Beware of Picnicking in Venice and Florence

why are you reporting Russian news?

Was widely discussed here already some days ago: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/general-europe/venice-fines-tourists-germans-punished-for-making-coffee-near-bridge

And “coffee to go” is not done in much of Europe. You drink it at a table or standing up at a bar where you bought it, not walking around. The arrival of Starbucks is changing that somewhat.
Just returned from Japan where signs are posted, “No eating while walking.”
Americans need to be aware of the differences in cultures, really much more
well mannered practices are found in other countries.

I read the article. Two German tourists were brewing their own coffee at the Rialto Bridge. They deserve a fine just for being stupid.

For both Italy and Japan it's about trash being left. I lived in Japan for two years in the 80s and they had a trash problem in public spaces like parks even then. Not enough receptacles not emptied often enough. Then as now they had street food vendors. Where are those people supposed to eat the food?

Yes there are cultural differences that everyone needs to be aware of depending on where they are traveling. Not sure making a value judgement about who has better manners helps.

I read the thread about the tourists being fined ,and the fine itself doesn’t upset me - BUT the amount of the fine is simply RIDICULOUS!

850 EUROS ! - that is greed

You can illegally jump a turnstile and get on public transport and the fine is 35-50 euros - but picnic and you will be fined a months income ?

Trash is always a problem, so I understand trying to contain it. Picnics or eating on the run is a frequent traveller's meal, so these rules make it more complicated. Even suggesting eating at a restaurant for lunch and picnic in your room for dinner doesn't always help as often hotels also indicate no eating in your room (garbage, smells and pests). One just needs to be inventive and considerate.

I have to agree with cj-traveler - the value judgement regarding who has the best manners is at best arguable and not an appropriate discussion in this venue.

IMHO, there is a difference between discretely munching a sandwich in some out-of-the-way location and cooking on (even off to the side is still "on") Venice's oldest and most famous bridge? Light up a camp stove on any 400 year-old relic or UNESCO cultural site in the U.S., not that we have many of those to begin with, and I can only imagine what the penalty might be.

And “coffee to go” is not done in much of Europe. You drink it at a
table or standing up at a bar where you bought it, not walking around.
The arrival of Starbucks is changing that somewhat.

Sorry Suki, but I cannot commit that for Germany. What do you think how students in the 60s and 70s get awake in the universities? Or construction workers on their site? Coffee to-go was early needed and invented to survive. Starbucks changed really nothing on that behaviour - not even a couch in a coffeehouse was new.

And imho it is ridiculous to judge on these Italian penalties as long as there are countries in the world executing death penalty.

I saw this concerning Florence on CNN media. The following streets have had eating while walking banned with hefty fines. Via de' Neri, Piazzale degli Uffizi, Piazza del Grano and Via della Ninna -- are among the busiest in the city and the restrictions are in place during peak eating times: noon to 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

just for the records, the CNN is wrong and quite ridiculously so. Since all the take away bars in the above listed streets are still open is quite obvious that neither Florence nor any other italian town have banned eating while walking in public spaces.
They have banned C-A-M-P-I-N-G out of designated picnic areas.

I understand we all trust news sources in our own language, but how can you blindly believe such reports? It would have been like closing by law all the bars in those streets. Italy is plagued by an high numbers of lawyers, too. Do you really think those owning those bars wouldn't have appealed against such a decision and win?

A significant word in the article was probably just overlooked or misinterpreted by the poster. I believe this is the piece, and it's from 2018:

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/florence-street-eating-ban/index.html

The city ordinance, which came into effect on Sept 4, bans people from
pausing in the historic center to eat food on the sidewalks, roadways and on the doorsteps of shops and houses.

By "pausing", pretty sure they mean not to just stand around, sit around or otherwise clog the pedestrian and vehicle traffic. The article didn't say you couldn't walk with a sammie or cone.