting enemies in city walls, those lapsed long ago with the advent of peace. Modern UK law makes murder unlawful regardless of nationality. In short, this lurid tale is modern folklore, not an actual statute.
Internet lists often warn tourists not to drive barefoot in America, implying fines. In truth, driving without shoes is legal in all 50 states. There is no federal or state statute that bans barefoot driving. Experts point out that sandals or even no shoes are technically allowed, though not recommended for maximum pedal grip. So if you hop into an American car shoeless, you won’t break any law – it’s only considered a “bad idea” by safety advocates. Authorities have confirmed time and again that any such prohibition is false.
Some blogs claim that NASA can jail you for touching aliens, citing an “extraterrestrial exposure” law. This was once a real regulation: CFR 14 §1211, effective 1969–1977, gave NASA the power to quarantine astronauts and anyone who contacted space materials after lunar missions. However, that rule was repealed in 1977 (and formally removed in 1991). There is no current federal law incarcerating people for alien exposure. Today’s space travelers are not subject to any mysterious U.S. quarantine statutes. The story survives only as an amusing legal footnote, not a present-day reality.
The UK’s quirky salmon law is better understood in context of 19th-century poaching problems. By 1986, authorities wanted to close a loophole whereby poachers could sell fish without being caught in the act. Section 32 of the Salmon Act was enacted so that anyone who handles salmon they know was illegally caught can be prosecuted. The odd phrase “suspicious circumstances” simply refers to having reason to suspect the fish came from illicit waters. Conservation experts note that this law added teeth to anti-poaching efforts and is enforced by wildlife agencies. In short, protecting native salmon stocks was the serious motive behind the strange wording.
In Singapore, the seemingly draconian gum prohibition had a down-to-earth origin. The Land Transport Authority recorded that in 1988–90, train disruptions caused by gum-gummed doors accumulated many lost service hours. There was no easy cleanup: sensors had to be replaced. Rather than repeatedly repair the lines, Lee Kuan Yew’s government banned gum to prevent the problem at its source. In short, the ban was a direct response to a vandalism crisis. By removing gum from circulation, Singapore drastically cut maintenance headaches and improved public cleanliness. What started as a nuisance complaint thus shaped policy.
The world’s “weird laws” reveal much about local history, culture and priorities. Often a so-called crazy statute reflects an unusual incident or collective value rather than random whimsy. For travelers, the lesson is clear: respect local rules and look beyond viral myths. Knowing the true stories behind these laws keeps you out of trouble and enriches your understanding of each place. A pop-trivia list can only entertain, but a deeper dive – such as this guide – equips you to navigate odd regulations wisely. Next time you hear an outrageous law claim, remember to check reliable sources: armed with context, you can travel confidently and curiously.
