ITALY - Best of Europe 2014 - page 902

19:00). Kamikaze tourists maximize their sightseeing hours by visiting churches be-
fore 9:00 or late in the day and, during the siesta, seeing major sights that stay open
all day (St. Peter's, Colosseum, Forum, Capitoline Museums, Pantheon, and National
Museum of Rome). Dress modestly for church visits.
Picnic Discreetly: Public drinking and eating is not allowed at major sights,
thoughthebanhasprovendifficulttoenforce.Toavoidtheriskofbeingfined,choose
an empty piazza for your picnic, or keep a low profile.
Miscellaneous Tips: I carry a plastic water bottle and refill it at Rome's many
public drinking spouts. Because public restrooms are scarce, use toilets at museums,
restaurants, and bars.
Scams abound: Don't give your wallet to self-proclaimed “police” who stop you on
thestreet,warnyouaboutcounterfeit(ordrug)money,andasktoseeyourcash.Ifabank
machine eats your ATM card, see if there's a thin plastic insert with a tongue hanging
out that thieves use to extract it.
If you know what to look out for, fast-fingered moms with babies and gangs of chil-
dren picking the pockets and handbags of naive tourists are not a threat, but an interest-
ing, albeit sad, spectacle. Pickpockets troll through the tourist crowds around the Colos-
seum, Forum, Vatican, and train and Metro stations. Watch them target tourists who are
overloaded with bags or distracted with a camera. The kids look like beggars and hold
up newspapers or cardboard signs to confuse their victims. They scram like stray cats if
you're on to them.
Reporting Losses: To report lost or stolen items, file a police report (at Termini Station,
with polizia at track 11 or with Carabinieri at track 20; offices are also at Piazza
Venezia). You'll need the report to file an insurance claim for lost gear, and it can
help with replacing your passport—first file the police report, then call your embassy
to make an appointment (US embassy: tel. [phone], Via Vittorio Veneto 121,
www.usembassy.it ) . For information on how to report lost or stolen credit cards, see
here .
Emergency Numbers: Police—tel. 113. Ambulance—tel. 118.
Pedestrian Safety: Your main safety concern in Rome is crossing streets safely. Use ex-
treme caution. Scooters don't need to stop at red lights, and even cars exercise what
drivers call the “logical option” of not stopping if they see no oncoming traffic. Each
year, as noisy gasoline-powered scooters are replaced by electric ones, the streets get
quieter (hooray), but more dangerous for pedestrians. Follow locals like a shadow when
you cross a street (or spend a good part of your visit stranded on curbs). When you do
crossalone,don'tbeadeerintheheadlights.Findagapinthetrafficandwalkwithcon-