Naples, city of garbage

by Iva Skoch on

Naples has had a problem with waste management for the last 15 years. it is entirely controlled by the mafia and politicians feel like their hands are tied. And, in a lot of cases, they might literally be.

In the latest crisis, collectors stopped picking up garbage in Naples and Campania before Christmas because there was no more room for the trash at dumps. Dumps are overflowing and local communities have blocked efforts to build new ones.

According to AP, cargo boat laden with 500 tons of garbage from Naples docked at the island of Sardinia on Thursday as the government worked to undo a weeks-long trash emergency that left heaps of waste piled up on the streets of Naples.

Smoking bans in Naples get residents fired up

by Catherine Bodry on

New anti-smoking measures in Naples stipulate that no one can light up near a pregnant woman or in a park, as well as near children under 12 or in large crowds.

Will it fly? Naples councilor Gennaro Capodanno suggests that Neapolitans’ historically rebellious nature will render the ban ineffective. “However they try and enforce this, they will meet with laughter,” Capodanno says. He also points out that “close” isn’t defined: “How can they assess who’s smoking too close? Do you need to use a tape measure? And how do we know if a kid is more than 12? Does he have to carry documents on him?”

If Capodanno’s attitude is any indication of the rest of Naples’ feelings on the subject, you can expect to see cigarette smoke wafting about in the open air for the time being.

Italian Musician Bites Ear of Alitalia Airline Worker

by Adrienne Wilson on

Alright, go on ahead and file this one under: World Gone Mad.

These are the kind of news pieces you read and say to yourself “what on Earth was this person thinking?” Wait, they weren’t thinking. Apparently, Italian musician, Raffaele Artesi, who could not board his flight to Naples due to overbooking, assaulted an airline worker by almost biting his ear off. As any educated traveler might guess this did not allow the musician to board the plane in Turin. Instead he was arrested and charged with assaulting the airline worker, Davide Ruzza. It was said that Ruzza’s ear lobe was left hanging and that after 16 years of working for the airline he would change jobs. Poor guy doesn’t want to risk his ears, nose, or life for that matter over an overbooking.

In addition to Artesi’s beyond childish behavior with victim Ruzza another worker was said to have been slapped and punched by other band members.

via Sydney Morning Herald