holiday-makers beware

Strange foreign laws which holidaymakers should be wary about

Singing whilst wearing a swimming costume and carrying an ice cream cone in a back pocket on a Sunday are just two foreign laws of which holidaymakers should be wary, according to a new guide.

Other prohibitions they cite include laws against unmarried women parachuting on a Sunday and flushing the lavatory after 10pm, according to the travellers' compendium.

It comes after a string of cases involving holidaymakers getting arrested abroad. In May an Australian mother was arrested for stealing a beer coaster from a nightclub in Thailand.

Last year two Britons were convicted of indecency after being caught having sex on a beach in Dubai. They were initially given three-month jail terms but these were suspended on appeal.

In April visitors to Malaysia were warned they face up to a year in jail if they behaved too affectionately in public after a local couple were arrested for holding hands and kissing.

Here is the list of examples of which holidaymakers should be aware:

1. In Milan it is a legal requirement to smile at all times, except during funerals or hospital visits.
2. In Massachusetts, taxi drivers are prohibited from making love in the front seat of the car during their shifts.
3. In Denmark, people are legally obliged to honk the horn and check for small children underneath the car.
4. In Thailand, it is illegal for anyone to leave a building without wearing their pants.
5. In Michigan, anyone planning on bathing in public must have their swim suit inspected by a police officer.
6. In Florida, any unmarried woman who parachutes on a Sunday could be jailed. Singing while wearing a swimming costume is also prohibited.
7. In Portugal it is unlawful to urinate in the sea.
8. In Hong Kong the wife of a husband who commits adultery is legally entitled to kill the mistress in any manner desired, and the husband with just her bare hands.
9. In Switzerland flushing the lavatory after 10pm is illegal.
10. In Canada if you are arrested and then released from prison, it is a legal requirement that the felon is given a handgun with bullets and a horse, so they can ride safely out of the town.

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