US tourist who HURLED scooter down Rome's Spanish Steps causing $26K damage BANNED for life
An American tourist in Rome has been banned from the city's iconic Spanish Steps for life after she and a friend caused $26,000 worth of damage to them with an electric scooter. A 28-year-old American tourist is accused of hurling an electric scooter down Rome's Spanish Steps. A passerby who was shooting at the time captured the incident on camera.
A woman and another man were attempting to carry their scooters down the steps just before the incident. The woman evidently became tired of dragging the scooter and instead opted to chuck it the rest of the way. The scooter, according to Italian investigators, damaged the steps on the way down. The woman and her unidentified male companion were apprehended by police. After reviewing the film, they were first fined $429 each for the incident.
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The Spanish Steps are one of the city's most well-known and well-guarded historical attractions. In 2018, cops even made it illegal to sit on the stairwell. Following an investigation, authorities determined that the scooter had damaged the marble, which would cost $26,000 to replace. According to police, the stairs were renovated for $1.5 million in 2015.
According to the Daily Mail, the woman and her male friend have been barred from visiting the UNESCO World Heritage Site in the future. After the city's pandemic-era limitations were lifted, tourism has returned to Rome. While this has been beneficial to the local economy, it has also led to a number of regrettable events involving misbehaving tourists. A Saudi businessman drove his Maserati down the Spanish Steps a week before the scooter incident after taking a false turn, according to reports.
The Spanish Steps get its name from the fact that the Spanish embassy in Rome, as well as the Trinita Dei Monti church, are located at the summit of the landmark. The stairs, designed by architect Francesco de Sanctis and built between 1723 and 1726, were eventually included in the UNESCO World Heritage list. The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization has designated an area of special interest as a World Heritage Site. The sites must be of 'outstanding value to humanity' and have cultural, historical, scientific, or other significance. There are currently 1,154 man-made and natural sites around the world, with Italy having the most with 58.