According to The Local, the city is banning selfie sticks in an effort to crack down on “anti-social behaviour”. The city has also banned glass bottles and food trucks, eliminating litter throughout the warmer months. Visitors (and locals) are prohibits from “holding, carrying, leaving on the ground, disposing or receiving any kind of glass bottles, or containers, cans or selfie sticks” in the areas spanning Piazza XXIV Maggio, Gorizia Avenue, Via Codara and Cantore Square.
Additionally, the selfie stick regulations went into effect in July, and will remain active until August 13th, with talk of extending into the future. Carmela Rozza, Milan’s Councillor for Security, notes that the ban will “continue until it is needed”.
Surprisingly, Milan is not the first destination to say no to selfie sticks. They’ve also been banned in Vatican City, Amsterdam’s Van Gogh Museum and Beijing’s Forbidden City out of concern for the artworks. Places like Pamplona and Disneyland have also gotten rid of selfie sticks due to safety concerns, with a big ban on them in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, out of respect for worshippers.
