War on the Sandwich in Rome
 

http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2...-sandwich?lite

We are planning a trip to Rome in 2014. We were hoping to keep costs down by using food carts and takeaway. What about all that gelato we planned to sample?

A further sign of the Apocalypse....Idiot politicians everywhere.

I've eaten panini from food carts and had take away gelato but never did I sit down at or on one of the famous monuments. Why do you have to eat on the Spanish Steps or the Wedding Cake or any other well-known site? There are plenty of places to get take out food in Rome and never see a policeman.

If you do see one just stand up until they pass by. I don't see the problem.

If anyone will be in Rome tomorrow, Saturday, October 6th and wants to protest this law, you can attend this flash mob event

http://www.parlafood.com/sandwich-ba...lash-mob-rome/

Can't make the flash mob...I say just get pizza at Marco Roscioli. The have two little tables out front.

I saw this on the news, too, and couldn't imagine that the law could possibly be enforced.

Then I saw a follow-up report that explained that it is actually an anti Roma law which they can use to drive away the beggars living on the sidewalks.

I love to get a pannini and drink and sit at the fountain in front of the Pantheon and just people watch. I'm sure the sandwich shops near the affected sights wont be happy.

Is this possibly supported by the expensive cafe's that surround the sights? Hmmmm.

The "Wedding Cake" (aka the Vittorio Emanuele II monument) holds the tomb of Italy's Unknown Soldier. You might have seen the changing of the guard ceremony. You're not allowed to sit on the steps, with or without food.

If someone sat down to eat a sandwich on the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington, that person would receive more than a ticket.

Can you sit down under the Arc de Triomphe and eat your lunch?

And after seeing all the trash people leave behind (much to the delight of pigeons), I guess I'm with the city of Rome on this issue.

I'm sure the BigMac folks near the bottom of the Steps are thrilled about this but seriously, eating a sandwich at the Spanish Steps is about the most benign thing that goes on there.

I can understand this as a means of keeping people from living on the streets.

In NYC it's illegal to walk down the street drinking from an open bottle. (No - it;s not aimed at people with water, or a soft drink in a cup - it is aimed at alcoholics who would wander the streets and parks hauling their alcohol in a bottle with them and making public areas extremely unpleasant for local residents and their kids. And, yes, police sometimes do arrest people for doing this - if it's the only way to get them off the streets.

The mayor of Rome is married to a Roma woman, meaning, she is a gypsy. The idea that this ordinance is aimed at anything other than slobs is ridiculous.

If you want to eat a sandwich in Rome, go into a bar and eat one. How hard is that?

I fully support this. Seems like each year, there are more tourists in Italy, and they treat these Italian cities like theme parks.

While the law seems a bit silly at 1st after seeing the mess that some people leave behind, I understand where he is coming from.

There is a small church diagonally across from Trevi fountain. Despite trash cans being provided, the trash on the stairs was disgusting. Each night as he locks up, the priest has to clean up trash off the stairs and in the little courtyard.

As someone mentioned, you wouldn't have a picnic lunch at the tomb of the Unknown soldier or Lincoln's memorial.

Apologies -- I suddenly realized I was mixing up Alemanno with somebody else. (And yes, Alemanno is mean to gypsies, and this law could be a pretext for viciousness.)

But I STILL think if you are hungry for a sandwich while in Rome, you should step into a bar, not abuse the Eternal City's architecture.

Are there any public spaces provided for having a picnic in Rome? We found in London and Paris there are lots of parks and places that have benches outdoors where we could eat and relax for a bit.

It seems in Rome this won't be possible. From my research it appears that eating indoors costs more than taking something with you. If you sit it costs even more.

<i>Are there any public spaces provided for having a picnic in Rome? </i>

We picnicked in the large park that surrounds the Villa Borghese.

The trouble with Rome is while it has large open space that surrounds the centre, in the historic centre itself, there is very little green open space with benches where you can have a picnic. So for younger tourists and those on a budget who try to save the cost of a sit-down meal, there is often no choice but to sit on steps to eat and drink, with consequent crowding and litter.
Apparently there is no ban on walking and eating, so keep moving when you see the police!

<< It seems in Rome this won't be possible. >>

So untrue. There are not as many benches and parks as in London and Paris but what is wrong with sitting on some steps or on a wall. If you're only looking to cut food costs you'll sit anywhere. You just can't eat while sitting on the monuments.

You're making too much of this. If it rains you'll have to eat indoors unless you want wet food. You'll find places to sit. And you'll only pay a fraction more to sit. If you're buying take out food around the popular monuments you'll be paying a lot more than if you sit in a bar just a block or two away.

I can't conceive of a trip where E20 during your time in Rome will prevent you from eating. Your trip is 1.5 years away. Surely during the next 18 months you can save an extra Euro or two per month ($1.30 - 2.60USD) that will give you a cushion so you can sit in a bar sometimes and eat a panini. If you're cutting your expenses that close you'll be in trouble during the trip.

Some people can be slobs. Good for the Italians. They found a way to cut down on some city matainence costs and make some revenue. They need the money.

I wish my own city would reinforce the littering laws. There are disgusting people who come to San Diego and throw their cigarette butts out their windows, dump ashtrays in parking lots, not to mention the clutter they leave on the beach.

We need the money too! Let's fine them - big time!

I agree the law is needed. Rome is overrun with tourists, and unfortunately many of them are slobs who show no respect for public places and who dump litter everywhere.

I don't mean to sound harsh, but you need to accept this situation and plan accordingly to eat in bars standing at the counter, or while walking, to avoid getting fined. A panino ( note that one sandwich is a panino, and panini is plural) in a bar is not that expensive.