Tourists Damaging The Colosseum.

Chillout

Chillout

Community Member
Sep 10, 2007
1,044
60
48
Mantova, Italy
A Russian tourist has been fined €20.000 and given a suspended four-year jail sentence for damaging part of the Colosseum.
He was caught engraving the letter, “k” on the famous amphitheatre using a sharp stone. Staff said that It was the fifth incidence of vandalism by foreign tourists at the ancient arena this year.

The full story can be read here.
 
I can't stop wondering what is wrong with society nowadays.
Why in the world would you want to destroy a monument? Just because it's cool? It really isn't, it's actually lame and immature...

When I go somewhere, I like to have my picture taken with the monument and then I like to brag to my friends "see? I was there!". That's what tourists should do...

Such a fine serves that guy right! I hope he pays it too. And the news report says he is 42! I would have probably understood if he was 5 or 15! And the other guy, at 45 years old, that's what you teach your 12 year old? Wow...

As far as I'm concerned, these people need to be fined and need to be banned from travelling anywhere. Like.. they deserve a restriction from entering any other country because they're a danger to society.
 
A Russian tourist was caught by a guard carving the letter 'K' into the Colosseum. He was also given a suspended sentence.

I can't understand the mentality of people, why and how could they do such a thing? Surely they don't need signs up?
 
I don't understand what's wrong with these people honestly.
To travel such a long way to visit a historic location and then try defacing it?
I'd think that if you went there for vacations you should have some respect for it, otherwise why go at all?
 
^ That is the way I see it as well.

I always thought that people who can afford to go on vacation and visit such wonderful places would be more mature.... travelling to historic places like these is all about expanding your horizons, experiencing different cultures and so on. People who behave like this should go on vacation in their own back yard :D

I wonder what the laws are, regarding destroying national monuments though. I'm gonna look this up...
There were several other incidents, still in Rome, just this year. Some tourists (and probably some locals too) decided to take a bath in the Trevi Fountain.... Some other tourists were caught stealing cobblestones from the Colosseum (this is actually more common than you'd think!)... I wonder what happens to these people, the authorities should give them a huge fine, maybe it'll help Italy get out of this crisis :D hahah
 
Rosie said:
^ That is the way I see it as well.

I always thought that people who can afford to go on vacation and visit such wonderful places would be more mature.... travelling to historic places like these is all about expanding your horizons, experiencing different cultures and so on. People who behave like this should go on vacation in their own back yard :D

I wonder what the laws are, regarding destroying national monuments though. I'm gonna look this up...
There were several other incidents, still in Rome, just this year. Some tourists (and probably some locals too) decided to take a bath in the Trevi Fountain.... Some other tourists were caught stealing cobblestones from the Colosseum (this is actually more common than you'd think!)... I wonder what happens to these people, the authorities should give them a huge fine, maybe it'll help Italy get out of this crisis :D hahah
Click to expand...

I'm honestly not satisfied with them paying a fine, no matter how large it is.
Damaging such historical places can't be a crime that's taken lightly, there needs to be some jail time, otherwise we'll see rich people who can afford the fines just going to those places and writing their name or taking pieces home with them.
 
It's sad that it happened but I'm almost surprised it hasn't happened more often. People today have a different mentality towards tradition and culture than they had in previous generations. We live at a time when we are all fully connected in the world of multi-media, and a site that would have been idolized 30 years ago is now just another thing that he's seen pictures of on the internet and can't really connect with.
 
Well, this happens all to often. People are just immature and destructive. I don't see the point. It has become a trend to mark the letters of your name on some monument, which is why many of them are protected with sensors. When I was in Germany, in Herrenchiemsee Castle, I was so entranced with one painting that I had almost been touching it (I was so close). The sensor went off. I was so surprised. This is easy to do when you have something inside, but it would be very difficult to cover the whole Colosseum with sensors, now wouldn't it?
 
It happens everywhere to every tourist destination in the world, people always want to take something back with them to either remind them of their experience or just to show friends and brag about having a piece of the Colosseum. Its a real shame but there is not much that can be done to stop it aside from just closing the attractions down altogether. I would actually be in favor of this in some cases so as to preserve some of the more historically significant ruins to be studied by future generations.
 
And he fully deserves it, too. I am so tired of seeing people's initials carved or painted on historical buildings. For that matter, I also can't stand people who disfigure trees with knives, scribbling their initials and dates on it. But the worst of all is when people somehow manage to steal historical artifacts. I can't imagine what they do with this "trophy". Obviously, there exists some underground market for it, but what a crime!!!
 
There's one thing I don't understand: why must you take a piece of rock with you home, for example, if a photograph, beautifully framed and placed on the wall would be far more attractive in your home - even if you wanted to show off? Why damage something if you don't have to? Sometimes I really don't understand human nature...
 
Aurelia said:
There's one thing I don't understand: why must you take a piece of rock with you home, for example, if a photograph, beautifully framed and placed on the wall would be far more attractive in your home - even if you wanted to show off? Why damage something if you don't have to? Sometimes I really don't understand human nature...
Click to expand...

People feel like possessing something is worth more than simply possessing an image of that thing. In most cases they are right, but when it comes to damaging a historical landmark in order to acquire your keepsake there needs to be some restraint. Sadly people are greedy and don't really care if something falls apart so long as they can claim to have been a part of it while it lasted.
 
But really, what are you going to do with a piece of rock? Are your friends impressed by a piece of rock more than by a photo of you? I love taking photos - it's something special for me. I'd never and I mean never even think about taking something, and especially not a piece of rock. Vandalism is... well, it's not only illegal but barbaric. It got the name after Vandals, after all, xD.

About being a part of something... that's perhaps not the best way to feel the ''oneness''. I don't know. Maybe it is... I usually don't judge. But I guess I draw the line with this.
 
I agree with you completely, it really does make little sense, its just how some people think. People collect Sea Shells to remind them of their time at the beach and I've always equated it to be along the same lines. I rather just take pictures myself to be honest. I always feel more connected to the pictures I take than any of the souvenirs I bring home. I mean there are HUNDREDS of people who own the same souvenirs but theres just me and those who I make copies for who are in possession of that exact photo.
 
kittyworker said:
I agree with you completely, it really does make little sense, its just how some people think. People collect Sea Shells to remind them of their time at the beach and I've always equated it to be along the same lines. I rather just take pictures myself to be honest. I always feel more connected to the pictures I take than any of the souvenirs I bring home. I mean there are HUNDREDS of people who own the same souvenirs but theres just me and those who I make copies for who are in possession of that exact photo.
Click to expand...

I feel exactly the same. I always liked photos the most. I used to pick a few seashells (I never really collected them - it was more like take one or two and be content with it) when I was really young, but I never brought them home, or even if I brought them, I lost them very soon, so I never felt the connection with things like that. I do like buying figurines - whenever I visit a castle I always buy a small knight figurine or a castle model. They can be expensive, true, but I look at them on my bookshelf every day.

Photos are something special, though. I never leave home without a camera. I am not as enthusiastic as I used to be, though. I could snap hundreds of photos while visiting something... now I don't do so anymore - not hundreds at least, it's more like dozens. Saves the camera memory :D
 
He deserves what ever punishment they give him because of his stupidity. People today seem to missing a few screws and are always trying to destroy something of prestige. The Colosseum has good security but I guess you cant watch over every little area because it's huge. For me, that guy deserves his punishment and they have made an example out of him as well.
 
Can you believe it another two women have done this and taken a selfie? They were part of guided tour and am sure they were told the rules. Still, they have been arrested and will face a judge and probably a penalty. It's not only common sense, but illegal and while some people say security isn't tight enough, people need to take responsibility for their actions as they wouldn't graffiti, say Buckingham Palace or the Tower of London would they?

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/mar/08/us-tourists-caught-carving-names-into-colosseum-rome
 
Gabe said:
Can you believe it another two women have done this and taken a selfie? They were part of guided tour and am sure they were told the rules. Still, they have been arrested and will face a judge and probably a penalty. It's not only common sense, but illegal and while some people say security isn't tight enough, people need to take responsibility for their actions as they wouldn't graffiti, say Buckingham Palace or the Tower of London would they?

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/mar/08/us-tourists-caught-carving-names-into-colosseum-rome
Click to expand...

Yeah I agree. It's not worth it to break the law AND damage the famous site to get a good picture. If this were the first case, jail might have been too harsh, but if they already knew the rules then that's on them
 
Yes, as this happened only recently and the tourists must have been aware of what had happened before, and that they had a guide, they really have no excuse.

Maybe the penalty will be harsher as a deterrent? It's vandalism and just because it's outside doesn't make it any different from defacing the inside of a new building.
 
Top Bottom