Italian humor.

In Rome and many other Italian cities, it's illegal to sit down in front of historic monuments and eat. Doesn't matter if it's a sandwich or an ice cream cone. Italians want tourists and even fellow Italians to mind their manners. And it's considered rude to munch around certain monuments. And that includes fountains. Maybe that sounds silly. But hey, I can buy into it. Because it's so Italian. Of course, not all Italians concur. It's difficult finding two Italians who think alike. They tend to be independent. And stubborn. And they do crazy things. Such as sentencing six scientists/seismologists to six years in prison for not giving adequate warnings of an earthquake. Sometimes I wonder if it's all a put-on. A fabulous hoax. An expression of Italian humor. --Jim Broede