Italy
Mariella Cirillo
La Stampa
Scooters are too good at what they do, said Mariella Cirillo in Turin’s La Stampa. Italians embraced the zippy motorized bikes for all the reasons the manufacturers said they should. Light and quick, they can maneuver easily through narrow alleyways and speed past lines of stopped cars. In short, they “make the perfect getaway vehicle.” In Naples, unfortunately, the police say scooters are the escape pod of choice for petty criminals, particularly the many muggers who prey on tourists. The pattern is well established. Punch a tourist in the face, steal his Rolex, hop on a scooter, and ride off to impunity. But thankfully, the reign of the scooter may be coming to an end. Naples police have set up concrete barriers around the entrances to the cobblestoned historic district, which has long been closed to cars but open to bikes and scooters. From now on, only scooter drivers who can prove they live in the district will be allowed to proceed. The measure might cut down on crime. At the very least, it will “clear the air.”
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.