Sept. 1 (Bloomberg) -- Governments charge taxes for all sorts of things such as earning money, buying property, flying in airplanes and getting gas. Now the French have come up with a new idea: a tax on being stupid.

This could be a huge windfall if applied generally. The French Foreign Ministry is proposing a very narrow law requiring citizens foolish enough to wander into international danger zones, regardless of public warnings, to pay at least part of the cost of their own rescue.

It’s an excellent concept. Teenagers who miss the last train home are told by their parents to pay the cab fare out of their own pocket money. So why shouldn’t thrill-seeking travelers pick up the tab for such obvious recklessness as sailing into the pirate-infested waters of the Gulf of Aden?

That kind of stupidity is what propelled the French into action. On three occasions since April 2008, French naval forces have had to save their citizens while sailing off the coast of Somalia. In a rescue operation earlier this year, one French hostage died as commandoes stormed his commandeered yacht. Three pirates were killed.

Diverting navy frigates and mounting raids like these cost a lot of money, at a time when France is trying to keep its deficit under control. No wonder Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner aims to spread the burden and share the responsibility.

Given the recent spate of diplomatic incidents caused by U.S. travelers in such far-flung places as Myanmar, North Korea and Iran, the U.S. might consider doing something similar.

“Proceed at your own peril” is a good motto in all sorts of situations, which should be expanded to “Proceed at your own peril, and on your nickel.”

Indiana Jones

This isn’t about aid workers, diplomats, soldiers or journalists, who take calculated risks to do dangerous and essential jobs. This is about amateurs doing risky things in countries that have little tolerance for mistakes.

The costs aren’t only financial. U.S. officials, including an ex-president, have had to clean up the mess created by our Indiana Jones wannabes. In some cases, the people who suffer most are the ones whom the intrepid travelers aimed to help.

Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of Myanmar’s democracy movement, had 18 months added to her house arrest just because a 53-year-old Mormon from Missouri decided to swim across a lake to her doorstep. It’s not surprising that her supporters called John Yettaw the “wretched American,” or “the imbecile.”

How doubly galling for them to then find out that Yettaw, who was quickly deported from Myanmar, is planning to write a book about his ordeal. “Little did I know they were going to arrest her and put her on trial,” he told CNN last week.

Jeopardizing Sources

Stories are now emerging about how the two Los Angeles- based journalists who were rescued by Bill Clinton in Pyongyang may have jeopardized their sources in China while researching human trafficking out of North Korea. The concern is that the North Korean border guards, who nabbed the journalists seconds after they entered the communist nation, confiscated their notes, videotapes and contact numbers.

The three American hikers now being detained incommunicado by Iranian authorities, one month after they wandered across the Iran-Iraq border, need to be released before they are made to answer for getting lost in the mountains of Kurdistan. Given the stakes of the U.S.-Iranian relationship, it should be a requirement in that region to know where the border lies.

This isn’t about blaming the victims. Being held by North Korean border guards, Iranian or Myanmar interrogators is no joke. The U.S. and France are right to do everything possible to rescue their citizens.

No Excuse

Once they are home free, however, it is appropriate to ask some questions. Ignorance, inexperience -- or just being stupid -- is no excuse for taking foolish risks.

The French are right to try to make those who ignore warnings about dangerous places share the costs of their rescue, but there are other responsibilities to consider. Maybe there should be another law diverting proceeds from film rights, book deals and TV contracts to pay for their mistakes.

(Celestine Bohlen is a Bloomberg News columnist. The opinions expressed are her own)

To contact the writer of this column: Celestine Bohlen in Paris at cbohlen1@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: August 31, 2009 19:00 EDT