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US tourists caught carving names into Rome’s Colosseum

Top Cat

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Two California women break away from tour group to scratch their initials into ancient amphitheatre, where defacing walls is strictly forbidden

Tourists are once again getting into trouble in Italy, with two American women caught carving their names into Rome’s Colosseum.
The Californians, aged 21 and 25, snuck away from their tour group on Saturday and began scratching their initials into the amphitheatre with a coin. They managed a “J” and an “N” around 8cm high, before taking a selfie with their handiwork.

Police were quick to catch the two Americans and report them for damaging the ancient site. The women may now go in front of a judge and face a penalty.
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I hope they do jail time. Dumbasses.

US tourists caught carving names into Rome
 
I don't know about jail time but a freaking stiff fine and confiscating their passports until they pay it seems reasonable. It's people like this who shouldn't have facebook accounts and mobile phones with cameras.
 
Ockham said:
I don't know about jail time but a freaking stiff fine and confiscating their passports until they pay it seems reasonable. It's people like this who shouldn't have facebook accounts and mobile phones with cameras.
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Desecrating a ruin is the ultimate disrespect. They should be banned from foreign travel period.
 
Top Cat said:
Desecrating a ruin is the ultimate disrespect. They should be banned from foreign travel period.
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Realistically under what US law could they be banned from foreign travel? I would guess Italy could ban them from entering their country if they so chose.....
 
hmmmmmmm, what would the penalty be, lex talionis?

a 25k fine should be considered tame in comparison
 
joG said:
When I was there I noticed Kilroy had been there too.
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You know what... me too! That kilroy dude was everywhere in Rome and Tuscanny....that dude gets around.
 
SlevinKelevra said:
would they still be "idiot kids", had they for example, lit your house up as an arson 'prank'?
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So you equate scratching initials with a coin to arson? :lamo

Ahh... good one!
 
SlevinKelevra said:
destruction of someone else's property is destruction of someone else's property.
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Scratching initials with a coin does not equal the arson of someone's home - at least not to reasonable people it doesn't.
 
Ockham said:
Scratching initials with a coin does not equal the arson of someone's home - at least not to reasonable people it doesn't.
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reasonable people like those who realize which are historic sites and can't be replaced with a like substitute?


yes, I did RTA
"“It’s not an original wall but it’s nevertheless antique,” the spokesman said."
 
SlevinKelevra said:
and you would not push the police for jail time?
really?
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depends on the severity of the damage.... if they burned the whole house down, jail time would probably be in the cards... if they charred a wall or something minor, jail time seems excessive, and community service seems to fit the crime better.

warehousing people like unwanted rabid animals isn't the answer for every crime, ya know.
 
Thrilla said:
depends on the severity of the damage.... if they burned the whole house down, jail time would probably be in the cards... if they charred a wall or something minor, jail time seems excessive, and community service seems to fit the crime better.

warehousing people like unwanted rabid animals isn't the answer for every crime, ya know.
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That's difficult to say, arsonists -- put in prison-- have some of the lowest net recidivism rates of all criminals. is it because they actually get punished effectively enough? or is it inherent to the mindset of the crime?

(I don't know the answer).



With that said, I agree in general on non-violent offenders.
 
SlevinKelevra said:
reasonable people like those who realize which are historic sites and can't be replaced with a like substitute?
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A coin is not going to destroy the wall - they didn't fire an RPG at it. Blowing this out of proportion seems a bit silly and equating scratching initials into a wall with the arson of someone's home is down right ludicrous.

Have you ever been to the Colosseum? There's areas of graffiti all over it in all sorts of forms if I remember it correctly, as I'm sure millions go through it each year and have for quite some time. It's just that these two got caught by being extra stupid and taking a selfie which would no doubt go on instagram or facebook. The punishment should fit the crime and that punishment should be a fine that causes some pain as well as possibly - a ban on traveling to Italy if they wanted it to be extra severe.

Past graffiti in the Colosseum:
3d3d45a08eac0f54cf8c74c11cd5752d.jpg

untitled-4-of-14-1024x678.jpg

forum-graffiti.jpg
 
Ockham said:
A coin is not going to destroy the wall - they didn't fire an RPG at it. Blowing this out of proportion seems a bit silly and equating scratching initials into a wall with the arson of someone's home is down right ludicrous.

Have you ever been to the Colosseum? There's areas of graffiti all over it in all sorts of forms if I remember it correctly, as I'm sure millions go through it each year and have for quite some time. It's just that these two got caught by being extra stupid and taking a selfie which would no doubt go on instagram or facebook. The punishment should fit the crime and that punishment should be a fine that causes some pain as well as possibly - a ban on traveling to Italy if they wanted it to be extra severe.

Past graffiti in the Colosseum:
3d3d45a08eac0f54cf8c74c11cd5752d.jpg

untitled-4-of-14-1024x678.jpg

forum-graffiti.jpg
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did you miss the part where in my earlier post I said a big fine should do?

Anyways, you prove my point. All of those carvings will cause the structure to PREMATURELY fail, ceteris paribus.

The fact that it won't be seen as a result for 100s of years doesn't change the fact that it is still structural property damage.
 
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