People Share The Craziest Things That Are Somehow Legal In Certain Countries
Reddit user fittingpenguin asked: 'What’s the craziest yet still legal thing in your country?'
As foreigners who travel, it's easy to be overcome by culture shock while taking in the sights of different countries.
But we may behave in ways that are completely normal for us back home but are not acceptable in the places we're visiting.
Which makes sense.
There are rules and restrictions we should be aware of before we arrive in a foreign country.
Redditor fittingpenguin solicited input from strangers online to weigh in on conflicting international rules by asking:
"What’s the craziest yet still legal thing in your country?
You probably didn't know these were actual rules.
No Complaining
"A direct ancestor/descendant or spouse of an individual cannot file a theft complaint against that individual except if it's essential documents, like an ID."
– ObjectiveMountain900
Who's The Baby Daddy?
"I always thought the paternity test one was worse for France. Your not allowed to perform one even if you've good suspicion the child may not be yours and you could be liable to child support for another person's kid."
– SoloWingPixy88
Bees Take The Lead
"In Germany, you are allowed to enter private property to follow your honey bee swarm if the swarm is escaping and looking for a new hive."
– lizaahunn
"this is actually the case in lots of countries, where I am they can legally enter your yard to come to get them."
– WRA1THLORD
Things get very specific and downright shocking.
Gotta Be Pitch-Perfect
"In Belgium, anybody can sing or play an instrument in the Streets. In the city of Leuven however, you can be fined if you play your instrument off-key."
– Zuid-Dietscher
"To be fair to Leuven, with all the students running around doing it, I don't blame them."
– Blasmere
Careful The Things You Say
"Someone can be found guilty of defamation even if what that person said or wrote is 100 percent true."
– EHonda92m
"Japan. e.g. if you expose someone for having an affair, that person can sue you for defamation. I suppose it's an expectation of privacy. The only exception is if it's in the "public interest" to know this information."
– TheOvy
Everyone's Playground
"You can freely walk, bike or ski in the nature on any private property. As long as it's not counted as a breach of domestic peace or you are not ruining their crop field or something. For example, even though you see a sign 'private property' in the forest. You are free to go pick mushrooms and berries there. Or you can even fish there freely (only with basic worm fishing rod though) if there's a lake on the property. You can even set up a tent on someone's private property for a short time (1-2 nights) as long as you aren't littering or disturbing anyone for example being noisy or on the way. The country is Finland, and these things are in the Finnish constitution as 'every man's/everyone's rights.'"
– RamuPamu1
What happens if you break the law? There doesn't seem to be consequences here.
Prison Break
"I don't know if it's really crazy, I personally think it's good and reasonable, but here in germany it's not punishable to escape from prison."
"Of course in reality they might charge you with other things like property damage or assault etc. if you damage something or someone on the way out but the act of breaking out itself can't prolong your sentence because the need to be free is a fundamental human desire."
– PetrosiliusZwackel
The Warden's Story
"I watched a doc on European prisons some years back and in a Croatian prison they talked to the warden. He told a story about a man who escaped. A week or so after the escape the prison received a package containing the man’s prison uniform."
"Since he had committed no crimes while escaping (just walked out the doors) and while an escapee, the only thing they could have charged him with was stealing his prison uniform. But since he returned it, there was nothing to charge and he just had to finish out his original sentence."
– CornyCornheiser
Leaving Civilly Is Not A Crime
"Basically, the normal rules of society apply. If you punch a guard to get past them, that's still a crime. If they leave you unattended with the door open or you sneak out under a lorry, that isn't a crime. They can still catch you and return you, but you can't be charged with attempted or successful escape, just any crimes committed in the process."
– Death_God_Ryuk
It's The Soldiers' Call
"Also Germany, soldiers are allowed to disobey orders if they think it violates human dignity. There are other nations with similar rules or even obligations regarding human rights and violation of geneva convention, but protecting even their own dignity is unique (I think)"
– f_cysco
This doesn't have legal consequences but slurping noodles at the dinner table is perfectly acceptable in Japan.
As a matter of fact, the Japanese encourage it.
The Japanese believe that eating noodles while they're piping hot is the best way to enjoy them.
Also, what is perceived as rude etiquette in other countries is actually a sign of validation that the cook prepared the dish well.
Traveling the world can be a highly enlightening experience.
It opens us up to various cultures and customs that can only expand our wisdom of the capabilities of what people can achieve while also reminding us that we are all the same.
And while there are common practices that are shared by different nations, there are some things that Americans seem to excel at more than in other countries.
Curious to hear exmples of these, Redditor Tannerman1 asked:
"What does America do better than most countries?"
North America provides everything in abundance.
It's A-maize-ing
"Turning corn into things that are not corn."
– Aeekio
"When you have this much corn, what else do you do with it?"
– Beautiful-Page3135
"Being from Illinois please do something with all this corn."
– LordofTheFlagon
Maritime Airbase
"Aircraft carriers."
– Tubbaaoo
"I think the stat is something like the US has half of all the large carriers in the world right now. I do know in WW2 by the end of 1944 or 45 they had more escort carriers in service than most countries had naval ships commissioned in the country's entire history."
– FLABANGED
The Great Outdoors
"National parks, we also have amazing state parks and local parks."
"Before anyone starts no you having woods too isn't the same thing."
– Dull-Geologist-8204
"I’m not sure the very idea of a National Park would be a thing if not for ol Teddy Roosevelt, and the United States making them the thing they are."
– NicksAunt
Americans are very social people that have no qualms reaching out to a stranger.
Sometimes, that's a real good thing.
"Chatting, I’m from a European country where most people will avoid talking to stranger. But you can literally talk to anyone you met in the street in the US and most of them are willing to talk."
– FloorSad3826
Forming A Bond
"People in many parts of the US do talk. I’m from the US and I’m kind of introvert, but I’ve actually have grown to love it as I’ve gotten older. I’m a white guy in a mostly black neighborhood and I f'king love going to the grocery store. We have this awesome little actual grocery store and everyone talks to me. It’s basically the friendliest place I’ve ever been."
"There’s an old dude who just starts spouting off with trivia questions to anyone who will listen. I responded with the answer to one and he was like, “How the f'k did you know the answer to that?'”
“I’m a biologist.”
"He and I are basically best friends now."
– sloppy_biography
Three Guys Walk Into A Bar...
"I have had this experience. The only people who would talk in pubs in London were an Irishman, a Lebanese fellow, and the Nepalese bartender. There’s a joke in there somewhere. They were super cool cats, too. Oh, and the guy I chatted with in a bar in Paris, also Lebanese. None of the locals would speak more than a few words."
"Americans? We’ll talk half an hour to a wrong number."
"Side note: Does anybody know if everyone in Lebanon actually knows everybody else? It has now happened twice that I’ve met people on different continents who knew each other’s siblings."
– Lemur-Tacos-768
The Germany Connection
"I met a chatty lady in Germany once and when I told her she was a friendliest person I’d met in Germany she said very quickly: 'Oh, I’m not from here, I’m from Sweden.' Then we both laughed loudly and got the side eye from the Germans."
– Syd_Vicious3375
When it comes to certain American activities, it's no contest.
Just To Be Frank
"Hot dog eating contests"
– First_Ad5835
"I was going to say that the champion of the Nathan’s Famous contest is Japanese, but I looked it up & Joey Chestnut is the current reigning champion."
– sagitta_luminus
Americans Are Globally Recognized Due To...
"Dominate media and pop culture around the world. Nobody else comes close to the US in this regard."
– DougyTwoScoops
Accommodating Everyone
"I haven't been in a lot of countries, but from my limited experience, it's the Americans With Disabilities Act."
"I have a lot of complaints about it, but I can still say that using public transportation doesn't require me to walk down or up 40 steps, with the alternative being walking . 3 miles to find an elevator that can fit one person at a time and moves so slowly it's barely usable."
– oneofyrfencegrls
What You Didn't Know
"Ironically enough science. The US has more Nobel Prize winners of all other countries combined. And here's the key thing: many of those researchers were immigrants, or at least didn't have family going back to the Mayflower."
"Also this will really sound ironic: tolerance for other cultures. The US is among the most diverse nations in the world. The most iconic American cultural icons are ultimately a mix of local and international traditions. Asiatic countries are super duper racists, but we call them 'xenophobic.'"
"Agriculture. The US is a behemoth when it comes to agriculture and agriscience. The biggest issues is cultivating for logistics instead of taste. Those yield however come with technologies other nations find repugnant and so ban American imports to protect domestic agriculture."
"Charity. Americans as a whole donate more to charities than any other nation, and on a per capita basis as well. Most Americans probably see ads or donation boxes on a daily basis."
– WiryCatchphrase
I'm not sure if it's a good or bad thing but American establishments can dish out sizable portions of food for what dining patrons pay for.
Some entrees at restaurants are enough for sharing and ordering one main plate can be an economical option to allow room for a variety of other dishes–including dessert–without breaking the bank.
Go big, or go home, right?
Food is a culture all its own.
That is why people get so wrapped up in it.
What we eat, how we eat, and when are part of our identity.
We should study breakfast more.
Some people love cereal, others caviar and smoked salmon.
To eat each their own.
Now I need some eggs benedict.
Redditor harrypotterfan04 wanted to discuss the extent of the breakfast menu.
"What is a traditional breakfast item in your culture?"
Any breakfast food does it for me. American style, teach me about some new eats.
Oh Man
Chai Masala GIFGiphy"Paratha (flat unleavened bread) with tea."
otherworldlymystery
"Oh gosh paratha with spicy dal and chai… oh man."
Professional-County1
Classics
"Biscuits and gravy (gravy can have sausage or just be regular Sawmill gravy)."
mamalea68
"I have an English co-worker I introduced biscuits and gravy to when she came to Texas. She loved it so much she makes it at home. Took a minute to get past the fact that both 'biscuits' and 'gravy' means different things here."
My_browsing
"Buttermilk biscuits look like your version of scones but they’re soft and fluffy inside and taste buttery. They’re delicious warm with butter and jam or with southern sausage gravy, hence, biscuits and gravy."
Send_me_snoot_pics
Not Disappointed
"Simple steamed cakes made from a rice and black gram flour... we call it IDLIS. Usually have it with a side of Chutneys (coconuts, onions or coriander leaves ground into a paste and seasoned)."
Jon_Bill_22
"Yup expected this and wasn’t disappointed. Though India does have a billion kinds of dishes for every time of the day. But that’s the best part! (I say while sipping my chai with namkeen)."
Scarlaire
A Nice Mix
"Nasi lemak ( coconut milk rice served with a spicy chili paste, crispy fried anchovies, roasted peanuts, cucumbers and a hard boiled egg) and teh tarik (frothy, milky, pulled tea)."
wounded-buttefly
"Kaya toast (coconut jam spread on toast with slabs of butter) + soft boiled eggs (drizzled with dark soy sauce and pepper) + teh c siew dai (tea with evaporated milk and less sugar)."
xxChocoQueenxx
I'm Hashed!
Food Reaction GIF by SpongeBob SquarePantsGiphy"Scrapple, or corned beef hash."
Devilcactus
"OMG MY DAD LOVES CORNED BEEF HASH! I used to eat it when I was little but it was from a restaurant that stoped selling it years and years ago. I'd love to make it for my dad but I have no idea what its made of. I was like 7 so I wasn't paying attention to what it was. It was just tasty."
BushyTailFoxThing
Oh, how I love me some hash. Serve it UP!
Spicy
Giphy"Tamale and arroz con leche - Guatemalan."
Photograph-Fluffy
"There was a woman where I used to live in Brooklyn who'd sell both by the entrance of the subway. It was always a great morning when I'd get her tamales verde and arroz con leche."
scarletcrimsonrouge
Gimme Me!
"Chilaquiles. Tortillas cut into squares, fried and then tossed in salsa then topped with a fried egg, queso fresco, avocado or whatever."
ChickenBootty
"I want this right now."
f4snks
"Every time I make mole verde I make chilaquiles. Haven’t made them in a while but chilaquiles with soupy refried beans and queso fresco is one of my favorites too."
ChickenBootty
The Spread
"Kaisersemmel oder Wachauer Laberl mit Butter und Marillenmarmelade. Special white bread roll with butter and apricot jam."
periwinkle_fluff
"In Austria it is mainly the shape that makes it special. You get them from the bakery or the supermarket. Kaisersemmel is folded kind of like a flower, wachauer laberl is special to the Region of wachau. But homemade is okay too 🙈 The apricot jam NEEDS to be homemade though. Bonus points if the apricots are from your own garden."
periwinkle_fluff
Savory Save Me
"Beschuit. It's a light, dry, slightly sweet cookie topped with either something savory or sweet. It tastes better than is sounds. It is also a tradition to eat to them to celebrate a birth topped with butter and anise seeds coated in white and blue/pink sugar."
dedoktersassistente
Right Away!
Food Eating GIFGiphy"Bolillo (salty bread, toasty and crunchy on the outside, super soft inside ) in Mexico , it’s not uncommon for people to line up outside the bakery to get them straight out of the oven."'
alasdestrozadas
Now I'm hungry. For anything.
People Break Down Which Things Seem Normal In Their Country And Strange In Another Culture
When traveling abroad, one need only set one foot in a foreign country and realize just how different their culture and customs are to ours.
While Americans would certainly expect this in countries on different continents, where they speak a different language, they might find themselves surprised that even our northern neighbors in Canada still have a noticeably different way of life to ours.
And likewise, visitors from abroad, be it Canada or Cambodia, will likely find themselves startled at things Americans find commonplace.
Redditor kerris2508 was curious to learn about things which are everyday occurrences in some countries which foreigners might find bizarre, leading them to ask:
"What is something that in your culture is normal, but in another place is a weird thing?"
All in one shopping!
"Getting a sausage from a hardware shop."- effjayyelle
Self-sufficient babies.
"To leave the stroller. with the sleeping baby inside it, outside a café, while the mom/dad sits inside, if the weather is good.
"Denmark."
"It's a common thing all over Scandinavia/Scandinavian Peninsula."
"I'm specifically mentioning Denmark because I live here."- Lumisateessa
Don't be fooled by their gaze
"In Vietnam, when you order in places with menus."
"The waiter will stare at you when you chose food."- The-tank-has
Staring Jon Hamm GIF by NETFLIXGiphyMake up your minds!
"Using a puzzling mixture of metric and imperial measurements, for example, measuring cooking ingredients in grams but measuring body weight in stones."- TailsxCream4Eva
A dark sense of humor?
"Some casual Iranian sayings of endearment:"
“'I want to eat your liver'.”
“'I will sacrifice my life for you'.”
“'My stomach is tight for you'.”
“'Wishing your breath to be warm'.”
"Not endearing, but 'dirt on your head' if you are upset with someone, essentially meaning that you should be buried'."- fatdonkey54
Read my lips. No, I'm serious.
"Pointing to a direction with your lips."- The_Crow
Luv U Better Flirting GIF by LL Cool JGiphyA unique, national holiday.
"Celebrating a chubby, mystical, groundhog that can predict the end of winter based on its shadow :o."- Senator_Morgana
Be proud of your home, wherever you go!
"I wouldn't say this is part of my culture, but in both Kenya and India, when you go to the movies they play the national anthem on screen before the trailers and everyone has to stand up."
"I'd been away for so long that I'd completely forgotten this craziness and was visiting my mum, went to watch a movie, everyone stood up and I was so confused until the memories were unlocked."- ArterialSludge
We're all family!
"Addressing strangers using terms used for family members like brother, sister, uncle, aunty, grandpa, etc."
"The most common being brother/sister."
"We have unique words representing all 4 variations of little/big brother/sister."
"And guess what, one day you would be calling a girl 'baini' (little sister), that girl be calling you 'dai' (big brother) and a couple weeks later you are dating each other and ditch the sibling style addressing."
"Then you either call each other by name or come up with nicknames."
"I'm from Nepal."- secCcosMOS
Im Good Fx Networks GIF by Reservation DogsGiphyWorshiping the ground you walk on.
"Touching elders' feet as a greeting and sign of respect."- ScallionUnited192
No restless leg syndrome here!
"Standing while working."
"Bet you’ll never guess where I live."- Th3MysticArcher
Nothing wrong with saving yourself...
"I dunno if it's a culture thing coz some do it, some don't : bride and groom have to tell whether they're virgin or not to the priest / someone who'll perform the wedding...in front of people."
"And they will perform some kind of ritual or some sh*t."
"I wasn't even aware of this thing until a year ago."
"No way in hell I'll do that in future."- calloftheVoid__
Oh My God Reaction GIF by LifetimeGiphyNothing wrong with a little affection
"Men holding hands while walking."- born_of_water
"Brazilians, and most Latin people, are super physical when it comes to showing affecting to everyone."
"Even strangers."
"it’s normal to meet someone and hug them and kiss them in the cheek."
"I was shocked when my best friend, who’s a Canadian, said she never hugs her friends because it’s really weird to do it there."
"LOL."- brazilian-queen
Depending on where you're from...
"The Pledge of Allegiance."- Guska-siilka
Some places are luckier than others
"Constant disasters."
"I thought it was normal until i saw a video talking about how my country is screwed."- thinkwithmorethanone
An effective healthcare system? The Very Thought!
"I love the Dutch healthcare system."
"Went to the doc, everything was arranged."
'No calls, all visible in online environment."
"A message your prescription can be picked up outside the pharmacy with code xxxxx."
"I pick it up from an automat, no need to wait in a line."
"And the next appointment was already made online automatically."
"All free of any charge, love it."- Remseey2907
Health Care GIF by Creative CourageGiphyBidets are due for a comeback.
"Apparently, washing our a** with water."- themachinedoll
Will cash soon be a thing of the past?
"Paying for everything via phone."
"Even some beggars will have a code for people to scan so they can donate."
"Cash is really uncommon nowadays."
"Most people don't carry cash anymore when going shopping except old people."
"We use AliPay/WechatPay in China."- Thetrucksimfan2
Thats quite a variation on "red sauce"...
"Strawberry sauce and pasta."- SakuraSpice
Strawberry GIFGiphyCulture shock is very real, and takes some getting used to.
But rather than gape at things with an open mouth, try thinking about them with an open mind in your new surroundings.
And who knows, you might find yourself bringing these customs back home with you.
We like to think we're individual snowflakes, dancing around on this planet until we land on the soft, gentle tongue of death.
What?
Turns out, we're not as unique as we think. Ever meet someone with the same name as you? Weird, right?
How do we tell Jennifer apart from Jennifer, or which Zach is the one with brown hair and the one with blonde.
Thankfully your name isn't something so unbelievably common sounding that it sounds made up, like John Smith, or something.
That's only here in America, though. What about the rest of the world?
Reddit user, iceninekills10, wanted to know the 'John Smiths' of your country when they asked:
"what is the "john smith",most generic name, in your country?"
When You're A Jet, You're The Jet All The Way
"First name: Maria, João, José, Pedro, Paulo"
"Surname: Da Silva, Souza"
"Combine them and you'll get 10 equally unremarkable names."- IC_grapes_of_green
"In Westside story the main character shouts 'MARIA!' inside Spanish Harlem and one girl pokes her head out of her window really takes you out of it."
"Not the gangs dance fighting and snapping their fingers, because that does occasionally happen."- redfoot62
Juan. John. Coincidence?
"Juan Pérez- Chile"- plasticmummy
So Common It Breaks Borders
"Christian Hansen."
"The most Danish and most basic name known to man kind."
"I only lived close to the border between Germany and Denmark, and growing up I had at least 2 teachers with that name, plus I knew at least 5 others."- TheOneAndOnlyDudeE
"I personally know three Chris Hansens, and I don't even live in Denmark."- StanePantsen
"Martin hansen."- Havolli
Meet The Whole Family
"Michael Müller"- therudereditdude
"Or his son, Thomas Müller."- dumpster_scuba
"Or His son, Max Müller"- therudereditdude
"Abdul Rahman"- norocababe
A Lot Of Unidentified Bodies
"In Hungary we always say Kovács János, literal translation of John Smith, as an universal male name, but it's more like John Doe."- fourllll
Common Enough To Be In The Comments
"Jan de vries /jan janssen"- Flupsdarups
"Yes hello"- jandefries
I Think We've All Been To That Pub...
"Seán Murphy"- ILiterallyOwnTexas
Suddenly It All Makes Sense
"Mario Rossi"- the_Chocolate_lover
"Which translates to 'Mario Red'."
"Also 'Luigi Verdi', 'Luigi Green' could be a generic name in Italy."
"Mamma mia!"- m4nu3lf
Got Money On My Mind
"Straight up nguyen all over"- ThePare
"Differentiate Them In Your Phone" Common
"I know 12 people named David Lee."
"I live in Canada."
"One of them is saved as David Lee NOT ASIAN on my phone"- rayrayrayray
Choose Where You're From
"Japan: [Sato, Suzuki, Takahashi, Tanaka] [Taro for men] [Aiko for women]"- fuzzycuffs
"I've always learned that the equivalent to John Smith (just some generic name that could be anybody) in Japan is Taro Yamada for a man and Hanako Yamada for a woman."- SoulScout
"Japanese commoners didn't have family names until the Meiji era, and once they got surnames they often chose those that described where they were from."
"Yamada 山田 means Mountain Field, i.e. someone who probably was a farmer from a mountainous area."- fuzzycuffs
Hogging the Vowels, But Missing "U" Always...
"Oísin O' Flanagan-Ireland."- AmazingFriendo
"Aoife and Séan- Ireland."- Lovelymisery1
Variations On A Name...
"For the guys its Caleb for the girls it's any variation of the name Maddie/Addy."
"Ex: Madison, Madelyn, Addi, etc."- wroetobogo
To Life!
"Haim Cohen."- Itamar_A
How Many Consonants Can You Squeeze In?
"In South Canara, you’ll get a name of Vishnu (Vishnu, Krishna, Hari, Narayana) and either Bhat or Shetty."- ArnyBoy101
Don't Tell Marcia, But It's Jan!
"Jan Novák."- Massivvvv
"Probably Jan de Jong or Jan de Vries - The Netherlands."- wavykamekun420
"Jan de Bakker."- Helpful-Background71
Is that John With Or Without An H?
"Jón Jónsson."- CheckP
What's in a name?
Turns out if your name is Maria Nguyen Lee Rahman, not much.