Unkabill, this morning made an interesting comment on Gypsies in Italy.
To which I’d like to say:
Having lived in Italy, I am well acquainted with the Gitano scourge befouling The Boot of Europe. But to me, they are a very minor nuisance.
Their Modus Operandi is as follows: Usually, packs of around twelve prepubescent kids roam around large congregating areas. Like a pack of hyenas, they target the weak and feeble in the crowd. One of the little tykes holds a NEWSPAPER or large piece of cardboard parallel to the floor and with a smile seeks to jam it up into your face. When your peripheral field of vision is shrouded by the piece of cardboard, the other kids pounce at once. Ripping your bags, ransacking your pockets, et caetera, and in a blink of an eye it is all over. You are left nekkid as a jaybird. They immediately, run and scurry around the back corner, where an adult gypsy collects the loot, and max-out your credit cards, in literally seconds. I'm not kidding - seconds. They efficiently do this by immediately relaying your credit card numbers to accomplices via mobile phone.
How do you avoid all this? Easy. Do not pay any attention to any of the kids in the swarm. They jib, jive and swirl on purpose in an attempt to distract you. Just place an icy cold stare on the kid with the newspaper. Be loud, and angry at her (it's usually a 11-year old girl). Feel yourself wanting to physically kill her, and make an earnest expression of it. She WILL back-off, and move to other weaker quarry. Just my experience...
"Anyone and everyone who wanted to be here had legal right to be here".
Italy has a hellaproblem with purse-snatchers. Most of them *claim* to be Gypsies, and, since Gypsies are now defined by Italian Law as "Economic Refugees," all the perp has to do if a cop starts to chase him is stop, holler "Gitano" -- and saunter off. If you're fast, you can retrieve your wallet (or purse), but you can't muss the darlin' up in doing so.
One of the caribinieri in Milano told me that if you could introduce the perp's face to the nearest wall *before* he could say the magic word, you'd probably have a street named in your honor.
To which I’d like to say:
Having lived in Italy, I am well acquainted with the Gitano scourge befouling The Boot of Europe. But to me, they are a very minor nuisance.
Their Modus Operandi is as follows: Usually, packs of around twelve prepubescent kids roam around large congregating areas. Like a pack of hyenas, they target the weak and feeble in the crowd. One of the little tykes holds a NEWSPAPER or large piece of cardboard parallel to the floor and with a smile seeks to jam it up into your face. When your peripheral field of vision is shrouded by the piece of cardboard, the other kids pounce at once. Ripping your bags, ransacking your pockets, et caetera, and in a blink of an eye it is all over. You are left nekkid as a jaybird. They immediately, run and scurry around the back corner, where an adult gypsy collects the loot, and max-out your credit cards, in literally seconds. I'm not kidding - seconds. They efficiently do this by immediately relaying your credit card numbers to accomplices via mobile phone.
How do you avoid all this? Easy. Do not pay any attention to any of the kids in the swarm. They jib, jive and swirl on purpose in an attempt to distract you. Just place an icy cold stare on the kid with the newspaper. Be loud, and angry at her (it's usually a 11-year old girl). Feel yourself wanting to physically kill her, and make an earnest expression of it. She WILL back-off, and move to other weaker quarry. Just my experience...
Cheers, ML
Sorry, I have a history. Nothing can be said about these scum that is too cruel.