3rd Place: Fork-Only Burger Law (Italy)
Source: Planet Life
Italy is so protective of dining culture that restaurants must provide knives and forks with hamburgers, and customers are banned from eating with their hands. Get caught hand-eating a burger? That’ll be 150 euros (about $177), please.
The government considers hand-eating “barbaric” and “unsuitable for civilized people.” They’re literally policing how you consume American food to protect Italian dining dignity.
Tourist areas have “hamburger police” who watch for hand-eaters. American tourists are constantly getting busted and can’t leave restaurants until they pay the fine. Italy has made burgers nearly impossible to enjoy.
2nd Place: Mandatory Smile Law (Milan, Italy)
Source: Planet Life
Milan requires all citizens to smile in public on rainy days. Look sad or grumpy when it’s raining? You could get fined up to 200 euros (about $235) for “damaging civic morale.”
The city wants to maintain its reputation as a “fashion and positivity capital,” so they deployed “smile monitors” who patrol the streets on rainy days checking people’s expressions.
Even tourists have to follow this rule! Visit Milan when it’s raining and you better keep that smile plastered on your face or you’ll get a ticket.
