When in Rome ...
Thursday, May 28, 2009 The pre-match reports prior to last night's Champions League final in Rome were dominated by references to the temporary booze ban imposed on areas around Stadio Olimpico.
In practice many locals found a way around the ban. Fans wanting to drink in a restaurant were simply ushered to a room "upstairs". Many bars and cafes ignored the ban completely. Beer was reported to be widely available - enterprising vendors were selling bottles from buckets in the street. One report, on Five Live, said the police would chase them away but they always returned. Business, it seems, was brisk.
The Italians, it seems to me, have a healthy disrespect for bad laws. When I was in Rome a couple of years ago I was taken to a restaurant and given a table in the "smoking room". Under Italian law smoking rooms require "continuous floor-to-ceiling walls" and a ventilation system. In this case, the only thing that separated the "smoking room" from the rest of the restaurant was a thick blue curtain.
Everyone seemed happy, not least the owner who had a flourishing business on his hands. In this country, of course, no-one would get away with it because of the army of sneaks and officials who have nothing better to do than interfere in other people's lives.
See: Rome alcohol ban ignored (Goal.com)
Reader Comments (1)
Its good to know that there are some countries left who have not 'gone brainwashed' and who sustain a healthy disregard for all these stupid EU laws, unlike the rest of us 'nanny obedient' northern europeans.
No wonder people flock to Italy, Spain and all the med countries every summer for some real R&R while getting sustenance and reassurance from cultures with backbone and the courage to give the fingers to all those stupid bans and soul destroying laws made up by the fat cat EU unaccountable bureaucrats and their well paid lackey counterparts in the various governments who carry them out for them.
I wonder did the stupid 'stunts' in the EU think that us brainwashed northern europeans would start demanding a level playing field on bans by complaining about smoking bars and restaurants abroad every time we went on our hols to med countries, thus making their job easier for them to put in their jackboot smoking inspectors like we have to endure.
I bet they bloody did, the stupid assholes!!