Culture Shock:  An Americans' Guide to Getting Around (and Getting Along) in Italy

We booked one of our trips to Italy about one month after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.  Both of us were frisked once during that trip and our luggage was searched.  Alertness was at a high level. 

The carabinerie and other military personnel were quite visible at Malpensa Airport in Milan.  When we arrived at the airport, we were directed to one entrance that was still open.  As we walked through that single entrance, we were greeted by a determined-looking lad in body armor sweeping the entrance with a machine pistol.  Still, this wasn’t as intimidating as the two similarly armored gentlemen standing on a platform above the check-in gates sweeping machine pistols slightly over our heads, and the 15 or so armed military personnel screening and herding us through the lines.  No one complained. 

In November 2002, heavily-armed security personnel were less overt at the Rome and Naples airports.  But it was obvious that Italian security and military personnel still take their jobs very seriously.  When we sailed from the port of Palermo, the port was closed off and protected by a group of well-armed Italian military personnel in battle dress.  

Even before September 11, Italian security was not to be taken lightly. 

Banks are often protected by personnel inside and outside the bank wearing body armor and armed with machine pistols.  The entrances to many banks and financial buildings are controlled by double doors through a telephone booth-sized compartment allowing only one person to enter or leave at a time. 

Government buildings are often guarded by carabinerie with armor, fully automatic weapons and armored vehicles.

The only time we were uneasy was in a remote area during visible anti-American sentiment in 1999 following the acquittal of US Marine aviators who accidentally killed 20 Italians riding in a cable car. 

Since we travel alone, we try to blend in with the locals.  We wear plain clothes with little jewelry, avoid speaking English in crowds, and never have English papers or books visible.  We pay attention to travel advisories posted by the State Department.  We avoid American businesses.

Not all dangers are from terrorists.  Although violent crime is rare, petty theft, including burglary, purse-snatching and pickpockets are common.  Tourists are often considered targets of opportunity.   

Cameras are popular items for thieves.  I don’t use a strap; I use a chain. 

After losing my wallet to a pickpocket in Rome, I don’t use wallets overseas anymore.  Even though I regularly “sanitize” my wallet and carry only one credit card, ID and some cash (in anticipation of possible loss) reporting the loss of my credit card was very time-consuming and aggravating because of the six-hour time difference; I now use cards from a different bank.  Don’t carry anything you don’t want to risk losing.  Money-belts are worthwhile in avoiding loss and aggravation.  (Trust me on this one.)  A priest in Rome told me that he had lost five wallets to pickpockets.  The thieves often try to distract their victims.  An unidentified victim recently lost a laptop in Rome to such a scam. 

Limited command of the local language can make it difficult to communicate with the police if trouble occurs.  In 1999, we were at a severe disadvantage trying to make a police report in Rome, and were saved by a priest from the Villa Lituana who spoke Italian, German and some English.  He helped us, with little Italian, deal with the police officer, who spoke no English, who was taking the report.  I am amused by my memories of the chaos of four people speaking four different languages trying to create a police report.  However, at the time, it wasn’t amusing.  Also, if the good padre hadn’t come along, we would have had to go to Police Headquarters in downtown Rome to make the report; that would have been quite stressful and time-consuming.  After that adventure we made it a point to improve our language skills, just in case.

Several years later, when the Villa Cipressi in Varenna misplaced our passports after our check-in, we were instructed to go to the regional police office two towns away by boat or rail.  After consulting with the U.S. consulate in Milan, we decided that because of our departure in two days going directly to Milan would be easier, although it would take almost a day in travel and aggravation.  (Luckily the hotel staff was “motivated” to find our passports before the trip to Milan became necessary.  They had been accidentally switched with two other American tourists.)   Now we avoid the stress and aggravation by waiting for the hotel/convent to do what they must do with our passports and retrieve them immediately, before they can go awry.