highlander1

Good old Lorna !

Oops, Lorna, -grovel, grovel- I didn't mean old as in old, you know, but as wise
( are not most people wise ? ) . In reading Elvis's post I seem to recall a previous poster writing i instead of I. I (i ) 'm wrong ?

Serrano

Good call Lorna. And, as someone else indicated earlier, there seems to be a (thankfully) small number of argumentative (I'm being polite) types that have appeared recently. I'm all for debate, but not for the sort of gratuitous offense we have been seeing of late.

sunnysider

I know it's veering off the original topic Lorna but please allow this as it was introduced as a topic and it seems more helpful to do it publicly than in a PM to ononno.

Well I am naive ononnon

And have always believed in asking apparently stupid questions. Assuming stuff can be dangerous.

If records are kept/passed back at land borders that's fine by me. Absolutely - I welcome it. As I'd only be a visitor. But I still wonder if they are that efficient so it might not help me.

On leaving can I ask the country I am passing into for a stamp to prove I passed the border? Will they think me mad?

>>up to you to prove you did or didn't cross at any given time

Any suggestions as to how?

Maybe my idea of newspaper happy snaps wasn't so mad.

No intention of hopping to San Marino - can't see the point.

Sorry to have to ask but I haven't done much European surface travel since my happy inter-railing escapades.

I stress again that I will be a traveller as a Brit. No kids or other ties.

again a plea to be gentle with me ononno - all the best

sunnysider

The pop up thing has gone way too far in Britain.

Now become rather corporate/marketing.

Last thing I heard a trendy overpriced bar in uber-trendy Shoreditch had opened up a "pop up" bar on London's southbank charging £6 for a pint in a floppy plastic glass.

Can't see that sort of thing catching on in most Italian cities (or Brit ones for that matter)

I would welcome charity and secondhand shops in Italy, though I have the impression that they might have to overcome a still widespread cultural stigma about wearing other folks' clothes. I do know an interesting second hand shop in Cagliari though - well actually Quartu.

duffer

Some people are just dicks. That's how I see it.

Any why do people like him always respond by telling everyone on the forum that they should get out more? I'm on the forum on paid time thank you very much! Either that or when I'm waiting for something, I have a smartphone with internet and everyfink.

Lorna at Vicenza

Thanks peeps but you give me too much credit. I don't think I'm tolerant or particularly patient (pretty sure my kids would agree). I do know that I've had a right belly full of argumentative new posters lately, supplemented by reported posts from lots of you, and I'm not having it anymore. I, like most of you, am more than willing to give newbies advice, help and tips on the real life in Italy and I'd love new posters to become regulars. Unhelpful, argumentative, fighting and insulting posters aren't welcome. Even my patience ran out. This was not an arrivederci. It was a definitive goodbye. The same goes for anyone else that wants to be a fighting gladiator or dictator.

Lorna at Vicenza

Just this once, and if you don't get a good enough answer from our O'Nonno, take your questions to a better, more appropriate thread. Thank you.

ononno

Buy a coffee in the last service area before you cross the border, keep the receipt. Fill up at the first service area after you've crossed the border, keep the receipt.
bye bye dicette l'inglese

Margaret M

That may only prove that fuel is cheaper over the border.

heritagestanley

This may be wrong; but I've been told that one reason that so many small shops or cafes have closed or are closing is that they are taxed on the income that the government thinks that they should be getting from premises of their size rather than on their actual income ( which in small country towns or villages will be a lot lower). Is that so? Of course there is a problem with the black economy and undeclared income. But IMHO it's not very sensible to try to deal with the shortfall in tax revenues by pushing up tax rates (eg the recent IVA increase) as this only encourages avoidance/evasion: better to plug obvious loopholes and unjustified official tax concessions

ononno

You are quite right Stanley, that is often a determining feature. One of many stupid increases and obligations driving many small/medium size businesses to the wall.
bye bye dicette l'inglese

modicasa

Yes - my bugbear - the famous studi dei settori - works like this. Anonymous government department dogsbody decides that business in a place he's never of heard should earn 100 grand a year. Business owner says hes only earned 50, there being a crisis, bad weather, something on the tv. Anonymous govt dept tells tax office to tax him on what they reckon he earned, and he can appeal if he likes. The appeal takes 3 years, and in the meantime he has to pay.

sunnysider

many thanks ononno - that was the sort of thing I had been thinking of but didn't dare believe that the Italian authorities would accept something so sensible/commonsense -very encouraging that I won't have to visit a lawyer/get my coffee receipt witnessed by a football team of local worthies/priests etc.

Just one point - no petrol - I will be on a bicycle - so that's two coffees, so as a coffee head not petrolhead that's fine.

Many thanks for letting me ask the question Lorna (the simple answer may be useful to other forumites of course).

Back to main topic.

sunnysider

agh! - just seen this.

Fear not Lorna - if I want to address this further I'll start a new thread.

all the best.

sunnysider

Yes, I fear that that circularity lies at the heart of the Italian problem.

It would just be too sensible (yes a bit tough and a bit of hard work but still sensible) to have clamped down hard on tax evasion for the last several several decades and try to instill some basic sense of fairness/citizenship.

I long since gave up any idea of setting up a business in Italy.

I am afraid that the whole Italian situation reminds me of that hoary old "joke" about the guy pulling the car over to ask a country person how to get to a certain place only to be told "well I wouldn't start from here".

I think there's a lot of truth in your perception and am particularly inclined to think so as modicasa, clearly an old hand, appears to agree with you.