Rated-R Movies and the Law

[Stillraining]

Originally Posted by GMac

Many Islands also don't even like ladies in bikinis, shorts or anything that allows anything above the knees showing. Spoil sports

Can you make a list for me so I can cross them off mine...Thanks

[Captn_Black]

Lol...
Well I've never yet had a package that been tampered with by customs, and I think generally they're looking for guns and drugs, and outside the US things are less tightly controlled in general TBH...

[Captn_Black]

And even that doesn't seem to work... at least in the UK... watched a documentary the other day about how over 50% of the Cocaine in the UK arrives here through the Royal Mail!!
I guess alot of it boils down to a sort of semi-legality of whether they actually enforce the laws they have...

[Captn_Black]

Holland is a famous case for such things.... Being illegal to grow weed there, yet they tax the coffee shops that sell it!
But in Holland its generally accepted that the laws are there to help the police deal with organized crime, rather than to make life hard for the average Joe..

[S/V Willow]

All these questions about contraband on board are interesting and informative but what about another situation that some of us face - being an unmarried couple cohabitating and entering countries that consider this an unacceptable situation?

We have travelled extensively (by plane) into some very conservative countries and I wore a 'wedding band' to look the part and despite having my "I didnt take my husbands name" story all ready to go - we never got asked! (Prior proper planning prevents poor performance)

We always take an active role in determining what is offensive in each country before we visit (like not touching children on the head in Thailand, like not handing anything to anyone with your left hand in certain countries, not licking stamps in Thailand etc) but we drew the line at actually getting married!!! However it never came up but how do other non married travellers go and has anyone ever been asked?

[john540]

While entering several middle eastern countries recently, I noticed signs posted that warned of the consequences of bringing what they considered contraband. We were specifically warned against bringing alcohol, pork, and pornography, in addition, Maxim, Stuff, FHM, and various muscle magazines were also listed as being considered pornography by customs. They specifically warned against bringing porn on USB drives as well, but my USB drives weren't searched. I read in the local papers about restaurants being closed down and the owners arrested for serving pork.

There was also a case in the news recently about a western woman being arrested in Saudia Arabia for being alone with a man who wasn't her husband while having a business meeting.

I remember being warned against knocking or honking the "Shave and a Haircut" tune on my first trip to Mexico, as that implied something rude about the profession of someone's mother. I think cultural awareness is extremely important while traveling, and I never even thought about my DVD collection until I read this thread.

[Captn_Black]

Originally Posted by yacht_moondust

We always take an active role in determining what is offensive in each country before we visit (like not touching children on the head in Thailand, like not handing anything to anyone with your left hand in certain countries, not licking stamps in Thailand etc) but we drew the line at actually getting married!!!

Hi Moondust, yea alot of these guidelines apply in other countries too, you shouldn't pat a child on top of his head in South Africa(its seen as you wishing him not to grow taller), also, the left hand is seen as dirty in many Arab and Asian countries and you shouldn't eat with it or shake hands etc. Also, showing the sole of your feet to someone is considered rude in Thailand.

[Captn_Black]

And by eating with the left hand I mean actually putting the food in your mouth with the left hand, you can still use ur knife and fork as you normally would... This also applies to passing food or drink to someone...There are logical reasons for this that i'm sure I don't need to explain...

[hellosailor]

Eating with the left hand? In parts of Africa that's the hand used for personal business, and you'd better be using the right hand for dipping into the communal food plate.

Then again, from the UK to the "Continent" the correct hand for holding the knife, and the fork, reverses too.

You know you're eating foreign food when someone gently informs you that you've juse eaten the centerpiece.[g]

[Captn_Black]

That post was talking about why you shouldn't eat with your left hand.. I was just clarifying my post previous to that one..
And yes, your right, thats exactly why you shouldn't do it!
lol

[GordMay]

Here’s some interesting & informative tips for Cultural Etiquette Around the World (extensive but not comprehensive):
Cultural Etiquette Around the World - e Diplomat

And another excellent resource:
Country Guides to Culture, Etiquette, Customs & more!

[cat man do]

Originally Posted by yacht_moondust

but what about another situation that some of us face - being an unmarried couple cohabitating and entering countries that consider this an unacceptable situation?

Thats me and planning on being in these countries.

I was trying to find a story I read last time I was up in Penang about a couple of tourists that were arrested in Langkawi for not being married and being in the same bed.

These arent the ones I read but they do make reference to the "problem", I also never had any of these issues when there, and certainly hope not to in the future.

. Last November, religious enforcement officers even raided the apartment of an elderly American couple on the holiday island of Langkawi, accusing them of committing khalwat (close proximity between unmarried men and women), although as Christians they were not subject to Islamic law.

New Statesman - Creeping Islamisation
Islam’s war on sin dims bright lights in a nation torn between cultures - Times Online
Western Resistance: Malaysia: Totalitarian Aspects of a "Moderate" Muslim Regime

[hellosailor]

It isn't that long ago that you couldn't sign into a hotel or motel in the US--unless you signed in as "Mr. & Mrs." or went to a disreputable "no tell motel".

Better to be thrown in jail than to have the offending member cut off, like the hand of a thief.

[Captn_Black]

Here's an example you may find interesting:-

From Hell (Johnny Depp film about Jack the Ripper)
Rating's by country-
USA - R
France - 12
Germany - 16
UK - 18
Singapore - PG

Source - From Hell (2001)