These Normal Things Are Prohibited Around the World

Bright Side

You'd be surprised at some of the everyday things that are banned in different parts of the world! For example, chewing gum is a big no-no in Singapore because they want to keep their streets clean. In Milan, Italy, it’s actually illegal to frown in public unless you’re at a funeral or visiting someone in the hospital. Australia has some strict quarantine laws, so you can't bring in fresh fruits or vegetables. Even something as common as wearing high heels is banned at certain historical sites in Greece to protect the ancient monuments!  Animation is created by Bright Side. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Music from TheSoul Sound: https://thesoul-sound.com/   Check our Bright Side podcast on Spotify and leave a positive review! https://open.spotify.com/show/0hUkPxD34jRLrMrJux4VxV   Subscribe to Bright Side: https://goo.gl/rQTJZz ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Our Social Media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brightside Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brightside.official TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@brightside.official?lang=en   Stock materials (photos, footages and other): https://www.depositphotos.com https://www.shutterstock.com https://www.eastnews.ru ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  For more videos and articles visit: http://www.brightside.me  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This video is made for entertainment purposes. We do not make any warranties about the completeness, safety and reliability. Any action you take upon the information in this video is strictly at your own risk, and we will not be liable for any damages or losses. It is the viewer's responsibility to use judgement, care and precaution if you plan to replicate.

Transcript

00:00You know how they say, when in Rome, do as the Romans do?

00:04Meaning, in Rome, you need to make sure your goldfish has a deluxe bowl to live in.

00:10In Nigeria, don't you dare to bring your own wheelbarrow!

00:14And perish the thought of adding as much mayo as you want to your dish when you're in

00:18France!

00:19Yep, bans around the world may be surprising, to say the least!

00:24Number 1.

00:25You will never see a good old doorknob in Vancouver, Canada.

00:29Some time ago, the city changed its building code to require the use of cool and sleek

00:33door levers instead.

00:35This change is all about making buildings more accessible and easier to use.

00:39Not only new buildings are getting a new makeover.

00:42Even Vancouver's historic City Hall had its fancy Art Deco doorknobs replaced with

00:47shiny gold levers.

00:49But it's not that you can't legally have it in your house.

00:52There isn't a team of doorknob police coming to your house to confiscate your knobs.

00:56You can keep them as long as you like.

01:00Number 2 comes with a GeoGuessr tip for y'all.

01:04If you see this chair in the picture, it means it's 100% not in Basel, Switzerland.

01:09It's called a monoblock chair, and it's special.

01:12You see, most objects give away clues about when and where they're from, like the shape

01:17of electrical outlets or the labels on your shampoo bottle.

01:21But the monoblock is context-free.

01:23Some people call them one of the world's most perfectly designed objects, while others

01:27say the homogenous nature of the chair is disturbing and the real evil of globalization.

01:33But why is it banned in Basel?

01:35Turns out the authorities just want the city to be pretty, and the chair design isn't

01:40to their liking.

01:41Right, if you want to keep one in your backyard, feel free.

01:44But they've been a big no in public spaces since 2008.

01:503.

01:52If you were ever thinking of bringing a wheelbarrow to Nigeria, I've got some news for you.

01:57Don't even try.

01:58Should you need it for some reason during your stay in Nigeria, just buy one there when

02:02you arrive.

02:04The authorities won't let you bring your imported wheelbarrow across the border.

02:08Why?

02:09Well, they're all about supporting their own manufacturing industry, so they want to

02:12give their local wheelbarrow makers a chance to shine.

02:184.

02:19We've got China, where the authorities decided to put a stop to time travel.

02:24Wait a minute, it's not what you think.

02:25No time travel machine has been invented.

02:28The ban is on TV shows and movies.

02:31By the way, it's not something new.

02:32The law was introduced in the early 2010s.

02:35Apparently, the big shots in charge want to keep things real and are not too keen on distorting

02:41historical events.

02:42They say some scripts are getting a bit too wild, making up myths, promoting superstition,

02:48and disrespecting the country's past.

02:515.

02:52Coffee pods.

02:53They've become super popular because they make brewing coffee so easy.

02:57But Hamburg, Germany doesn't seem to be a fan of those pods.

03:01Around 8 years ago, they took a stand by banning plastic coffee pods from authorities' offices.

03:07These little pods are made of various materials, making recycling a real challenge.

03:11While it's true that these coffee capsules can create a lot of problems, they're still

03:16loved by many.

03:17In fact, they've become a big hit in the US and Europe, making up a chunk of the coffee

03:22market.

03:23Hamburg is hoping to lead the way in showing people just how wasteful these pods really

03:28are.

03:296.

03:30Chewing gum.

03:31It has been banned in Singapore since 1992.

03:35The ban was put in place to stop people from sticking gum in all sorts of weird places

03:40like subway doors, lock cylinders, and elevator buttons.

03:44Yuck!

03:45But costly train shenanigans were the last straw for the authorities.

03:49The ban was put in place after some serious gum incidents on the Mass Rapid Transit or

03:54MRT trains in the late 80s.

03:56Some mischievous pranksters have been gumming up the works on MRT trains by sticking chewing

04:02gum on the door sensors.

04:04That caused a sticky situation and messed up train services.

04:08And there you have it, chewing gum got completely banned.

04:12Just a note here, yep, these are gums prescribed for therapeutic or dental reasons.

04:17And yep, they're still allowed.

04:18Also, don't get this whole ban wrong, it's not illegal to chew gum in Singapore.

04:23So if you come there as a tourist, you can bring in a little gum for personal use if

04:27you're traveling.

04:29Just don't stick it under this nice park bench, okay?

04:32What will create you a ton of troubles, though, is importing and selling chewing gum.

04:40Iceland is number 7 in our ban hit parade.

04:43Back in 1994, Reykjavik was like, no dogs allowed.

04:47It wasn't because they were all about cats, it was to stop this nasty tapeworm from spreading.

04:52The disease was serious business, causing all sorts of health problems.

04:57But don't worry, dogs are cool now as long as they follow the rules.

05:01Nowadays in Reykjavik, it's all about the cats.

05:04They're everywhere, roaming the streets like they, you know, own the place.

05:08You can't walk two steps without seeing a furry little friend begging for attention.

05:13These Reykjavik kitties are so popular that they even have their own Facebook page.

05:17People love them, and some even carry around treats just in case they come across a friendly

05:22feline.

05:24And since there aren't many threats to cats in Iceland, they're thriving.

05:288.

05:29The Philippines Now this one is really weird.

05:32Singing My Way in karaoke bars is sort of banned in this country.

05:36This seemingly harmless song has been linked to some pretty serious consequences, like

05:41fistfights and even people's early demise.

05:44No one knows the exact number of lethal cases caused by this song, but there have been at

05:49least a handful of incidents in the last 10 years.

05:52The song's lyrics, which can come off as a bit arrogant and prideful, seem to rile

05:57people up when sung in a not-so-great way.

06:00This has led some karaoke bars to unofficially ban the song to prevent any craziness from

06:06breaking out.

06:089.

06:09Hey, have you heard about Japan's Metabo Law?

06:12It's all about measuring waist sizes to tackle obesity.

06:15It was introduced in 2008, and the idea was that if companies and local authorities didn't

06:21meet the goals, they would face financial penalties.

06:24The Ministry of Health believed this campaign would help prevent various health conditions.

06:29So every year, people aged 40 to 75 had to get their waist measured.

06:35Employers and local authorities needed to make sure at least 65% of people participated.

06:41The goal was to reduce Japan's obesity rates by 25% by 2015.

06:46And if they hadn't made it, they would have gotten slapped with a fine.

06:50Did it work?

06:51Well, in 2024, there are only 4.5% of people who reportedly have weight issues in Japan.

06:5810.

07:00And we're back to Canada.

07:01So if you catch someone in there counting out pennies in line, you can totally have

07:05some fun with them, legally speaking, of course.

07:08According to the Canadian Currency Act, there's a limit to the number of pennies you can use

07:12in a transaction.

07:1425, to be exact.

07:16So if someone tries using 26 coins, you can play sheriff and send them to coin jail.

07:22Snatch up their pennies as evidence, yeah.

07:2511.

07:26And a condiment-regulated country here.

07:29Apparently in France, they're cracking down on condiments in public schools.

07:34They're trying to make meals healthier for students.

07:36The rule is that you can't just go crazy with mayo, ketchup, and vinaigrette anymore.

07:41They have to be served according to the dish.

07:4412.

07:45Finally, Italy.

07:46In Rome, you can't keep your goldfish in a boring old glass bowl.

07:51Nope, that's considered cruel because those little guys need their oxygen flow.

07:55Plus, if you keep them in a bowl for too long, they might go blind.

07:59Also, you can't give away goldfishes' prizes.

08:02The law has a whole subsection about it.

08:05So if you're planning on bringing a goldfish home from your next trip to Rome, make sure

08:09you've got a fancy tank ready for them.

08:12And thank you for watching!

08:14That's it for today!

08:17So hey, if you pacified your curiosity, then give the video a like and share it with your

08:22friends!

08:23Or if you want more, just click on these videos and stay on the Bright Side!

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