The dangers of traveling

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So it has recently come to my attention that although traveling is good fun and very enjoyable, there are some definite downsides that you need to be careful of. Allow me to elaborate with the following two examples, which occured within 24 hours of each other.

After a two day whirlwind tour of Rome which Ill explain more about later (and dont worry Ill be sure to write more details about Siena, San Gimignano, Pisa, Lucca, Venice, Rome and Pompeii later) we had to take the metro to a bus stop and then take the bus just outside the city to our camping hostel. After a short metro ride we can back to the surface and eventually find our stop just in time to watch our bus take off. Oh well, another twenty minute wait for the next one. By the time our bus comes the stop we are at is very crowded with several obvious travelers going to our hostel and a handful of Italians as well. As the door opens there is a big rush to get onto the bus as no one wants to wait for the next one since it is already getting dark. As I walk through the doors I feel my wallet start to come out of my pocket and I instinctively reach down and turn around to confront the man. I didnt want to make a big fuss since it seemed like he was with a group of friends. Luckilly he didnt get my wallet and it was still in my pocket, but now I was wary and conscious of everyone around me. Once the bus started moving, a fight broke out between one of the friends and some random older woman who had caught him trying to reach into her purse. Then as the fight continues the bus gets to the next stop and the entire group (about 7 people) gets off, pushing me as much as possible and AGAIN I feel my wallet come out. Well, again I reach down and grab it just in time and they all leave the bus empty handed and I keep possession of all of my valuables. It wasnt until after they left that I realized that the group was all working together in an attempt to distract me or anyone else and rob them, but after the first failed attempt I was very aware of my surroundings and they failed again.

The very next day, on our way back to the Naples train station from Pompeii (which is about a 30 min train ride on what appears to be an above ground subway), there was a large group of teenagers one car down from us. At first they were just loud and roudy and annoying but then things started to escalate quickly. The girls began spitting out the windows at any poor person who happened to be waiting at any of the stops, while the guys began throwing things out of the windows and generally destroying the train. They never came to our car, since it was extremely crowded with everyone who was trying to be away from them, so that was lucky. Unfortunately it got much worse. The guys were no longer content with bothering each other, so they began getting off the train at every stop (there are a lot of stops between Pompeii and Naples, maybe 18-20) and harassing the people who were sitting there waiting or people who got off the train. At one point, a very nice Italian boy who had been comforting the little children nearby him on the train got off by himself and the group of boys saw their chance. For absolutely no reason they decided they wanted to beat up this guy, and since it was maybe 10-1 they did. It was a terrifying moment once we saw the insanity these boys were capable of doing with no provocation besides boredom, and we began to fear for our safety when we got off the train. However, we got lucky again and they got off three stops before us, although they made the train wait for 20 minutes there just for fun by holding the doors open. We had to run to our train to Florence, but we made it on safely and just in time and had a pleasant ride home.

These two experiences really made me appreciate living in Florence, where we've never had any problems or really heard of anyone who has. While Rome and Pompeii are both incredible places and I would say must sees on any trip to Italy, it is necessary to be aware of the possible dangers big cities present, even in the US. I apologize for the horror stories today, and I promise to write about better things to come. Hope you are all still doing well and enjoying your summers.
-Shaun

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