Isakat

1.fill petrol at the petrol station when it is closed and let the person there fill up for you, after which you give him 50 cents/euro
2. pay someone to put your shopping in the car at the local supermarket
3.pay someone to tell you where there is a parking space at the local car park


Isakat

TestaRossa

This is related to the crime in Italy thread on the other site isn't it??

I don't have a car so none of these apply, but no, I wouldn't do any of the above, I don't give loose change to the gypsies or money for a pack of chicken waved in my face in the supermarket by them for their bambini, or to the beggars in the streets of Florence with huge stomachs and healthy dogs.

We did pay the kids in the rough areas of Manchester to "watch the car" and I did buy the Big Issue. I will also give change to a busker here or there if they are any good and I try to ignore mimes, especially now the gypsies are getting in on the act here in Florence.

Do I think Albanians and Romanians are responsible for all the crime? No, but they do seem to be the ones prosecuted for it, rightly or wrongly. Also I wish people would stop confusing Romanians with gypsies! They are Roms, as in Romany and most are Italian by birth. Do I trust or feel sorry for the gypsies, nope, but I didn't in the UK either or travellers.

A bit off topic, but I'm kind of hoping it was what you were after!!

LivingHere

No to all three.

I don't give anything to the beggars who hang out at traffic lights either.

If there was a big issue here then I would buy it.

Off to browse the other site now

pansy

no to them all. they want money do. the same as I had to work.

Isakat

Seems that you all do what I have been doing for almost 8 years. I can put the petrol nozzle in the car myself, I can push the trolley to the car and my eyesight is still good to find a parking place myself.And of course I do not give money to beggars, especially when I can see their motorhomes and expensive cars in the campo nomadi close to the local shopping centre.
There is a Nigerian guy, in front of the local GS and to whom I speak. I have explained to him that me giving him a euro will not change his situation. I gave him an address to the local Caritas and advised him to get a job locally. I spoke to his girlfriend and tried to help her, and while leaving she said-And now can you give me a euro for a coffee? I gave her a look and drove off.
Once while filling petrol, a man from North African origin( this is by the way not important) was quite insistent on filling the car for me. His wife was even sitting on the steps. I said no thank you, but he would not give up , so I told him if he does not stop bothering me I will call the Carabinieri to check his permesso di soggiorno. He immediately backed off.
I have not read the crime discussion on the other site-can you enlighten me which one is it please?

TestaRossa

Expats in Italy has a thread called Crime in Italy. Some of the same points came up - someone helping you find a car parking space etc. Very strange coincidence! It became a bit of a row as there were accusations of racism, but it is obviously something on everyone's mind at the moment.

duffer

1. speed up when you see a cat crossing the road in front of you
2. crack up when you see someone trip up on the pavement
3. drive close to the pavement and start the windscreen washers when you see some Jehovah witness type people
4. nod your head in disapproval at men wearing orange coloured trousers
5. ask the beggars in the supermarket to wash my car in return for the 1 euro they're asking for...



is it just me then? yeah right...

TestaRossa

I doubt it very much - that it's just you that is!! Definitely not the 1st one or the second (normally me tripping though!). 3rd, never thought of that! 4 - yes. 5 - great idea!! Also try offering to buy them the coffee or sandwich they say it is for and watch the reaction....

The weirdest one I've ever had happen was this: I was walking to pick Antonia up from school and a scruffy bloke, non-Italian, was in front of me. Suddenly he stopped and bent down making me nearly trip over him! When he stood up he approached me, as I had had to stop to get around him we were close to each other, in his hand he had a "gold" wedding ring, which he showed me. I told him to keep it or take it to the police, whatever, but I was running late for school and honestly wasn't that interested. I told him he'd had good luck and started to walk away. He then followed me down the street still babbling on about this bloody ring! Next thing I know he is telling me to have it! I took it off him and said I had to go and get my daughter from school and I would give the ring to the nuns. No, no, he says, lets go and get a panini together..... At this point I was pretty close to school so just carried on walking with him behind me calling signora and to go and get a panini in a bar!! He followed me to school, I still had the ring. He didn't come through the gates. I went in and had a proper look at the ring. It was heavy but some cheap metal plated in brass or something. I gave it to the nuns anyway. He was gone when I left with Antonia. It was only later I realised the whole thing was a scam to get me to go to a bar with him and pay for drinks and food for giving me a fake gold ring!!! Wonder if it ever worked for him??!

Isakat

In answer to your questions Duffer:

1. Do not speed in front of animals as if the owner finds out who did it you can be sued for damages. There was a case of a man having to pay a couple of thousand euros to an owner of a dog he killed on the road( why was the dog in the road in the first place?)
2.Do not laugh at anyone falling as where I live the pavements are full of holes, so falling is common and not funny.
3.I have Jehova's Witnesses ring my bell at least on 2 Sundays of the month. I even thought of putting a sign on the gate-No JW, but then I found out that a kid in DS'S class was one of them and thought-what would his mother think when he comes round for play.The last time I told them that we were Muslim,maybe it has worked, as I have not seen them this month.I really do not have problems with anyone believing in anything they like, But do not come on a Sunday preaching and trying to convert me to your beliefs.
4. orange trousers-do not know why Italian men wear them, they are vile
5-Rather do not ask them -have you seen the filthy water the window washers use to wash your windscreen?

Mr Posh

100% spot on

The only thing I do different in number 5 is get in the car then give the a 50p piece and drive off after its been washed, and watch their face in the mirror

Mr D you also missed: Driving in big puddle near curb when begger is standing near it so they get a FREE bath

LivingHere

Blimey what a hard hearted lot we are!

I once had someone in the supermarket car park wanting to take my trolley back for me - obviously hoping for the fifty cents I had used to get it. His begging photo was of his dead son's funeral. Now I felt sorry for him the same as I would feel sorry for anyone who had lost a child (and yes, I know he was probably lying) but why does a dead person need my money?

TestaRossa

That's awful!! Have you noticed the ones in the train station that hover waiting to grab any change coming out of the ticket machines? Having picked up extra when buying tickets I know it does happen, but literally hanging on someone's shoulder while they buy the ticket, please!! I had to get my OH to bodyguard me in Milan because this little old bloke was nearly attached to my back!!

They banned the ones that lie in the street face down here as a "public hazard"! You could fall over them was the reasoning, so the comune dislikes them as much as we do!!

The funny thing is we have a group of drunks and homeless hang out in the square across from our house. They congregate at a picnic table. Bizzarely I've got to the point where I can acknowledge a couple of them....as my son points out they shave, wash as best they can in the drinking fountain and generally aren't a menace unless they start bringing their rubbish into the square to sleep in/on. Even when they've had a few drinks, which is most of the time, they are generally civilised. My son, who has a view point into the square from his room, has even recognised that they have a pecking order and that one in particular is in charge. It could make a great thesis for sociology!!

duffer

I wonder if they get incapacity benefit for being too drunk to work

pansy

A look from me seems to be enough. a romanion women at our shops followed me to my car so I told her if ever she did again I would knock her teeth down her throat she gives me a wide berth now. I took it she understood english.

bricwood

I was warned that people wave down cars pretending they are in trouble then take your car at gunpoint, I have twice had people wave me down recently and drove on by, if there are two or three hanging about round the car its dodgy, the first one cursed me and did a rude gesture and his car was fine because I saw him drive off in my mirror, the thing that annoys me is chuggers, that stand outside the supermarket collecting for aids, one who looked about 18 to me said he was a doctor first time I coughed up but they are there two or three days a week now, they all speak English so chances are they are not Italian, I did buy a torch for four euro from an African because he really did look starving, I find the only people who speak good English in puglia are the beggars, all the same things are happening in London though so its not an Italian thing