The taxi that the hotel in Salerno booked for me was my taxi driver I have had almost every time I have caught a taxi in Salerno. He was the one who picked me up from the ferry, and told me to get the boat to Positano instead of the bus. I am glad I listened to him!
He dropped me at the station, then because I mentioned that I was going to have caffe' before I went to the station, he decided he would join me. Then I went back to the station, waiting for the train. Train pulls up and I get on. For the first time ever since travelling on trains in Italy I didnt look at the train number, but when I sat down I thought I maybe should check. Yep, wrong train!! Off I get in a mad rush before the wrong train takes off, then five minutes later my train comes along.
On I get and there is some chick in my seat. I don't know what it is with Italians, they just decide they will sit wherever they like! I indicate to her that she is in my seat so, still talking on her phone she leisurely gets her bags together and decides she is going to sit in some other seat that takes her fancy! Meanwhile I am waiting for my seat and the 5 people behind me are waiting for me to get out of their way so they can sit in their seats! She doesn't care and keeps chatting away! Sheesh!
The train stops about half an hour later in Naples then the next stop is Roma. Only the train is going back in direction it came from. Not too concerned because that happened on the way to Reggio Calabria and then after a couple of stops it righted itself, only this train didn't right itself and I felt my neck going red so thought I should make sure I am not going to end up in Siberia! . The chick opposite me didnt speak english but the spunk next to her indicated that the train goes in a loop and assures me we will end up in Roma which we did, with the announcement 'you have reached the final destinaion of your journey'. Bitch didn't have to rub it in!
Roma train stationTaxi drivers come running at me as I wheel my case out the door, yes please I would like a taxi, but when they see it is only a very short distance they are not interested, except one who says yes signora I will take you don't worry.
In I get and I see he has covered the meter with a piece of paper. I ask where is the meter? He points to another board with numbers on it - in hindsite I think it was a GPS. I make sure he knows that I have been in Rome before and I know the address is not far but because my case is broken I am getting a taxi and that I know the tricks that taxi drivers play on tourists and that I am not a tourist!
On the way I asked twice how much the cost was. The first time he said it is not far so it wont be much, then I asked again where is the meter and how much is this costing. He then said the meter will show the price when we stop. I said, ok, stop so I can see how much it is costing. He just looks at me disbelieving, I think by now he had realised I knew he was trying to con me.
He stops, by now we are at the end of my street. He points to the numbers on the screen that I have been watching and they did not change from 1985. As he was lifting my case out of the back of the taxi I took the paper off the front of the meter and said to him "You tried to trick me - it is 7.60 euro and that is all I will pay you". He is very indignant and wants 11 euro because it costs more to put my bag in the cab. No, not paying that, and I start counting the coins. By this stage he is trying to poke me in the arm with his finger and I'm starting to go off at him not to touch me. He wants 11 euro and I'm not paying that, I will pay 7.60 euro. He lifts up my case and puts it in the back of his taxi saying he will be keeping my bag until I pay. I lifted it back out of the taxi, said I will pay the 7.60 on the meter and that's it. He is yelling at me by this stage, I say get the polizia, I will pay what the polizia say I have to pay. He stops for a few seconds, and says ok but made no move to get the polizia, then he grabs coins out of my purse and thows them on the ground. Whhheeeelllllllllllllll, that's it for me!! I've stopped a guy and asked him to call the polizia, the taxi driver is saying yes let's get the polizia but noone is making a move to get the polizia!!
Then a woman stops and says to me that she speaks english and can she help me. I told her he had tried to cheat me, I will pay 7.60 euro but he has taken money off me and thrown it on the ground and now that's all he is getting! She looks at him like he is a naughty boy, he starts banging on in italian and she says to me, madam you must pay him. I said yes, the money is on the ground where he threw it and I start to walk off. Next thing the taxi driver tries to grab my case out of my hand and I yank it back and am calling out 'polizia, polizia' because by now people had come out of shops etc and I'm saying 'you cheated me, get the polizia'. The woman starts talking to him and I race off down the street, see a hotel and run in and stay in the lobby explaining to the receptionist what had happened and that I just need to wait here a few minutes!
I stayed there about 5 minutes, checked out the door that the coast was clear and came to my B & B where the mamma who runs the show puts her arms around me, ohhhhhhh bella bella it is ok, he cannot get you here! Safe and sound in the arms of an Italian mamma!! Meanwhile - that is two taxis I have done a runner from in Italy!!
Then, much to the displeasure of my feet, I hit the roads of Rome again. Even though I am staying in the same area(ish) that I was in first time I was in Rome, (at least I think I am!) I have seen so many new and different things! I did manage to follow the map this time and found a cafe at Trevi Fountain where I sat and had a glass of wine and a chat with the guy who runs the show. I don't know whether he was just trying to flatter me into buying another glass of wine, but he told me that I speak very good Italian - I told him I will pass that on to my Italian maestra (LOU!!!).
On the way to Trevi Fountain
The Spanish Steps
Around the corner from my B & BTomorrow it is supposed to rain, I don't know what I am going to get up to, I will wait and see how heavy the rain is. A slight sunshower here is treated like a flood, so Italian's idea of rain and mine vary, much like whether it is cold or not. It is definitely not cold today, very very humid but not cold. Whatever I do, I am going to try really hard not to have to get a taxi!
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