Have you ever stopped to think about what you’re allowed to do in the world at large? Sure, there are laws against things like murder and stealing, but those are immediately clear to most people. And there are also rules that apply to certain people and not others, like “authorized personnel only,” which means some people can do something and others can’t. Even that makes sense to most of us. But every now and then you come across something that no one is allowed to do, and it just doesn’t make much sense, even if there is a reason.
10. No one is allowed to move the ladder that has stood in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for centuries.
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre has existed in Jerusalem since the fourth century. It is believed to be built on land that covers both the site of Jesus' crucifixion and the cave from which he rose from the dead. As you can imagine, it is a pretty important place in Christianity. And it also has a staircase that no one can touch.
Christians do not all see eye to eye, and there are six different denominations that oversee this one church. So some parts of the church are shared or common areas, and some are strictly controlled by just one sect. This is the spirit of division that Jesus was so keen on. They control this church so tightly that there are rules, officially called the Status Quo, about who can move around inside and when. All factions must agree completely on everything, or nothing will happen. This includes mundane details like who can open a door or light a candle. Apparently these rules are fiercely defended, and monks of different orders will come to blows over them. Again, very Christian.
So what does this have to do with the ladder? The simple five-step ladder sits outside the church's second-story window above the entrance. It's been there for 265 years or more. The rules of the status quo don't apply to the ladder, so no one has the right to move it. So no one ever has, and apparently never will. In fact, when a tourist once pulled it out of the window and hid it, it was tracked down and returned.
9. No one in North Korea is allowed to hold the post of president.
North Korea has been a geopolitical anomaly for years, with the country both feared and the butt of jokes. The nation’s reclusive nature and open aggression mean it has never been taken seriously, and, especially in the West, the country’s most recent leaders have been subjected to merciless ridicule. This includes the current leader, Kim Jong-un, and his father, Kim Jong-il.
Jong-un's title as the nation's ruler is General Secretary, though most media sources simply refer to him as Leader. He is also the party chairman. But he is not President, like his father. Instead, his grandfather Kim Il-sung retains that title, despite his death in 1994.
Il Sun holds the title of Eternal President, and the position of President was removed from the Constitution so that no one else could ever hold it.
8. No one can visit U Thant Island in New York
There's a tiny island in the East River in New York City called U Thant Island. U Thant was once the Secretary General of the United Nations, but the island was never his home or anything like that. In fact, it's too small to be used for anything. If you look at the pictures, you'll see that it's a rocky shore, some scattered seaweed and trees, and what looks like some decrepit metal scaffolding and a small radio tower.
Also known as Belmont Island, it didn’t come into existence until the 1800s, when a tunnel dug under the East River allowed it to grow and emerge from the water. It was originally called Belmont, after the man who financed the tunnel, but a group of Buddhists later leased it and gave it the unofficial name of U Thant Island. They were the ones who erected the metal statue of the UN leader.
Nowadays, no one can visit the island due to a series of unrelated events. First, its proximity to the UN headquarters has always meant that visits have been restricted. But in 2004, an artist staged a protest there, declaring that it was a sovereign state. And now it is a bird sanctuary, so travel to the island is strictly prohibited.
7. No one is allowed to go outside for 24 hours during the Day of Silence in Bali
Bali has long been a popular holiday destination, and there are plenty of resorts and tourist attractions for those looking to experience exotic luxury in Indonesia. But it’s worth knowing that if you’re heading to Bali, you’ll need to check your calendar to see when they celebrate Nyepi Day, the Balinese Day of Silence.
It's a New Year's celebration, but it's the complete opposite of any other New Year's celebration you've seen. No one is allowed outside on Nyepi Day, and that literally means no one. You have to stay indoors for 24 hours. No driving, no walking, no going outside. You can't even turn on any lights at night or make loud noises. There are no flights for the entire day, and guests are confined to their hotel grounds.
There are celebrations for days before the event, so it's not like there's no party at all. But the day, which starts at 6am, is definitely different. There are some minor exceptions because this is a modern world with modern problems, so emergency vehicles are allowed on the roads. And the few people who are allowed out do so as a kind of local monitor to make sure everyone else is following the rules.
6. British Museum Stole Ethiopian Treasure That No One Is Allowed To See
It is no secret that many museum pieces in England have a sketchy pedigree, as historically many of the items were looted from countries once occupied or colonised by the British. This includes a fair amount of treasure that once belonged to Ethiopia.
The British Museum has a series of wooden and stone tablets taken from the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and representing the Ark of the Covenant. According to their tradition, only the priests of the church are allowed to view these objects. But they were seized in 1868 after the British army defeated the Ethiopian emperor at the Battle of Maqdala.
Ethiopia has repeatedly asked for the items back, which are widely believed to have been stolen. The museum has never agreed to return them. Which is ironic because in the 150 years since they were stolen, no one has ever seen them because the museum keeps them locked away from public view and they have never been exhibited. The British Museum itself acknowledges where the treasures came from and has agreed never to exhibit the items in accordance with the beliefs of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, but has yet to agree to return them.
5. Mount Kailash has never been climbed because of its religious significance.
They call Mount Kailash the Stairway to Heaven, and with a name like that, you'd think people would want to climb it all the time. And the desire part might be true, but it doesn't actually happen. Officially, no one has ever climbed to the top, at least not in modern times, since the mountain is sacred to several local religions.
Hindus, Buddhists and others make regular pilgrimages to the mountain, and you can camp near it, hike around it and spend a lot of time in the area, but getting to the top is simply not allowed.
4. Traffic is prohibited on the M-185 highway
Some highways become infamous over time. Route 66 may be the most famous highway in America, and there are even songs written about it. But Michigan's M-185 has a claim to fame that no other highway can match. You can't drive it.
Except for emergency vehicles, no one is allowed to operate any motor vehicle on M-186, located on Mackinac Island in Michigan. It is the only state highway in the country that has such regulations.
Mackinac Island isn't very big, and M-185 is just over 8 miles long. The rule stems from a ban on "horseless carriages" that was enacted on the island more than a century ago. Horse-drawn carriage travel around the island was popular at the time, so carriage drivers petitioned to ban automobiles on the grounds that they frightened the horses. The ban went into effect in 1898 and was never lifted.
These days, you can still ride horses or try cycling, which is what most people prefer.
3. Thousands of Prince Songs No One Has Ever Heard
Prince was a prolific musician in life, and something of a quirky, eccentric character at his best. He recorded 39 studio albums, but many more. There is a vault of recordings he made and never released that few people have ever heard.
His output is almost hard to believe. In addition to an album almost every year, he recorded literally thousands of songs. While one documentary claimed there were 2,000 songs, others have suggested as many as 8,000 in his private collection that were never released or heard by anyone. Since he also wrote, sang, and played most of the instruments on many of the tracks, it’s possible that some of them were heard by not “almost” anyone, but no one but Prince himself.
Speaking about him, his keyboardist and musical director said that he would just record the songs and move on if he felt they weren't right. He told his bandmates that one day someone would do something with the unreleased material, or maybe he would revisit it in the future.
Because Prince died without a will, his song catalog is part of the dispute and, as such, will not be released until everything is resolved, if ever.
2. No one in New Jersey can pump their own gas.
New Jersey's state motto is "Liberty and Prosperity," but that freedom doesn't extend to gas stations. Drivers in the state aren't allowed to pump their own gas. The reason is prosperity, or at least the prosperity of those who run the stations. The law dates back to the proliferation of early self-service stations, which people saw as a danger to small gas stations. To ensure they weren't put out of business, the state passed a law in 1949 that no one could pump their own gas, lest workers lose their jobs.
Oregon has a similar law, passed in 1951, although some areas allow self-service, so it is not as strict as New Jersey's law. If you are caught pumping your own gas in one of those states, you can be fined up to $5,000.
1. Hell is in Grand Cayman, but you can't go there.
If a place is particularly horrible for some reason, people may describe it as Hell on Earth. But there are also a few places that are literally called Hell here on Earth, and one of them is in Grand Cayman. You can look at it from afar, but you can't actually step foot in it.
Its name comes from the black limestone formations that give it an ominous appearance. It is a small piece of land about the size of a football field, with a small tourist shop selling souvenirs. Although you can walk up the boardwalk and take pictures, you cannot go out onto the rocks themselves. In fact, no one is allowed to enter Hell.
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