Sigi's tips | In a muscle shirt in front of the Veneziano

People like to flex their muscles and dress accordingly with a shirt that has no sleeves. A “muscle shirt” should outline the biceps to show them off even more. This can look good if the proportions are right. When the outerwear stretches over a respectable stomach, the fun ends. Then the muscle flexing is just embarrassing, unsightly and tasteless. I don't want to sit in the bar on holiday next to a neighbor who is so (un)clothed. Then I lose my appetite. But the scene described is still harmless compared to others. Men who obviously think they are the masters of the world cycle topless through seaside resorts. It's simply completely tasteless and I sometimes really wonder how low one's decency can sink when one leaves the comfort of their own home. For many people, vacation seems to mean forgetting all or almost all good manners. Let the pig out. Once a year. You pay for it and apparently demand the right to do whatever comes to mind. It only bothers the general public and the local residents anyway. But I don't want that and I have a lot of colleagues who are currently applauding Mauro Armelao vigorously. The mayor of Chioggia has passed a completely wonderful law. Anyone who is found 50m from the beach without outer clothing as a man or of course as a woman will pay a fine. The amount of 75 euros corresponds to a decent dinner. Armelao has shown courage with his decree, because his city, also called “Little Venice”, lives from tourism and does so very consciously. It is built on wooden stilts and looks like a mini version of the large lagoon city of Venice, which is only 25 kilometers away by sea. Nine bridges cross the Veno Canal. Chioggia is a jewel with picturesque charm. A holiday dream. “No one in Chioggia is bigoted, but we demand respect for a city dedicated to tourism. It is not possible for me to see men in swimming trunks or women in bikinis in supermarkets every day,” the mayor said on the website www.chioggianews.it. He refers to Article 28, which refers to “public decency in public places and asks not to display private body parts.” A city defends itself against the deterioration in morals that is generally widespread on vacation and tries to raise the appearance to a level that is tolerable for everyone, with reactions that may initially be viewed as unpopular. I had just spent a few days in Grado, a little east of Venice. There is still no decree in this direction there, which is obviously being exploited to a great extent because holidaymakers as such usually leave their good manners at home as soon as the roads lead south. I saw a tour group cycling directly in front of the Basilica of Sant'Eufemia, even though cycling was forbidden in the forecourt. The sign for this was wisely overlooked. With sweaty clothes and some without any outer clothing at all, they then went into the church. At home, no one in the group would do that. In everyday life, it's a given that you put on a clean T-shirt. Or do you sit shirtless in front of your lunch table between Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Sylt? The tourist resorts are fighting back. And because well-intentioned appeals are simply not enough, more and more people are, understandably, turning to clear laws. In Eboli, near the wonderful beaches of Salerno, kissing in the car is forbidden. And, as the regulation states, “the exchange of caresses.” A smack for the treasure can cost up to 600 euros. You almost get a nice wedding ring for that. On Lake Garda, which is so popular with German tourists, you are no longer allowed to play with balls on the beach and anyone who splashes water on bathers, whether intentionally or not, can also get a ticket. Packed in a plastic bag so that the transfer slip does not get wet. When it comes to alcohol, the crackdown on alcohol is much more rigorous in many countries. In Spain, as in Turkey, drinking hard liquor in public is strictly prohibited. It's actually sad that the things we take for granted in life are left in the cloakroom on vacation. Good manners are thrown overboard, which also has an impact on everyone who wants to enjoy the holidays in a civilized manner. Laws are always passed when the bow is overstretched. Of course, this is usually a minority who think it's chic to brush against the grain, especially on vacation. Fortunately, the few new regulations are not so dramatic that they would ruin your holiday joy. Anyone can stuff a nice T-shirt in their suitcase and the statement that you are not allowed to kiss in the car can also be understood to mean that there are much nicer places to arouse desire. The holiday room, for example, with a view of the sea and a light breeze playing through the open window with the white curtains. And no decency police anywhere. About the author: Sigi Heinrich The multi-award-winning sports journalist (including German Television Prize, Bavarian Sports Prize, World Sports Trophy, Biathlon Award), book author and Eurosport commentator, dedicates his column “Sigi's Peaks” to the entire diversity of sport and also enjoys poaching foreign realms. Sometimes with a smile and a wink, or serious and matter-of-fact and sometimes deliberately provocative. There should be something for everyone.

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Sigi's tips | In a muscle shirt in front of the Veneziano

A few recent vacation days once again made it clear to our columnist Sigi Heinrich that many tourists leave their good manners at home. In some holiday hotspots there are now unusual regulations. There are dress codes outside the beach and also bans on kissing.

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