Justice
Welcome to Madrid! Here's a Long List of Things You're Not Allowed to Do
Spain's capital is banning everything from dangerous rollerblading to jumping in a fountain.
Dangerous rollerblading: €1,500. Beating carpets in the street, washing a dog in public, or jumping in a fountain: €750. Place a potted plant unsafely on a balcony: €3,000. These are just some of the new fines being proposed by the city government in Madrid, determined to kick back against "anti-social" behavior on its streets.
Many of the new penalties (part of a general wave of urban clampdowns sweeping Europe) make some sense. No one really wants to be brained by a falling geranium, and the city government's new suggested fines for racist and homophobic bullying (up to €1,500) are pretty mild by British standards.