4. Careful In The Streets
When crossing the streets in Greece, use caution as drivers don’t generally pay attention to pedestrian crossings. It’s so crazy in fact that a driver is more likely to make a sharp turn around you than actually slow down or stop to let you cross. If in Athens with a rented a car, it’s still better to use taxis or public transport, both of which are easy to find and go all through the city. If you’re not accustomed, you absolutely don’t want to drive your car within the city limits. The Greeks do their own thing on the roadways and in Athens crazy driving is kicked up many notches. Be safe and leave the driving for less harrowing roads.
5. They Take HIV Testing Very Seriously
In an effort to curb the alarming rates of HIV in the country, they’ve instated a pretty alarming law in Greece. Public Health Decree 39A states that the Greek police can detain people they suspect of being HIV positive and force them to take a test. If that’s not draconian enough, landlords are allowed to evict people if they’re HIV positive, which is deemed a public health threat. There have been cases where personal information about people with HIV was splashed over the media. On one hand, it’s good to be on top of diseases, but critics of this decree feel that this is a violation of human rights.
6. Greeks Bearing Gifts
Get an invite to a Greek home and super excited, are you? Well you better not show up empty-handed. Your hosts will expect a gift of some sort when you arrive. On “name days,” be sure to bring a present with you and hand it over as soon as you enter the house. The kicker? If the recipient doesn’t like the gift you chose, they aren’t required to act like they do, or as though they’re thankful. Don’t get too stressed out over your gift choices though, as for regular invites, chocolate or flowers should do just fine to win your hosts over.
