Venice Is Not Disneyland Instagram
Two young men who thought it might be fun to film themselves gliding down Venice’s Grand Canal on motorized boards have learned the hard way that fun comes at a cost.
The men, so far identified only as “foreign tourists” set off a manhunt after Venice mayor Luigi Brugnaro put out an A.P.B. offering a free dinner to whoever brought them to justice for traversing the canal on an authorized vessel. “Here are the two overbearing idiots who make a mockery of this city,” Brugnaro wrote on his social media with the video. “I ask everyone to help us identify and punish them, even if our weapons are really blunt—mayors urgently need more powers in terms of public safety.”
The men were found Thursday morning, fined more than $1,500 each and their expensive toys were confiscated. They have been banned for life from returning to the UNESCO World Heritage city, and face further charges including a type of defamation for making the city look bad.