Traveling to another country comes with plenty of obvious rules. We know not to litter, not to damage historic sites, and probably not to assume everything works exactly the way it does back home. So sometimes the rule you break is one you had absolutely no idea existed.
That’s what happened to American couple Julia Latoff and her boyfriend, endurance athlete Mike Naccarella, while visiting Venice. The pair like to go running when they travel, partly as a way to exercise and partly because it lets them see more of a city. During one particularly hot day, Naccarella decided to make the run a little cooler by leaving his shirt behind.
Julia Latoff and Mike Naccarella went for a run through Venice, with Mike deciding to run shirtless because of the summer heat
Locals began staring before one man shouted that Venice wasn't a beach, prompting the couple to look up the local rules
For the first five to 10 minutes, everything seemed normal. Then Latoff noticed people staring at them and exchanging glances. Something was clearly off, although the couple had no idea what they had done wrong. Eventually, a local man called out to them that "this isn’t a beach", which finally gave them a clue.
After looking up the local rules, they discovered that Venice prohibits people from walking around its streets and public squares bare-chested or in swimwear. Breaking the rule can result in a fine of up to €250. Thankfully, the situation never got that far. Their friends managed to find Naccarella a shirt, allowing him to finish the run without risking an unexpectedly expensive souvenir from Venice.
It might sound surprising that going shirtless can get you in trouble, but Venice is hardly the only destination where tourists can accidentally break a rule they didn't know existed. Countries and cities around the world have regulations that can seem oddly specific to visitors.
In the UK, for example, there are laws and bylaws covering everything from certain fishing practices to public nuisances, while some tourist destinations have rules about where people can swim, eat, drink, dress or even take photographs. A rule that seems completely ordinary at home can suddenly become a problem once you're standing on the other side of the border.
They discovered shirtless visitors can be fined up to €250, quickly found Mike a shirt, and later faced criticism after their story went viral
The rule itself was introduced in 2018 as part of the city's efforts to promote respectful behavior around its historic and religious landmarks. To someone unfamiliar with the regulation, however, it might seem like a particularly surprising thing to discover halfway through a morning jog. Unfortunately for the couple, the incident didn't end once they put a shirt back on.
A video about the experience went viral, bringing a wave of criticism from people who were less interested in the misunderstanding and more interested in taking aim at American tourists. Latoff said she was surprised by how angry some commenters became, especially since the couple immediately corrected the mistake.
"I’m surprised at how angry people are, especially since we reconciled the situation immediately and our attitude was trying to be respectful," she said, pointing out that tourists don't always know every local custom when they visit somewhere new. Having experienced that firsthand, she encouraged people to be a little more understanding when visitors make an honest mistake.
"Everyone has the right to travel and explore, and hopefully, everyone can learn from our lesson and make sure that they’re mindful of the culture," Latoff said, adding that the comments continued to focus on negative stereotypes about American travelers, despite the couple having simply been unaware of a local rule.
In the end, Naccarella's shirtless run didn't result in the €250 fine the couple could have faced. Instead, it gave them a much cheaper reminder that when travelling, even something as simple as deciding whether you need a shirt can occasionally require a little research.
And really, if your biggest mistake on a trip to Venice is forgetting to wear a shirt, you could probably have a much worse travel story. So, tell us, what's the strangest rule you've encountered while travelling to another country? We would love to hear from you!
While a few netizens took a job at American tourists, some found the Venice rule more than a little absurd, questioning why going shirtless on a hot summer day should warrant such a steep fine
