 | Rome Beggars and Cons Reviews | Tips 31 - 40 of 84 |  |
We just came back from travelling to Paris, Amsterdam, Venice, Pisa and Rome. From all those places I found that Italy is the worse place to go. People are so rude, the train from Florence to Pisa are in a terrible state that you can smell stench of urine! Rome is the far worse compare to the others. There're yobs hassling us around on the bus, I bought 3 tickets from the ticket machine but got charged for 4 tickets! The bus service is so terrible, we had to wait for 1 hour to get the right bus! To top it all, we were approched by 2 FAKE police! We were standing at the bus stop and they came over in a car, asked us whether we speak Italian when we say no, one of the guys showed us the police badge and asked for our passport, they search our bags and our wallet! Luckily I only had 40 euros. They asked my friends whether they have money! So my impression of Italy, it's a *** place to go! I don't understand how they can get that many tourists with the so called pickpockets, gypsies, fake police and the "best" public service!
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Here are two experiences my wife and I had while in Rome.
First, if you have trouble using phone cards at a booth in Rome, do not accept any help from a person on the street. A "clean cut " looking guy that was dressed in a nice t-shirt and shorts and stated he was a Canadian student from Quebec told us that our phone card was no good and that he was leaving for Canada in a day, so we could buy his card for discounted price of 10 Euros. This was after he helped us for 5 to 10 minutes with no success. We bought the card and soon found out it was no good. Ask someone at the Hotel you are staying at how to use the card.
Second, we took a taxi to the Fiumicino airport in Rome and my wife gave the money to driver folded. He immediately told her that she did not give him enough. You must clearly count the money as you give it to the driver and if you are a couple, then both of you should count as the money is being given to the driver. This will discourage any con job. Leave a Comment
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The area around the Colosseum are rife with beggars and Gypsies. The newest trick is for a woman to carry a fake baby. She will walk towards you, pretend to trip and throw her "baby" at you in the hopes you will catch the child. While you are being distracted by this, her fellow workers come and pickpocket you! BEWARE OF THESE TRICKS! Leave a Comment
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These are the ones to watch out for! They cannot be arrested for purse snatching because they are children, so their parents put them to work. They may bump into you one one side while their sibling is steeling from you on the other. The places to hold you belongings and purses close to you (ideally in front of you) in at large public outdoor places: fountains, monuments, busy shopping areas, etc.
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Walking the streets of Rome it is like in any big city. Many beggars on the streets.
Some might be sitting there quitly just holding a cup for money, but there are also very rude and imposing beggars.
Just ignore it. Leave a Comment
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After reading in several guidbeooks about the gypsy and pickpocket nuisance I half expected to be swarmed just debarking the the train at Termini. Honestly, I scoured the city high and low just waiting for someone suspicious to look at me the wrong way...and nothing. As with anywhere one travels just excercise caution and don't forget to pack your common sense. Leave a Comment
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I encountered a few gypsy cliques, kids putting signs in your face while others try to rob you and women with fake babies. Luckily I held on to my money. Leave a Comment
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Now I just want to give a VERY IMPORTANT WARNING to all busdrivers!!! (and anyone else in that case I guess)
There is a new TRICK, now that the euro has been introduced!!! And a fellow busdriver was robbed the folowing way:
An italian went up to the bus and asked for the way to the central station. The driver tried to explain, and when he was finished, two italian policemen in uniform and badges apeared. They asked what the two what they had been doing, and if they had changed money. They asked the driver to hand over his money, so that they could check it for it´s authenticy, because there are a lot of fakes on the street. After checking the money, they returned it to the envelope, put it back into the drivers suitcase, and closed and locked the case. Then they went to the next driver, to check on his money...
NOW... all three italians belonged to a gang! the one asking for the way, and the two cops. They had false badges, and while puting the money back, they steal some of it, while the driver is distracted, looking for some more money, for the 'cops' to check...
This fellow busdriver lost 4000 euros!!!
So beware of cops wanting to check your money for false money!!! especialy when beeing asked for information from someone else, so the 'cops' have a reason to interogate, because you 'could' have been changing money illegaly...
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Beware of Gipsys. I´m not against them, just Rome is their 'market'. Kids will go at you in small groups, distracting, and stealing... so stick to your belongings in the streets.
As mentioned before, trafic-rules are sugestions to the drivers, so becareful in the streets.
A serious joke: 'the wrong way signs, are signs showing the austrian flag'.
There are very few public toilets in Rome. So if you go wandering through rome, make shure to use the toilet before, or whenever you see one. Leave a Comment
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We were at the Colosseum shortly after it opened on a Sunday morning. As we were about to leave a friendly guard warned us that gypsy children were harassing people between the monument and the entrance to the forum.
Sure enough, as we approached the entrance to the forum a group of about a half-dozen gypsy kids ran up and importuned us for money.
"American?," they asked.
I shook my head.
"Inglese?:
I shook my head again.
"Francaise?"
"Deutsch!," I snapped.
The youngsters turned and ran.
In a way I hated to exploit the fear resulting from the fact that the Germans murdered up to a million gypsies in concentration camps during World War II.
But none of these little bandits was born within half a century of those atrocities. Leave a Comment
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Beware of unmetered gypsy taxis. Make sure you use the official taxis that are legitimate, just to be safe.
. Leave a Comment
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