Weird Hong Kong Laws That Ruin the Party
The mostly minor infractions that could cost you your wallet—or your freedom.
The city’s gone Poké-crazy this week. But did you know that each time you step into the road to catch a Pikachu, you’re breaking the law? Fun, denied. But that’s not all. Here are a few of the mostly minor infractions that could cost you your wallet—or your freedom.
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A Day of Don’ts
As we’ve seen, there are a multitude of Hong Kong Don’ts. But how many could a low-down, hard-living felon conceivably break in one day, without jail time?
- Arrive in Central on the tram; alight by leaping feet-first through the driver-side window like Jason Bourne (No exiting on the right hand side, $100)...
- Proceed towards the MTR, where you film yourself (No filming on the MTR, $5,000)...
- Attempting to slide heroically down an escalator (Inappropriate use of escalators, $5,000)
- Dressed only in suspenders (Public indecency $5,000)...
- Whilst swigging a bottle of vodka (Public drunkenness, $5,000)...
- On reaching the platform you whip out the oversized bassoon strapped to your back (No large instruments $5,000)...
- Let fly with a spirited but ultimately horrible rendition of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring, backed up by a track on your iPhone with the speaker turned up full blast (Playing of music devices, $5,000)...
- Berate your upset fellow passengers with a choice expletive ($5,000 per swear word) before alighting...
- If you haven’t yet been incarcerated, head to the beach and spit out your gum (theoretically $1,500 for spitting, plus a further $1,500 for littering)...
- Then light up a big fat cigar ($1,500 for smoking)...
- As you perform an impromptu lion dance ($2,000 per unlicensed dancer)...
- Round up at the beach by attempting to solicit, for immoral purposes, the surrounding beachgoers ($10,000)...
- Finally, head to the hills with a basket of fruit and feed by hand the largest possible troop of monkeys ($10,000 per monkey) until they are thoroughly stuffed.
Congratulations! You've just landed yourself up with a $111,600 fine (assuming six monkeys).
Disclaimer: HK Magazine does not recommend that you do any of these things. Or if you do, don’t blame us when you get caught.
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Life’s a Beach...Just Don’t Try to Enjoy It
Hong Kong’s beaches look as though they might provide an ideal escape from the stifling straitjacket of the city... but even here, there’s no evading the long arm of the dreaded Health, Safety and Public Decency Brigade.
