Aduchamp...thank you for these tips: all good for where ever I travel! I spent a week in Caracas and was advised not to allow cabs to drive in the lanes nearest the curb for a similar reason: thieves would reach in and pull earrings off of women's ears, or hold a gun to driver's head while the cab was stopped at a light.

Ira: thank you for the air horn and The Veiled Christ recommendations.

A shame that I didn't know about a 15-85 lens earlier. I started back to photography a few years ago and will be upgrading my equipment in a year or so, but first I need to know more technically, and take photos worthy of finer equipment.

allysone, Just in case you are not familiar with the "motorbike-borne thief (scippatore)" mentioned above here are 2 examples. Regards, Walter

www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,207554,00.html

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/...74Q46I20110527

Sobering. Thank you, Walter.

One of those Naples stories was six years old, the other one year.

"One of those Naples stories was six years old, the other one year."

And your point is?

My point was to forewarn the OP of this possible danger and too take precautions, I used 2 examples of this type of crime that made headlines which I remembered and googled.

If I had posted something positive about Naples from 2011 and 2006 would you have questioned that timeframe?

But if you require something more recent this is from this month, I'll just assume that "beating" & "assaulted and beaten" was translated properly and they meant upon the tourist. Regards, Walter

http://www.ilmattino.it/articolo.php...719&sez=NAPOLI
[Using google translation]

Snatch, beating Danish tourist
Via Petrarca: I took two young ?�?��

NAPLES - Two thieves were arrested by police after being assaulted and beaten Petrarch a Danish tourist to snatch a necklace 'gold.


The two, Augustus Campus, 18 years, and a 17 year old, both have clean records. Shortly before 8, the criminals, who were traveling on a motorcycle and wearing helmets have targeted the tourist, who was walking, and ripped a necklace 'gold pendant with a value of about $ 1000 before escape.


The tourist has provided to the police station Posillipo some of the motorcycle license plate numbers of the two and a description of them, by which the military has identified the thieves, who were arrested, and recovered the necklace, giving it back to owner.

My point is your stories cannot be more random and does not constitute a pattern. I am sure that everyone would be thrilled if the town where they lived two crimes every five years. That is even better than Andy in Mayberry.

I live in NYC and we are the safest large city in America. But of course we still have murders and rapes and choosing random murders would give the wrong impression.

"My point is your stories cannot be more random and does not constitute a pattern."

Extremely odd that the Italians actually have a name for this random and non-pattern type of crime (scippatore).

"I am sure that everyone would be thrilled if the town where they lived two crimes every five years. That is even better than Andy in Mayberry."

And you believe this of Naples based on my quick google search and posts?

"I live in NYC and we are the safest large city in America. But of course we still have murders and rapes and choosing random murders would give the wrong impression."

Compare those *few* violent attacks on tourists I found in a quick google search over 6yrs and add the Canadian tourist that caught a stray bullet in the leg from a criminal shoot out.

Then google that timeline 3x (18yrs) for Rome and see if you can find *any* simuliar violent criminal attacks on tourists (1 will do nicely, exception football holligans).

Should be easy as Rome gets many more tourists (millions) compared to Naples and should only take a short time...Just 1 violent tourist attack! Regards, Walter