The mayor of the city requested the public’s assistance in locating “two overbearing fools making a mockery of the city.” In addition, he offered dinner to anyone who could identify the pair.
Authorities have identified two surfers on motorized boards who were called “idiots” by the mayor of Venice for rushing along the city’s Grand Canal.
Luigi Brugnaro released a video to social media of the pair traveling down the renowned Italian river after they were captured on camera.
Mr. Brugnaro requested the public’s assistance on Twitter to discover and punish “two overbearing fools making a mockery of the city.”
He stated, “mayors urgently require increased public safety-related authority.”
In addition, he promised to pay for dinner for anyone who could identify the surfers.
In a subsequent post, he stated that their boards had been confiscated and that the two will be located shortly.
He did not specify their punishment, although the city has a variety of laws restricting visitor conduct.
Venice has endured years of overtourism, and with it, breaches in decorum on the part of tourists.
Two German tourists were fined £830 in 2019 for brewing coffee on the 430-year-old Rialto Bridge.
In addition, swimming in the canals and dining on the steps of monuments are prohibited.
Day-trippers will be required to pay a visitor’s tax beginning in 2023 to assist offset the increased expense of delivering city services.
