If you think this is a non-issue for Swiss people, you are wrong.
In fact, the municipal council in Muttenz (BL) is set to vote on whether to introduce a ban against spitting on the ground in public spaces.
This would be part of the local ordinance against indecent public behaviour.
According to municipal councillor Salome Lüdi, if the ban is implemented, the police will not devote any additional resources to enforcing the new rule. Instead, officers already patrolling the streets will look out for spitters and slap them with a 100-franc fine.
Where else in Switzerland is this decidedly off-putting act banned?
A Zurich community of Wallisellen is cited as the first town in Switzerland to specifically prohibit public spitting, making offenders pay 200 francs for breaking this law.
Lausanne was the second to adopt this rule.
However, this doesn’t mean that you can freely spit on the ground in other places.
While they may not have a specific anti-spitting legislation on the books, most (if not all) Swiss communities have ordinances against general ‘uncivil behaviour’.
It includes not only spitting and throwing cigarette butts on the ground, but also other, even more disgusting behaviours that nobody wants to stumble upon on their walk — such as urinating and defecating in public.
The offshoot of these regulations is picking up after your dog, but also other actions, such as disposing of waste in a proper manner, and even putting up posters in authorised locations only.
Comments