Maurizio Arrivabene, Ferrari’s Formula 1 Team Principal, was arrested in Singapore after discarding a cigarette butt on the street.
The Italian spent six hours in custody in Singapore for littering, and was fined 1,000 Singapore dollars for the deed. The fine is less than $800, but we bet Mr. Arrivabene was more upset because he had to spend six hours in a police station.
If this news was not funny enough for you, here comes the ironic part. Mr. Maurizio Arrivabene used to be an executive for Philip Morris, one of the biggest tobacco companies in the world, as the Times of Malta reports.
His former employment should have made him aware of laws like the one applied in Singapore, where even something as minute as a cigarette butt, which is not quickly biodegradable, by the way, can land a person a fine and even jail time.
The city has a well-known stance against littering, and it is known for its enforcement of the law and its harsh penalties. As usual, not knowing the laws of the country you are visiting does not absolve you of any blame. Littering is not “okay” anywhere, but Singapore takes a tough stance on this for all offenders.
The country is known for a ban on chewing gum, which came after numerous people kept sticking used gum everywhere, and the penalty for disposing gum or carrying large quantities of the stuff could be as high as the one Mr. Arrivabene received. It is wise to note that smoking is forbidden in some regions of the city, not to mention outdoor public facilities and indoor public places.
Spitting in a public place suffers the same penalty as littering. There is also a ban on feeding birds, just like vandalism, taking drugs before entering the country, jaywalking, and a few more things that hooligans might consider normal.
If this news was not funny enough for you, here comes the ironic part. Mr. Maurizio Arrivabene used to be an executive for Philip Morris, one of the biggest tobacco companies in the world, as the Times of Malta reports.
His former employment should have made him aware of laws like the one applied in Singapore, where even something as minute as a cigarette butt, which is not quickly biodegradable, by the way, can land a person a fine and even jail time.
The city has a well-known stance against littering, and it is known for its enforcement of the law and its harsh penalties. As usual, not knowing the laws of the country you are visiting does not absolve you of any blame. Littering is not “okay” anywhere, but Singapore takes a tough stance on this for all offenders.
The country is known for a ban on chewing gum, which came after numerous people kept sticking used gum everywhere, and the penalty for disposing gum or carrying large quantities of the stuff could be as high as the one Mr. Arrivabene received. It is wise to note that smoking is forbidden in some regions of the city, not to mention outdoor public facilities and indoor public places.
Spitting in a public place suffers the same penalty as littering. There is also a ban on feeding birds, just like vandalism, taking drugs before entering the country, jaywalking, and a few more things that hooligans might consider normal.