41 What to Avoid in Rome

They call Verona “little Rome” because it too has a Coliseum and Roman ruins and is, indeed, a Roman city. However, it differs from Rome in one major way – Verona is a lot cleaner. I was amazed how often the city cleaners cleaned the streets each day. I presume, Rome being a large city, cannot have the same level of cleanliness. Rome is called the Eternal City. Well, I would also called Rome the City of Dog Poop. Whatever you do, keep your eyes on where you place your feet!

Before I visited Rome, I had horrible fears of pickpockets and purse-snatchers, but I found that the Historical City is really quite safe. This does not mean that pickpockets don’t thrive, especially in crowds or on the bus from the Termini station to the Vatican. Currently (2008) Rome has a right of centre mayor, and like Verona, the police are everywhere but not intrusively. This makes good business sense because tourism is a major industry. Nevertheless, keep your wits about you.

The police can’t protect you from scammers since scamming involves your voluntary involvement. Do be careful of anyone asking the way or who wants to borrow your map or your cell phone. By all means lend if you are inclined, but if the conversation goes further and he offers you something just remember the good advice given me (but alas too late), “when money is raised, walk away!” I wish I had! The scammer’s approach is to befriend a mark and then offer something out of “friendship,” which one then finds difficult to reject because one does not want to offend.

Another type of scamming is institutional in the sense that restaurants that cater to tourists often have hidden costs. One can have dinner sitting under the stars even in October, something most of us enjoy. These restaurants often advertise their menu, and all looks reasonable – 6 to 10 Euros for pasta and other reasonably charged features. However, when the bill arrives you will discover anything up to a 3 Euro cover charge for eating at an outdoor table, plus 10% Service Charge, plus exorbitant charges for wine, coffee, etc. One way they hit you is to charge 5 Euros for a glass of house wine or 12 Euros for half a litre. Coffee can cost as much as 3 Euros -- at a bar it’s 0.7 Euro. By the way, “Service Charge” is not a tip for the waiter but for wear and tear. Waiters are well enough paid that a tip is not expected but appreciated. A tip is one Euro per head or less, and not the North American 15% and up!

Do read your bill and be very aware of what you hand over. I went to a restaurant near the Coliseum, and for once had a waitress who was attentive and spoke Italian to me. I thought, “how nice, I am being pleasantly served in Italian”. But then another waiter with a cheeky mannerism tried to take over from her – I think he was the senior waiter. He started by speaking German to me, then English …I just glared at him. Whenever he came to ask if I wanted something else I answered abruptly no, and then called her over and told her. When it came to paying the bill I wanted to make sure that she received the tip. I gave her a 50 Euro bill and she returned without the main change. I explained to her what I had originally given her. She was obviously embarrassed and hurried back to retrieve the correct change. I noticed her remonstrating with the other waiter, who had obviously handled the payment and had tried a fast one on her as well as on me. (I still gave her a tip.)

Finally, if you want to get away from the tourists eat at the time Italians eat, which is from 8 p.m. on. Also, remember that restaurants that don’t have outside dining or are hidden away from the main tourist thoroughfares often offer good food at more reasonable prices.