Rome’s Colosseum is the most breathtaking of all the ancient ruins. But two American tourists decided the joint wasn’t good enough as is and would benefit from having their initials forever etched on the walls.
They learned the hard way that defacing historic property is frowned upon for some reason.
The two women were ratted out by fellow tourists with more reverence for the past.
Though signs against vandalism are posted all over the site in Italian and English, the girls said they didn’t realize that defacing a 2,085-year-old relic was that big a deal.
“We did not imagine it was something so serious,” they were quoted saying, adding that they will remember the rules “for a lifetime.”
They’ll likely remember the dent to their travel budget, too. Last year, a Russian tourist who carved his name into the Colosseum was slapped with a fine of 20,000 euros.
Yeah, that’s a costly mistake.
A few things: it seems like it’s never been easier to be a rule-enforcer. Whether you’re a cop or a school administrator, all you have to do is sit back and wait for idiots to put their illicit deeds online. It’s like we’re all under the impression there’s some priest-confessor type protection with the internet at large.
Also, if Italian authorities ever find out who put the hole in the top of the Pantheon, they’re really going to throw the book at them. Twenty-thousand Euros will look like chump change next to that penalty.
[H/T: New York Post]