Leslie Anne Tarabella Southern With a Gulf Coast Accent

My newsletter subscribers got an early hint of this story last week when I mentioned Bob’s wallet getting stolen in Rome. Here’s the full story. It’s fun to be a subscriber—just enter your email on the sidebar!

Bob and I have been trying to take a big trip every few years because this is our window of opportunity – an empty nest, no grandchildren to pull our hearts home, good health, and no pets for the first time in 30 years (sad about that).We don’t golf and decided years ago to forgo a boat, and our business is finally manageable from afar, so why not go-go-go? 

The regatta in Venice.

It’s not that I go around taking a poll or looking, but it seems most men I know carry their wallets in their back pockets yet travel advice says to carry it in the front pocket or wear the inconvenient money belt, which can’t hold credit cards. 

Heading for a pizza in Naples, Bob realized his wallet was gone at the train station. Although he’d switched to the front pocket for most of the trip, old habits are hard to break, and he’d forgotten and tucked it in his back pocket that morning. 

The new AirTag Eufy – compatible with Apple’s FindMy app.

Always on top of the latest technology, before we left home, Bob made sure we had the new Eufy SmartTrack Card. The new tags, shaped like a thin credit card, can be slipped in a wallet or luggage without detection. Using the app, we tracked the tag, which works by pinging off other people’s phones as they pass by. The signal gets stronger each time someone passes. 

Should we chase after the wallet? Heck yes. We’re Americans. John Wayne and Superman would do the same. And besides, even though we had our passports, getting back home without Bob’s ID would be a pain in the neck. 

Bob began canceling cards as we returned to the bus stop. At first, we searched a hot parking lot, but as more people passed, the signal became more precise and finally led us to the garbage can. Eeww. Che Casino! (What a mess!)

The heavy metal garbage can lid was locked, and we couldn’t reach very far, but the signal indicated the wallet was in there. At that point, we pushed aside all ladylike and gentlemanly manners and had no choice but to tip the can over and start pulling everything out. Bob speaks enough Italian that he explained to a few people what we were doing. A woman named Arianna helped explain to others in the crowd because they looked alarmed and suspicious. 

Amidst the banana peels, food wrappers, cans, bottles, and cigarette butts (Mama Mia, they smoke a lot over here), I spied the wallet and plucked it from its filthy nest. Everything except for the Euros was still inside.  

Everyone cheered. 

Thank you, God, and the Eufy SmartTrack Card! 

Arianna was embarrassed and afraid we would have a bad impression of Italians. She explained the wave of stealing has come with many new people moving into Italy. Everyone at the bus stop was kind and helpful, although a bit suspicious of Americans digging through their garbage cans. 

Then we disinfected ourselves for hours. 

And hours. 

Arianna was the bright spot in our day. She was so helpful and kind.

On the train the next day, I sat next to a man from Georgia who said he’d had his wallet stolen from his front pocket by a man on the subway in Naples who intentionally pushed him, and while he was distracted, an accomplice snatched the wallet. A store owner in Venice said many borseggiatori  – or pickpockets, are now teenage girls as well as non-Italian  residents. The locals are greatly upset about the problem, and signs are posted everywhere to be on guard. 

Now they tell us. 

Ma tutto il resto è meraviglioso = But everything else is wonderful.