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VENICE, Italy — If you've ever traveled to Venice, you know how expensive it can be for a decent meal. When I spent a few days there in 2008, I ran out of money early on and ended up subsisting on Clif Bars and Skittles.
But I came across a Twitter post the other day that got the wheels in my head turning like Gaston when he met "crazy old Maurice." Interested? Here's the video from the post:
Ecco due imbecilli prepotenti che si fanno beffa della Città… chiedo a tutti di aiutarci a individuarli per punirli anche se le nostre armi sono davvero spuntate… servono urgentemente più poteri ai Sindaci in tema di sicurezza pubblica!
— Luigi Brugnaro (@LuigiBrugnaro) August 17, 2022
A chi li individua offro una cena! pic.twitter.com/DV2ONO3hUs
Apparently, a couple of tourists decided to go jet surfing on one of Venice's famous canals. The mayor of the city, Luigi Brugnaro, was outraged by this stunt and took to Twitter to seek revenge.
Referring to the surfers as "overbearing idiots," he told his followers that a mockery had been made of the city and that the perpetrators must face punishment. Then came the interesting part: Brugnaro offered a free dinner to anyone who could help authorities identify the two men.
A free dinner in Venice? With the mayor, no less? That has to be one of the most tantalizing offers I've ever heard!
Unsurprisingly, someone has already claimed the prize by providing the names of the two Australian surfers. They now face stiff fines and had their beloved boards confiscated.
But surely there will be copycats to this crime. So if you want a free meal with Mayor Brugnaro, just hang out on the Grand Canal and wait for someone to jet surf past you. Then follow the daredevil and get their name once they exit the canal.
Sure, this plan will take some work. But it'll all be worth it when you sit down to your absolutely free dinner of risotto al nero di seppia.
