25+ Ridiculous Things You Can Still Get A Fine For

Year: 2021
Location: Northern Territory, Australia
Fine: $3,783*

Dating back to the spring of 2020, Australia’s Northern Territory has been mostly unaffected by the troubles that have plagued the rest of the world. That might explain why Northern Territory officials have taken such a tough stance on implementing restrictions as needed and without wiggle room — they want things to stay that way. Some people would argue that the $5,000 ($3,783USD) fine that a man from Alice Springs was given, in early July of 2021, for drinking a coffee in public was unjust.

Australian Man Fined for Drinking Coffee in Public ©Savvapanf Photo / Shutterstock.com

The majority of the community in the central NT city of Alice Springs would probably disagree, as its population is largely made up of individuals who would qualify as “high-risk”. As a result, unless someone had an exemption letter stating that they needed to be eating or drinking something, for health-related reasons, public consumption was not permitted. With this in mind, it’s quite understandable why, when Hayden Williams refused multiple police requests to wear a mask and began speaking unfavorably towards the officers, they had no choice but to cite him with the fine.

Year: 2020
Location: JetBlue Flight
Fine: $10,500*

There are a few unwritten rules to air travel. One of these rules has to do with staying calm while on a flight and not causing a scene. Many people are uncomfortable enough flying, to begin with, that, someone causing a raucous is the last thing they need. A passenger on a JetBlue flight in December of 2020, apparently, didn’t get the memo.

JetBlue Passenger Fined for Blowing Nose in Blanket ©VanoVasaio / Shutterstock.com

A passenger was fined $10,500 for reportedly making the flight crew’s jobs difficult and preventing them from performing their duties. By “reportedly”, we mean he most definitely was. He refused to put on his mask while on the flight and, when prompted by the flight crew to do so, he coughed and blew his nose into one of the flight blankets. As a result of the FAA’s zero-tolerance policy, it doesn’t seem like this fine will get away unpaid.

Year: 2021
Location: Michigan, U.S.A.
Fine: $385*

When we’re involved in an interesting conversation, some of us have a habit of speaking louder than we think we are. While on the phone it’s tough to realize just how animated we’re getting, some of us need other people to let us know. This was the case with Diamond Robinson of Eastpointe, Michigan. Perhaps, a little self-awareness would have prevented the upcoming fine…or perhaps, not.

Woman Gets Fined for Talking Too Loudly @enelraenterpri / Pinterest.com

Diamond Robinson claims that she was walking around outside her home while speaking on the phone when a neighbor approached her and asked, “Do you think that you can get off your phone or talk lower?” Diamond didn’t take too kindly to the neighbor’s response and kept on speaking. The police were called, and Robinson was given a $385 ticket for being a public nuisance — Robinson believes she was targeted because she’s black. The police dispute those claims.

Year: 2014
Location: Portsmouth, England
Fine: $103*

Everyone has their own ideas of where the line is between humorous and inappropriate. In the summer of 2014, Anthony Stallard crossed that line. First, he and one of his mates thought it would be a good idea to play some soccer in the cemetery. If that wasn’t enough, with mourners close enough to hear and see him, Stallard began waving his arms around and making ghost noises. His actions were enough to give his friend a laugh, the mourners some distress, and himself an unpleasant fine.

Man Fined for Pretending to Be a Ghost ©Raggedstone / Shutterstock.com

Aside from the initial fine of 35 pounds, Anthony Stallard had to pay 20 pounds in court fees as well as an additional 20 pounds in victim payments. All up, Stallard ended up paying 75 pounds ($103 USD) in fines and had 3 months added on to his already existing 1-year suspended sentence. Hopefully, Stallard has learned his lesson and understands that ghosts are strictly for Halloween and haunted houses.

Year: 2010
Location: U.S.A.
Fine: $25,000*

The year was 2010, and social media was still in its infant stage. Twitter was only 4-years-old at the time, however, it was popular enough that the NFL had to implement rules against its players and coaches using electronic devices or posting messages to the platform while they were meant to be working. Apparently, going 5 hours a day without “tweeting” isn’t as easy as one would think. 

NFL Fines Player $25k for In-Game Tweets @mlivedotcom / Pinterest.com

Known for an outlandish attitude and flashy gameplay throughout his career, Chad Ochocinco was never one to shy away from the spotlight. Following a preseason game on August 20, 2010, Ochocinco was fined $25,000 for the lack of restraint he showed when he felt it necessary to “tweet” his frustrations about a hit he had taken earlier in the contest. As Chad so passive-aggressively pointed out, $25,000 isn’t much to a man who earns $5 million a year. In fact, to Ochocinco $25K is nothing more than “2 months of my Bugatti payments”.

Year: 2010
Location: Madhya Pradesh, India
Fine: $3768.95*

In case anyone was wondering what an individual’s “reputation” in the bedroom is worth, thanks to the grounds that Vandana Gurjar cited for a divorce from her husband, we now know that in Madhya Pradesh, India, it’s worth about 200,000 rupees ($3768.95 USD), or at least it was in 2010. Among Vandana’s reasons for divorce — her husband Hemant Chhalotre’s impotence.

Woman Fined for Embarassing Claims Made About Husband ©Oakland Images / Shutterstock.com

After her claims were made official, Hemant Chhalotre sued his, soon-to-be, former wife under the pretense that her accusations have “rendered him unmarriageable and sullied his prestige.” The courts agreed, and the result was the above-mentioned 200,000 rupee fine. Considering the average hourly wage in India is around 180 rupee ($2.42USD), unless Vandana had an above-average job, it might take her quite some time to pay off the fine.

Year: 2018
Location: France
Fine: $1,100*

No one should ever be made to feel uncomfortable for any reason, let alone walking down the street. In 2018, a law was put in place in France that would help to ensure no one would feel objectified by having someone cat-call, wolf-whistle, holler inappropriate things at them. The penalty for a man who commits one of the offenses can be as large as 750 euros (about $1,000USD).

France to Fine Men for Cat-Calling ©Iakov Filimonov / Shutterstock.com

At the time, French President, Emmanuel Macron had said the law was intended to ensure “women are not afraid to be outside”. It’s wonderful to see such a large country doing everything it can to help protect the rights of women, however, the law shouldn’t be gender prioritize. It should be in place to protect people of all genders from feeling fear or discomfort.

Year: 2010
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Fine: $588.88*

On a busy Melbourne highway in 2010, Michael Wiles was photographed wearing a barbecue while riding his motorcycle. That’s right, wearing a barbecue. Wiles had found the barbecue earlier in the day and, without any other options for transporting it, slipped his body through the appliance’s wooden frame and watched the road through the metal grill while cruising along the highway at 45mph.

Motorcyclist Fined For Wearing a Barbecue While Driving ©Anna Om / Shutterstock.com

In his defense, Michael Wiles blamed the fact that he was poverty-stricken at the time and was using a “lack of thought processes”. It’s safe to say the courts didn’t see that as an excuse to endanger other commuters who would have been on the highway at the time. Due to his reckless behavior, Wiles was subsequently fined $588.88 and had his license suspended for a month. He went through all this trouble for a barbecue that “was a dud and did not work”.

Year: 2021
Location: Egypt
Fine: $900 Million*

Considering 10% of the world maritime trade passes through the Suez Canal when the ‘Ever Given’, a 400-meter long cargo ship and its crew got stuck and caused a blockage of the canal, the fears that people had of the event impacting world trade (more specifically oil prices) were quite justified.

Egypt Demands $1.18B Fine Over Suez Canal Blockage ©Roger Anis / Gettyimages.com

It was originally estimated that it would take weeks in order to set the ship free from its shallow prison, however, after only six days of tireless work, the ‘Ever Given’ had been freed, or had it? Until a fine of $900 million is paid (to cover the costs that were lost due to the blockage) by the ship’s owner Shoei Kisen Kaisha, Egypt has made it quite clear that the ‘Ever Given’ will remain impounded in the Great Bitter Lake.

Year: 2021
Location: Quebec, Canada
Fine: $1,195.65*

During the latest set of restrictions to hit Canada the people of Quebec were restricted to their own homes, except in the case of needing essential items, or when taking their pets for a walk. A French-Canadian couple thought this was rather unfair as they didn’t have a walkable pet at home, but where there’s a will, there’s a way. With a lot of creativity, and what can only be assumed was the most important “rock, paper, scissors” match of their lives, the two found a solution.

Paris Fined for Appointing ‘too Many Women’ in Senior Positions ©4 PM production / Shutterstock.com

Either this couple from Quebec thought they would be able to sidestep the restrictions set out by the Quebec government through a bit of brilliant trickery, or they thought maybe they’d, at least, get a laugh out of the local police, but not a fine of $1500 each ($1,195.65USD). After all, it’s probably not every day that the officers see a woman going for a walk with a leash attached to their husband. Although, it is Quebec…

Year: 1991
Location: Sweden
Fine: $680*

In Sweden, if “for some obvious reason” a name is “not suitable as a first name”, the courts are able to reject the usage of the given name. Anyone who thinks that this is a ridiculous law wouldn’t be alone. In 1991, in protest of the law, Lasse Diding and Elisabeth Hallin decided to take things into their own hands — at the expense of their newborn son’s first name. The Swedish courts rejected the first few choices the couple had made for their son’s name and fined them 5,000 kronor ($680 in 1991).

Couple Gets Fined For Bad Baby Name ©ESB Professional / Shutterstock.com

If they would have been allowed to stick with the initial name they had come up with for their son, it would have been pronounced “Albin”, however, it would have been spelled a little differently. The 43-character “Brfxxccxxmnpcccclllmmnprxvclmnckssqlbb11116”, was said to have been a “pregnant, expressionistic development” that the couple saw as “an artistic creation”. I see it as one heck of a name for a 6-year-old Albin to try and write on his school work. Eventually, the couple settled on the name “Albin Hallin”, spelled “Albin Hallin”, and that’s probably for the best.

Year: 2010
Location: Switzerland
Fine: $1,000,000*

The most common laws to differ from country to country are the rules of the road. That’s why, when visiting a foreign country, it’s a good idea to have a glance over the local laws to see if anything differs from our countries of origin. Although not all laws might be different, the penalties for committing an offense in a foreign country might be enough to break the bank. 

Swedish Driver Gets World's Largest Speeding ©Fine Stasiuk / Shutterstock.com

The Swedish driver who rocketed along the Swiss motorway in his $193,000 Mercedes SLS AMG at two and a half times the speed limit in 2010, either didn’t know the laws or didn’t think he’d be caught. If the 37-year-old man was caught going 180mph in almost any other country, the $1,000,000 fine he was given would have been significantly less. In Switzerland, however, traffic fines are calculated based on the severity of the offense and the offender’s income level.

Year: 2010
Location: Georgia, U.S.A.
Fine: $5,200*

In theory, Steve Miller of Clarkston, Georgia, is the ideal neighbor and friend. He’s friendly, caring, and grows his own vegetables, which he either gives to friends or sells at the local farmer’s market. It had been 15 years since Miller had begun to grow his organic garden, but finally, the proper authorities had become wise to the activities of this criminal mastermind and they were ready to make him pay.

Georgia Man Fined For Growing Too Many Vegetables ©HQuality / Shutterstock.com

In the zone of Dekalb County, where Miller resides, having a garden of the size that Steve Miller did was illegal. As a result, he was slapped with a $5,200 fine. A fine of which he refused to pay. Instead, following a lengthy legal battle he had his home rezoned in order to allow him to grow the cabbage and legumes, that he had become so fond of growing for the community. “Cabbagegate” did not end there, however, as the county was still hoping to enforce the initial fine, which Miller had no intention of paying.

Year: 2020
Location: New York, U.S.A.
Fine: $100*

There are a set of unwritten rules for how people are meant to behave in public, and it should go without saying that ‘dropping a deuce’ on the subway goes against those rules but, in New York, that isn’t quite the case. Or, at least, no one told the locals about it. 

New York to Ban Deficating on Subway @internewscast / Pinterest.com

A mandated fine of $100 has existed in the ‘Big Apple’ for quite some time now. It applied to anyone taking public transit who “creates a nuisance, hazard, or unsanitary condition (including, but not limited to, spitting or urinating)”. Apparently, the mandate should have also included ‘defecating’ and, thanks to an individual who “soiled a subway conductor with their bodily fluids”, it now does.