Rome is overrated
My friend Michael came back from Rome, and he was less than impressed, read his trip report here on Dirt Cheap Rome:
Rome considers itself to be the centre of western civilisation, the city which has had the most influence on the rest of the world. The Romans themselves still wander about with a noticeable swagger because of this, but I can’t understand what the fuss is about. Rome is a hot, noisy, rude city, full of people who will shove you out of the way without a second thought – so much for civilisation. Here are three things I particularly hate about the city.
1) The traffic.
Rome’s traffic is completely unbelievable. It’s not so much the traffic jams and the congestion, although this is pretty apparent as soon as you arrive in the city. It’s the attitude of the drivers, who seem to think that traffic lights are purely decorative, and stop signs are polite suggestions rather than commands. You take your life in your hands every time you cross a street.
2) The scooters.
I’m listing the motor scooters scooters separately to the traffic in general, because at least you can escape the cars in the narrower alleys. However, you can never escape the scooters. They’ll come buzzing at you at top speed from every direction imaginable, and they expect you to leap out of the way at lightning speed, or you’ll be run over. Those slinky little Vespas might look good, but they’re really bad for the environment, and most of the drivers seem to be teenage hooligans who don’t care who they hit.
3) The tourist tax.
Since January 2011 all tourists visiting Rome, even if they’re Italian, have to pay a stupid, grossly unfair tourist tax through their hotel or hostel. This is the most breathtakingly ridiculous idea I’ve ever heard. Why don’t they just force all visitors to queue up somewhere in the Vatican for a slap in the face, and have done with it? It’s not like tourists don’t spend any money while they are there.
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