Do you remember the 1981 movie, “Mommie Dearest”, that depicted Joan Crawford’s distaste for how her daughter was storing her clothes in the closet? The quote was, “No wire hangers, ever!” and a town about an hour south of Paris has adopted a similar rule for cell phones. Known in France as a “téléphone mobile (or) portable” because of their portable nature, the government estimates that 95% of the population has at least one. In theory however, despite that overwhelming number, there’s one community where you won’t find them in public.

As a nation, France has banned the use of handheld telephones while driving, even if you’re stopped at a red light or momentarily stuck in traffic. A similar restriction applies to other moving vehicles like motorcycles and bicycles, but the village of Seine-Port didn’t think that was good enough. By referendum, they voted to prohibit the use of smartphones in most public places including walking down the street, sitting on a park bench, eating in a café or restaurant and while waiting outside a school for your child to finish the day—essentially anywhere outside your home.

In addition, the voters approved a charter to encourage families to limit their children’s use of computer screens: none in the morning or just before bed, none in the bedroom at all, none during meals. The mayor’s office has promised to provide an old-fashioned portable telephone that only makes calls to any parent who does not give their child a smartphone.

To be fair, only about 20% of the village’s 1900 residents turned out for the vote and it passed with 54% support. One person in favor of the referendum said that rather than being about restricting freedoms, “It’s about raising awareness of the impact of phones in our lives.” One younger resident who spends 5 hours a day on his phone said, “…I like looking things up on my phone in the street. You can’t ban knowledge at your fingertips.”

So what happens if you’re in Port-Seine and dare to bring out your smartphone while you’re on the street? Nothing. It’s not enforceable by the police but merely a plea by one community to literally “look up”. 

Other communities have also passed laws to address their local concerns. In La Lavandou it was made illegal to die within the town to emphasize the lack of cemetery space. UFOs are banned in Chateauneuf-du-Pape as are mosquitoes in Briollay. On the other hand, Sainte-Gemmes-sur-Loire has rolled out the red carpet for Santa’s reindeer, giving them a free parking spot at Christmas. And just a warning if you like to travel by train: no kissing goodbye on the platform (it might delay the departure) and every animal you transport, including snails, needs a ticket. All aboard!

Photo note: All of today’s photos came from the Port-Seine village website, thank you.