Italian Hospitality.

This is the italian way of hospitality.. Just parking your car right at the point where pedestrians should be able to cross the street. With e.g. a wheelchair or a child-buggy it gets "fun". It wouldn't surprise you we've had quite a lot the desire to just drive against/over/damage this "well" parked vehicles. We didn't, while we're civilised.

Italians, are quite the opposite.. apart from parking they disobeye traffic-rules as if they do not exist. Red light? what's that?

Finally I've got a warning for all cashmachine-users, while we were mugged with an ugly "magic" trick.

Rule nr.1: Never use the machine with suspicious characters in vicinity. If possible: use the machine with a "life"-shield of your travelcompanion.

Rule nr.2: If there where none, but just after inserting your cart there is: Block the passage to the card-insert while you might be distracted and the mugger will be able to get your card out in an instant. So, when the machine tells you to insert your card while you already did.. it's not the machine who swallowed the card.. it just got stolen..

Rule nr.3: NEVER OBEY THE INSTRUCTIONS OF THIS SUPPOSED TO BE FRIENDLY PERSON WHO APPROACHED YOU JUST AFTER INSERTING THE CARD.. WHILE IT'S HE/SHE WHO JUST MUGGED YOU AND ONLY NEEDS ONE MORE THING:.. THE CODE.

Rule nr.4: If possible check if you can use your cellphone in the vicinity of the cash-machine.. you're at greater risk in a (perhaps artificial) "dead zone".. even in the innercity!! Also program the number of the credit-card/bankcard blockage-office so you can block the card instandly.

It happens,.. unfortunately. Don't get paranoid, but be aware.. And the Italian Police? They're just there to show off.. apart from their uniform they're useless.