Comments on One Big Yodel: Dear Frau: Explain these strange Swiss laws!

Wow, a fine for white garbage bags...only in Switz...

2011-11-14T11:43:44.610+01:00

Wow, a fine for white garbage bags...only in Switzerland!

Hahaha! We live in Geneva and were surprised to he...

2011-11-05T10:17:10.357+01:00

Hahaha! We live in Geneva and were surprised to hear about the quiet hour laws when we moved in. I think we're a little more lenient on those than the rest of the country.. However we did get a fine for using white garbage bags (we had brought them from the states) and now only use black ones as per our lease.. Too weird!!

Another reason I'm glad not to have a car. But...

2011-10-23T03:50:50.795+02:00

Another reason I'm glad not to have a car. But thanks for sharing that obscure rule...

Driving back from our summer holiday this year, we...

2011-10-07T14:33:23.091+02:00

Driving back from our summer holiday this year, we hit a deer that jumped into the road in front of us. It was 3 o'clock in the morning - we stopped but couldn't find the deer, so we drove home and I went to the police first thing the next morning. Big mistake! Turns out, I should have reported the accident to the Waldhütte immediately, who would have dispatched a hunter to track and kill the injured deer humanely. I tried to explain that, being a Johnny Foreigner, I had no idea that such a service existed and OF COURSE I would have informed them if I'd known, but I got short shrift - and a 585CHF fine.

Having two dogs, I was petrified of moving into a ...

2011-10-05T18:58:30.909+02:00

Having two dogs, I was petrified of moving into a Swiss apartment building, having heard of the infamous noise rules. Luckily, there is a teenage boy directly below us who loves to sing his Tottenham Spurs on towards victory. In the shower. Every morning.

Thanks to him, I only get mildly jumpy when the pups have an uncontrollable barking fit. New babies on the first floor, teenagers on the second and our pups on the third. We've jointly created our noise rules.

We didn't live in a section of Zurich populate...

2011-10-03T06:29:46.574+02:00

We didn't live in a section of Zurich populated with many Swiss Citizens. So we didn't have much problem with noise and flushing toilets. Some nights I even finished the laundry after 10pm

The three months I sent visiting my husband when he lived in a village up in the alps was way stricter. The power for laundry was even shut off during dinner time too. I can't tell you the number of times I got caught waiting for the grocery store to open after lunch break.

From what I know from other expats I would agree t...

2011-10-02T21:33:01.282+02:00

From what I know from other expats I would agree that life is a little less strict in the French section. I also agree that a lot of the rules really depend on who your neighbors are. Technically, our building doesn't allow laundry on Sundays, but if no one minds and no one tattles, then doing laundry on Sunday works out just fine.

2011-10-02T21:32:13.845+02:00

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A Suisse Romande perspective on things... How seve...

2011-10-01T21:23:49.445+02:00

A Suisse Romande perspective on things... How severely these rules and laws are enforced depends very much on where you're living.

I think the French-speaking cantons are much more lenient - our rubbish tends to go in communal bins in the basement of the building, whenever you want. The quiet times are less strictly enforced (we often hoover on a Sunday - and heard someone else doing so too! Although the flats are quite well soundproofed...). Although we have been told off for attempting to use the glass recycling bins on a Sunday.

Hattie, That's crazy abou the license plates, ...

2011-09-30T18:44:53.703+02:00

Hattie, That's crazy abou the license plates, but yes, I can definitely see that happening!

Thanks for the call-out Steve. Glad you're enjoying the blog.

Hi Frau I really enjoy reading your blog, I hope ...

2011-09-29T11:54:48.688+02:00

Hi Frau

I really enjoy reading your blog, I hope you did not mind me giving a little plug.
http://maison-europe.blogspot.com/2011/09/strange-swiss-laws.html

Steve

Your license plates (Nummernschilder) are state pr...

2011-09-29T04:04:46.587+02:00

Your license plates (Nummernschilder) are state property. On a business trip to Switzerland years ago, after we had moved back to the U.S., my husband was awakened at 7:a.m. by three cops banging on his hotel room door. When he asked for an explanation, they said he had left the country taking the license plates on our car with him! This was theft!
Now, hotels are required to give guest lists to the local police. Another law you may or may not know about. The police saw his name in connection with vanishing license plates. He was not put into custody but allowed to walk, on the promise that the plates would be sent back to Switzerland. I had them in the mail the next day! What was really funny was that they apparently did not know that I had taken the plates from my car out of the country too. I sent those back as well. Wonder what they thought of that.
Oh, the cops detained him again at the airport, but he talked them out of making him miss his flight, on his assurance that the plates were in the mail.
We were so glad that the Swiss were keeping things in Ornung in their perfect country.

Love these explanations! Very-well said! Stephani...

2011-09-28T22:40:45.347+02:00

Love these explanations! Very-well said!

Stephanie

Oh my! You have enlighted me to other UNIQUE Swiss...

2011-09-28T10:14:21.830+02:00

Oh my! You have enlighted me to other UNIQUE Swiss rules that even I wasn't aware of after living here for 15 years. I am still wondering where do Swiss people store all the garbage until the legal hour and day for recyling. Every Swiss person's house I have visited is neat at a pin with no piles in sight. Truly an art!