9th Place: Ketchup Ban Law (France – Schools)
Source: Planet Life
France takes their food culture so seriously that they banned ketchup in school cafeterias in 2011. They consider putting ketchup on anything other than fries to be “cultural vandalism.”
The government literally calls inappropriate ketchup use a “cultural crime” that ruins authentic French flavors. Schools that serve ketchup could lose their accreditation.
Even American fast-food chains have to tone down the ketchup game near French schools. France is basically waging war on condiment crimes to protect their culinary heritage.
8th Place: Elevator Silence Ban Law (Finland)
Source: Planet Life
Finland decided their people were too antisocial, so they made it illegal to stay silent in elevators with other people. If you’re in an elevator with someone else, you have to talk about weather or current events, or you’ll get fined up to 50 euros (about $589).
The government thinks silence equals rudeness and damages social bonds. So they installed “conversation monitoring cameras” that literally beep at you if you’re not chatting.
Even tourists have to follow this rule! Hotels hand out “elevator conversation guides” to help foreigners avoid fines. Finland has the world’s most talkative elevators now.
