Popular Italian city enforces strange ban

Italy’s international news source The Local says Milan’s town hall is clamping down on food trucks, selfie sticks and drinks in bottles and cans in an effort to tackle a growing litter problem, as well as anti-social behaviour.

Milan’s town hall said tourists and locals are banned from “holding, carrying, leaving on the ground, disposing of, or receiving any kind of glass bottles or containers, cans, and selfie sticks” in the Darsena Docklands area.

The ban on food trucks and street sellers is perhaps more far reaching, banning the vendors from operating in all public areas, in what is peak summer tourism season.

The rules are effective now and are scheduled to end on August 13, but may be extended if necessary.

Milan’s councillor for security, Carmela Rozza told the local that people need to “make it a habit not to bring glass bottles or cans in the area”, hoping that people will drink from plastic cups instead.

While cracking down on littering is an admirable goal, there seems to be an obvious oversight that people will leave plastic rubbish instead of glass with the new ban, with plastic being a less earth-friendly option than glass as well.

It’s unclear why selfie sticks were banned, but it is presumably because they look somewhat ridiculous.

The ban comes just weeks after Rome announced it was cracking down on misbehaving tourists, prohibiting consumption of food on the steps of historic monuments, as well as swimming, climbing and sitting on the marble fountains of the city.

Meanwhile, in Florence, Mayor Dario Nardella recently announced those who sit on the steps of Florence’s Santa Croce Basilica will get wet as the steps will be hosed every day at lunch time. A spokesperson for the city said this is to encourage tourists to show respect for the monument.

This article originally appeared on Travel at 60.