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Wright Thompson, Staff Writer
I should have known better. In hindsight, it should have been obvious.
But it wasn't, which is why I am relating this story to you.
We got to the train station in Firenze at about 3:45 a.m., for a 4:20 a.m.
train to Roma.
The train station, which wasn't the newer, cleaner, more modern Santa
Maria Novella, looked like a soup line, with every description of person
lounging around the "lobby," which was actually about as inviting and
sanitary as the urinals at Grand Central Station.
There were Italian soldiers who smelled like they haven't seen the inside
of a shower in weeks. There were gypsies with children in tow who had
probably never seen the inside of a schoolroom. This was not the Italy of
Frommer's and "Room with a View," just as America is not all Disney Worlds
and Aspens. However, it is an Italy that travelers might have to deal with
and therefore should be told about.
When we got on the train, I felt nervous. I never feel nervous. The train
car we found, like nearly all train cars in Italy, didn't have locks on
the door.
Tired, my friend and I went to sleep. While we were sleeping, a gypsy
snuck into our car and had his hand on my (expensive) camera when Marc, my
friend, awoke. 10 seconds later, and my $300 camera would have been as
ancient history as the Forum in Rome.
The scare over, we went back to sleep, only to catch the same gypsy
attempting to sneak in our car, again.
This time we chased the gypsy, and, despite the language barrier, made
perfectly clear what we were going to do to him if we caught him in our
car once more.
Talking with friends of mine, this type of experience, while not an
every-day occurrence, does happen occasionally - especially when
traveling south in Italy. A rule of thumb is that the farther south you
go, the more on your guard you should be.
As I mentioned before, the doors on most Italian train cars don't have
locks. To get around that design oversight, I discovered a neat trick that
will allow you to sleep better.
When you get ready to catch some Zs, take a belt and run in through the
door handle and the luggage rack that will be above either set of seats.
Once the belt is through both apperati, cinch it tight. You might have to
experiment with the necessary tightness of the belt. It's a trial and
error thing.
Once on the train, a railroad official will come around to check your
ticket or rail pass. Your makeshift lock will probably annoy him,
but that is a minor detail when compared with the possibility of losing
all your stuff.
Once you have had your ticket checked, there should be no reason to open
your door until you reach your destination.
With all this said, a disclaimer is needed. Not all Italians are like the
visitors Marc and I had on the train to Rome. In fact, there are only a
small number of bad apples. Unfortunately, these folks prey on naive
tourists. And believe me, you will be easy to pick out. Whether an accent
or a North Face jacket, something will give you away.
The moral is to be smart. You wouldn't leave your house unlocked when you
go to the grocery store - Italy is no different.
The good news, however, is that pick pocketing and petty theft should be
your greatest worries. I am from Clarksdale, Miss., a tiny town, and felt
safer walking the streets of Firenze than I did walking the streets of
Clarksdale.
Another thing to be very careful with is your passport - which can bring a
hefty sum on the black market. (You always here things about a mysterious
"black market," but have you ever seen this bazaar? Me, either.)
If you lose your passport, or have it stolen, it takes an act of Congress
to get a new one. I mean, it is a pain. I guess Uncle Sam wants to
discourage you from losing it again, because you have to jump through some
pretty ridiculous hoops.
All of these warnings are not meant to scare you away from Italy - or
Italians. Nearly everyone is the country is a good, genuine person. It is
smart, however, to be careful. You are in a different environment, and, no
matter how well traveled you may be, an obvious target.
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