Momma. Forget the kisses thrown from the train!
So much for throwing Momma from the train, a kiss, a kiss. Say goodbye to that last-minute embrace. And forget about tipping some guy to help you with your heavy bags. Someday soon – but in Rome you never know what that means – access to the track platforms at Rome’s Stazione Termini will be limited – as it is in some other European cities – to ticket holders.
This is part of a new plan for improving security as the city’s central station after tales of pickpocketing, robberies and scams by fake porters and ticket controllers have of gone off the charts. Since January alone, close to 200 people have been arrested inside Termini for crimes of this sort, troubling enough to get the mayor involved in a security meeting inside the station that was held early in July.
This is not the only plan, since the rest of the station – which is now filled with interesting stores, cafés, restaurants and newsstands. – will continue to be accessible to all. Reliance on CCTV cameras is to be stepped up, police on duty will now all be in uniform so that they are more visible, and all sorts of warning signs, in a variety of languages will be posted.
