'Strange' things that happened in big cities

Some of the most modern and vibrant cities in the world have issued regulations or had "unique" plans in their development history that, if mentioned again today, would receive a "frown" from the public.

Airport among high-rise buildings

Taking off and landing at Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Airport (China) was considered one of the most “difficult” tests for pilots in previous decades. To land at the airport located in the middle of Hong Kong, pilots must concentrate highly and skillfully steer the plane through the crowded “forest of high-rise buildings”.

Planes from Kai Tak Airport fly close to tall buildings in Hong Kong.

Every flight to Kai Tak airport is a test of the pilots' abilities.

This has led to much criticism of Hong Kong’s planners. Kai Tak Airport is located in the middle of Kowloon City with a runway that leads directly to the sea. From its opening in 1925 until its closure in 1998, there were 12 accidents at Kai Tak Airport, with more than 200 deaths.

In 1998, Hong Kong's new international airport opened on Chek Lap Kok Island, and this was considered great news for pilots.

Baby cage in apartment

Parents in London, England in the 1930s understood that vitamin D was extremely important for children and that going out to sunbathe would help their children grow stronger. However, this was a "luxury" in the capital of the foggy country with its crowded apartment buildings.

A cage for babies to sunbathe.

The precarious position of the cage raises safety concerns.

Therefore, the image of babies wandering in iron cages protruding from the doors of apartments in 6- to 7-story apartment buildings was not a rare sight during that period.

The baby cage is an American idea, which is a space extended from a high-rise window, reinforced with metal, with a mattress and curtains for babies to freely sunbathe. However, over time, baby cages also disappeared because parents were concerned about the safety of this invention.

Washington Fashion Police

Ladies' clothing is censored when going to the beach.

In Washington DC in 1922, many police officers were recruited to measure and remind ladies of their beach attire. Accordingly, women were required to wear swimsuits no shorter than 15cm above the knee. If they wore outfits that violated the regulations, women were required to change themselves.

Smoking in the subway

Smoking on the tube may seem like an unseemly act, but it was once allowed in London. Not only that, but cigarette advertising is also everywhere in the British capital’s underground stations.

Londoners once had a time when they could comfortably "puff" on cigarettes on the subway.

However, because smoking on the underground caused discomfort to other passengers as well as potential danger, the London Transport Passengers Committee and the Evening Standard newspaper jointly launched a campaign against it. Smoking was subsequently banned on the London Underground from July 1984.

The Day Sweden Changed

On Sunday, September 3, 1967, Sweden launched “Dagen H” (right-hand traffic day). It was a momentous occasion for the Nordic country, as after years of deliberation, Stockholm decided to follow its neighbors and switch from the left to the right side of the road.

Chaos as Sweden switches from left-hand to right-hand drive.

On the day Sweden changed its traffic rules, there were 150 minor accidents. The next day, September 4, 1967, Sweden recorded 125 accidents, which is considered lower than the country's average Monday, which is usually 164 accidents.

According to News