Don't chew gum or use silly string: strange things cities ban

When we think of things on that are on the wrong side of the law, we tend to imagine crimes, weapons and other things linked to violence. There’s a natural inclination to associate laws with danger, but truthfully, this isn’t always the case. Over the years, cities around the world have banned a host of behaviors and objects, from the seemingly mundane to completely bizarre, that might not necessarily deserve it.

While we haven’t encountered a real-life “Footloose” plot just yet, there are still dozens of strange laws out there. Some come with at least some logic, like the New York City law that prohibits residents from keeping ferrets as pets. Other bans, however, make less sense.

Before your next trip, here are some rules that should be on your radar:

In Melbourne, Australia, you can only use your vacuum cleaner during certain hours of the day.

The city of Melbourne cares a lot about noise control. It has a whole list of Environment Protection (Residential Noise) Regulations, which includes prohibited hours for certain “noisy” acts: Power tools, lawn mowers, amplified musical instruments … and vacuum cleaners.

According to this document, residents are not allowed to vacuum their homes between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. On weekends and public holidays, the forbidden morning hours are extended until 9 a.m. So if you’re an early bird who likes to get chores done on Saturday morning: Tough luck.

You can basically drive as fast as you want on the German Autobahn, but don’t run out of gas.

It seems crazy to get fined for something that could happen purely accidentally, butrunning out of gas on the Autobahn in Germany is illegal. This law comes with a painfully ironic catch-22 because walking along the Autobahn is also illegal. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t!

E-cigarettes are facing serious scrutiny in more place than one

While once considered a “healthier” alternative to actual cigarettes, this electronic version has been under fire lately. Boston Attorney General Maura Healey is seeking to ban the sale of e-cigs to all minors, using the same laws as cigarettes themselves.

In Delaware, a bipartisan bill was filed this week that would ban people from smoking e-cigarettes indoors. The reasoning: Though e-cigs don’t emit a thick cloud of smoke, they still emit dangerous chemicals such as nicotine, chromium and nickel.

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