If “selfie” was the Word of the Year in 2014, then the selfie stick was definitely the most popular gift in 2014.
The Daily Mail reported last year that this long wand that helps you to take group selfies was one of the must-have gifts in Britain during the gifting season. Last year Amazon UK stated that the sales of selfie sticks increased a staggering 301% from September till November. Besides that, Ebay UK also stated that the site has sold 90 selfie sticks every 60 minutes.
However, despite this stick’s influence over a lot of people all over the world, there are certain authorities in a few places which do not agree with its usage. So if you are a pro-selfie advocate who owns a selfie sticks, or monopod, you should take note of these 8 places where they are banned.
1. London’s O2 Arena
NME reported that the London O2 have announced that the dreaded selfie stick has been banned from the arena. “The O2 do not allow selfie sticks into the arena due to safety considerations. We welcome selfies, but please leave the stick at home.”
The O2 Arena has the second-highest seating capacity of any indoor venue in the UK. The arena was the venue for gymnastics during the 2012 Summer Olympics. Some of best known music artists such as Aerosmith, Beyoncé, and Jennifer Lopez have also performed in the O2 Arena.
2. SSE Wembley
SSE Webley (previously known as Wembley Arena) is one of UK’s most iconic sports event and music gig venue. The venue has been host to sports events such as WWE and Hockey 5s. Notable music artists who have performed in the arena include Madonna, Lady Gaga, One Direction, and Aaron Kwok.
A spokesperson for the Wembley SSE Arena told NME that “selfies are a big part of the gig experience”. It is undeniable that a selfie stick may come in handy to take a group shot but selfie sticks are actually prohibited in the arena. “The sticks might mean you are refused entry to the venue so our advice is do not bring them and stick with the tried and tested use of an arm.”
3. Old Trafford – the home of Manchester United F.C.
Since last year, Manchester United has been a party pooper for iPad users. The team stated that devices that are larger than 150mm x 100mm (5.9 x 3.9 inches) such as iPads or other large tablet devices and laptop are banned from the stadium.
This year, the club has added selfie sticks to that list. Burton Mail reported that Manchester United classed the selfie sticks as “poles or sticks” which are also one of the items in the banned list.
4. Emirates Stadium – Arsenal
The administrators of Priemier League Club Arsenal have announced that selfie sticks are prohibited from its respective stadiums which is the Emirates Stadium due to the fear of the devices can be weaponised. “The club’s ground regulations prohibit any object that could be used as a weapon or could compromise public safety,” said an Arsenal spokesman to New Journal.
An Arsenal fan who goes by the Twitter username @Lucygooners posted an photo of Arsenal’s take on the issue in Twitter.
A live selfie stick refusal!!! Haha pic.twitter.com/uBwjvIsep9
— Lucy (@Lucygooner) January 11, 2015
5. O2 Academy Brixton
O2 Academy Brixton is one of the largest non-arena venues in London. The academy has hosted a range of rock music gigs and the building has become a music venue since 1983.
NME reported that O2 Academy Brixton do not allow selfie sticks in the building, which is not surprising, considering that their existing policy bans people from filming and taking photographs during a performance with any other devices.
6. White Hart Lane – Tottenham Hotspur
Selfie sticks is officially banned from the stadium and the club said the sticks will be confiscated at the gates of White Hart Lane. This selfie sticks ban was imposed after a fan lodged a complain to the club.
A Spurs fan who go by the Twitter name of @LiamCSWY tweeted a picture of an email he received from a member from the Customer Care Team, with the caption “Victory!”
https://twitter.com/LiamCSWY/status/552806479032774656
7. Etihad Stadium – Manchester City
Manchester City fans are prohibited from using selfie sticks at the Etihad Stadium as confirmed by the club.
8. South Korea
In the 1990s, the term “selca” for self-camera was widely popular in South Korea before the invention of the term selfie. The selfie game was heavily popularized with the rise of the K-pop scene long before Ellen DeGeneres posted the most retweeted selfie at the 2014 Oscar.
However, in South Korea, anyone selling an uncertified selfie stick may be fined 30 million won or up to three years in prison. The country has stated a law that all devices need to be verified and approved to ensure they do not disrupt other devices using the same radio frequency. With huge influx of selfie sticks from China, many users could unknowingly be risking jail time by using an uncertified device. Therefore to stay out of this, we suggest that you leave your selfie stick at home if you go to Korea.
