snacking tourists ticketed

[monovillage]

Snacking tourists fined after Rome declares 'War on the Sandwich'

By Claudio Lavanga, NBC News

ROME -- It’s one of the highlights of any trip to Rome: Sitting on the Spanish Steps eating a real Italian gelato. But on Oct. 1, it became a potentially costly vacation memory.

The mayor of the "eternal city" has made it illegal to eat snacks and junk food on or around its monuments.

Is there no justice for gelato eaters?

No gelato! No peace!

A young German tourist, who was sitting nearby and eating a sandwich, couldn’t believe it at first when told about the decree.

“What? It’s full of food carts around here … where am I supposed to eat?” he said.

Tourists sitting on the Spanish Steps shared his bewilderment.

Both a Chinese tourist eating ice cream from a cup and a Romanian digging from a bag of chips while admiring the sunset over Via Condotti pointed out that there were no signs explaining the new law and asked how were they supposed to know about the rule.

When asked about this complaint, three local policemen patrolling the area told NBC News that there was no need for a sign.

“It’s common sense,” one officer said. “You can’t dirty such a beautiful and historical monument with ice cream and bread crumbs just because you can sit on it.”

They too had handed out many fines, but worried that in the end the penalty would not be paid.

“Most of them are foreigners, so I doubt they will pay the ticket before they go back to their countries," the officer said. "It’s more likely they’ll keep it as a souvenir."

"You just can't dirty such a beautiful and historic place" really says it all. Damn those horrible tourists for eating. There's 2 sides to every issue.

 

[dank69]

You gunning for evil liberals in other countries now, too?

 

[hal2kilo]

You gunning for evil liberals in other countries now, too?

Yea, I was disappointed. I was thinking we would get some Euro Socialist diatribe.

 

[PJABBER]

Is there no God?

 

[davmat787]

Actually I can understand the base reason behind the law, but there should be signs until it is at least as common knowledge to tourists as Rome's pickpockets are.

I have never been to Rome, but having been to Europe I do understand. However, their contempt of tourists should probably be muffled too.

 

[sandorski]

It's Common Sense! Food Carts, but no Eating. How the **** do you not know this?

 

[Incorruptible]

Once again the socialist idiots in Europe show how pathetic they are

 

[zinfamous]

Once again the socialist idiots in Europe show how pathetic they are

but don't you love gelato?

 

[Incorruptible]

but don't you love gelato?

I hate it

 

[1prophet]

You think that is bad, come to Singapore and try chewing gum let alone littering and see if you go home with a souvenir ticket.

Singapore Travel Taboo Laws relating to jaywalking, littering and chewing/selling gum, smoking in public are strictly enforced in urban areas. Never litter, chew gum, sell gum, jaywalk, or smoke in public, which are punishable by jail or even death.

http://www.traveltaboo.com/singapore-travel-tips-dos-and-donts/

 

[manimal]

Its because tourists are usually pigs and act like they own the place.

Like the idiots who drink beer and get drunk at Fontana Trevi and act like idiots when the police politely ask them to go back to their hostel...

I once saw a guy walk up to the monument to virgil in Naples and use a pocket knife to carve his name into it.

Dude got his ass handed to him by the police..

 

[SandEagle]

When in Rome, do as the Germans.

 

[PJABBER]

You think that is bad, come to Singapore and try chewing gum let alone littering and see if you go home with a souvenir ticket.

http://www.traveltaboo.com/singapore-travel-tips-dos-and-donts/

Those particular offenses get you a fine. If you deal drugs or do a capital crime, however, there is a mandatory death sentence and you will literally be hung at dawn on Friday. That is when all hangings are scheduled.

The chief executioner, Darshan Singh, said that he has executed more than 850 people during his service from 1959 using the phrase: "I am going to send you to a better place than this. God bless you." This included 18 people on one day, using three ropes at a time. Singh also said that he has hanged 7 people within 90 minutes.[7]

 

[manimal]

When in Rome, do as the Germans.

you talking about the topless german tourists who crowd italian beaches or the ones who vacation with their kids in sedans and clean up after themselves and act with civility?

 

[Fayd]

Snacking tourists fined after Rome declares 'War on the Sandwich'





Is there no justice for gelato eaters?

No gelato! No peace!



"You just can't dirty such a beautiful and historic place" really says it all. Damn those horrible tourists for eating. There's 2 sides to every issue.

when i was in rome, i saw an italian encouraging his daughter to pee on the ruins. i think rome is trying to cut down on that kind of wanton disrespect for them.

 

[hal2kilo]

Even on ignore, he doesn't disappoint.

 

[monovillage]

Even on ignore, he doesn't disappoint.

Grow some balls.

 

[hal2kilo]

Grow some balls.

You're definitely not on ignore, you're too entertaining.

 

[Rainsford]

When in Rome, do as the Germans.

Even the messiest tourist would have a hard time doing as the Romans themselves do. The historical places in Rome are interesting, but overall the city is pretty messy. Better than Naples, but not exactly the cleanliness crown jewel of Italy.

 

[piasabird]

First of all, you cant go anywhere in the City of Rome and not be near a monument, fountain or some other ruin or ancient church. Rome is like one giant complex and everything is built upon a ruin for the last 2,000 years or so. So this law is a joke. Maybe toursist should just avoid Italy altogether. They are making money off of the tourists and now they are trying to harass them.

To give you an ideal of how silly this law is, some piazzas were purposely built around things like fountains. Sometimes there are even outside seating cafe's right around the outside of the fountains.

 

[piasabird]

With all the cars around Rome and the crazy traffic some of the walls in the city are this dingy grey color from all the pollution. The Cars, the scooters, the big ugly busses and all their black exhaust fumes. It is probably similar to what you might picutre some of the dingy narrow streets of London would look like.

 

[Jhhnn]

Must be a slow outrage day for monovillage to get all puffed up over this... but, well, he *is* an outrage addict.

 

[monovillage]

Must be a slow outrage day for monovillage to get all puffed up over this... but, well, he *is* an outrage addict.

What outrage? Where? I don't even get outraged when you lie like a dog. I just laugh and toss you another pet treat.

 

[Jhhnn]

What outrage? Where? I don't even get outraged when you lie like a dog. I just laugh and toss you another pet treat.

Heh. You got your fix, so just go nod off somewhere, OK?

I'll agree that it's silly for Roman police to apply the rule to a stone outdoor staircase, but they are handing out interesting souvenirs...

 

[monovillage]

Heh. You got your fix, so just go nod off somewhere, OK?

I'll agree that it's silly for Roman police to apply the rule to a stone outdoor staircase, but they are handing out interesting souvenirs...

I thought it was silly also, that was the only reason for the post.