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Catania Warnings or Dangers

Catania travel tips posted by real travelers and Catania locals.
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  • ICBT
  • By ICBT on April 1, 2004
  • Catania Page by ICBT
  • Catania Warnings or Dangers
    by ICBT
    Suicidal motorini, meaningless and contradictory signals constantly unheeded, free-for-all lane changing, construction, three wheeled motorized vegetable carts, 12 year olds in pickup trucks, drag-race quality stop-and-go - need I go on? If you don't like driving DO NOT attempt to drive in Catania. The layout of the city is extremely confusing, the traffic is extreme to the point of comical, and you will not have fun unless you thrive in that sort of environment. I, for one, eventually rented cars and drove all over the place, but it's not for the faint of heart.

    On the other side of the coin, the ONLY way to properly see Sicily is to have a car. Therefore, heed this advice in planning a trip. One more thing - nowhere do I say the roads are unsafe. Drivers pay much better attention on the roads here simply because they have to to survive. Use that to your advantage, drive carefully and respectfully and IN THE SLOW LANE until you get it figured out.

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    SICILY-CATANIA....ETNA IS STILL A LIVE VOLCANO!
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  • ROCKARIA
  • By ROCKARIA on March 7, 2005
  • Catania Page by ROCKARIA
  • Mount ETNA - Catania
    Mount ETNA
    by ROCKARIA
    For those tourist who will be visiting Sicily can not help having a closer look at mount ETNA.....A word of caution...this Volcano is still alive and can become active sudenly spewing lava and ash to the unweary tourist!!

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  • rsleisk
  • By rsleisk on May 31, 2007
  • Catania Page by rsleisk
  • Catania Warnings or Dangers
    by rsleisk
    Driving through the streets of Catania is quite an experience and not for the weak of heart. There are few rules and many one way streets and essentially no street signs unless you can read the plaque on the side of the building while keeping your eyes on the road. It seems that you need to know where you are going prior. We had the help of a satellite navigation system but those have their faults too.

    Pedestrians look at you and if you see them then they dart out in front of you. Motorcyles, scooters (Vespas) have no rules and ride on the sidewalks and zoom inbetween cars, it is always a safe bet that there is one at either side of you at all times trying to get in front of you. We learned that you cannot be hesistant or you will never get anywhere, you just have to muscle your way through the streets.

    We saw this accident as we were walking (see photo). The woman seemed at fault and the guy she hit was pleading his case to every bystander he could find. Other cars showed no mercy as they honked incessantly.

    All in all the driving here was not half as bad as it was when we were in Naples, so say to yourself it could always be worse.

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    A Catania i turisti vengono derubati
  • By Miguel_Sarafana on July 14, 2009
  • Catania Page by Miguel_Sarafana
  • A Catania i turisti vengono sistematicamente derubati. Non aspettatevi aiuto dalla Polizia. Tenete sempre a mente che i turisti sono obiettivo di ladri professionali e ben organizzati. Non portate con voi oggetti di valore e gioielli e assicuratevi contro il furto, quando viaggiate in Italia. Tenete oggetti di valore sempre ben nascosti. Borsette e orologi di signore sono sempre un obiettivo dei ladri. Viaggiate in auto sempre con la chiusura centralizzata attiva. Non lasciate niente in auto. Lasciate il portaoggetti aperto.
    Il 19 giugno mi a moglie ed io siamo stati rapinati a Catania. Siamo atterrati di sera a Catania. Poi abbiamo noleggiato un auto Europacar. Europacar non ci ha avvertiti, che a Catania i turisti vengono quotidianamente rapinati. Non siamo neanche stati informati da Europcar che nel quartiere di „Via Plebiscito“ molti ladri si ritrovano e aspettano i turisti. Le auto a noleggio si differenziano per pulizia e ottimo stato dalla massa delle altre auto spesso sporche e piene di ammaccature. Perciò ai ladri risulta molto facile identificare i turisti.
    Nel tragitto dall’aeroporto all’hotel prenotato a Catania abbiamo seguito le indicazioni del navigatore satellitare che avevamo con noi. All’improvviso siamo stati costretti a fermarci a causa di un motociclista che arrivava da destra su Via Plebiscito 595. A quell’ora il traffico era scorrevole. Il motociclista ha sfruttato la circostanza, che da destra convergeva una via che arriva da „Via Antonino di Sangiuliano. Nel momento, in cui il motociclista a viso scoperto si inserì dal marciapiede sulla strada, e io dovetti frenare, i ladri aprirono le porte della macchina strappandomi il mio zainetto. Nonostante mia moglie tenesse ben stretta la borsetta, sopraggiunse un secondo ladro e con le doppie forze strapparono la borsetta di mia moglie. In quel momento scesi velocemente dall’auto e potei appena evitare, che venisse rubata anche la valigia. Il ladro, che già si era chinato sulla valigia, impaurì al mio sguardo furioso e si dileguò rapidamente prima che io potessi afferrarlo. Gli altri ladri fuggirono sulla moto. Dopo questo fatto, nessuno dei presenti, che aveva assistito alla rapina, si è trattenuto o si è poi presentato come testimone. Tutti hanno proseguito il loro cammino, come se nulla fosse successo. I poliziotti, che hanno poi verbalizzato il fatto, ci hanno detto che questo è un caso classico. Il consolato tedesco di Messina e l’ambasciata tedesca di Napoli ci hanno detto, che questo tipo di rapine a Catania avviene quotidianamente. Dopo che la Polizia ha verbalizzato il fatto, abbiamo avuto un appuntamento il successivo martedì 23 giugno per visionare le foto di persone sospette presso la polizia criminale, i Carabinieri. Il Carabiniere ci ha mostrato foto degli anni 1999, 2000 e 2001, dando come motivazione di non aver foto più recenti.
    Questo mostra che in Sicilia esiste uno spazio libero per la piccola criminalità, come ladri e rapinatori, che né la Polizia né la Mafia sono in grado di riportare ad un ordine, che almeno lasci i turisti in sicurezza e tranquillità.

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    Be careful of purse-snatchers...
  • By sflorman on August 26, 2002
  • Catania Page by sflorman
  • Be careful of purse-snatchers - they have been known to drive by on motorscooters and tear purses and bags right off people's shoulders. I had a friend who hung on and was dragged for a block behind a scooter before she finally got her bag loose.

    Keep your passport in a safe place - zipped up, tucked in, etc.

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    In Catania werden Touristen ausgeraubt
  • By Miguel_Sarafana on July 12, 2009
  • Catania Page by Miguel_Sarafana
  • In Catania werden Touristen systematisch ausgeraubt. Hilfe von der Polizei dürfen sie nicht erwarten. Denken Sie immer daran, dass Touristen ein Ziel von professionellen und gut organisierten Dieben sind. Nehmen Sie keine teuren Gegenstände und Schmuck mit in den Urlaub und versichern Sie sich gegen Diebstahl, wenn Sie nach Italien reisen. Halten Sie ihre Wertsachen immer verdeckt bei sich. Handtaschen und Uhren von Damen sind immer ein Ziel von Dieben. Fahren Sie nur dann mit einem Auto, wenn die Zentralverriegelung eingeschaltet ist. Lassen Sie nichts im Auto. Lassen Sie das Handschuhfach offen.
    Am 19. Juni 2009 sind meine Frau und ich in Catania ausgeraubt worden. Wir sind abends in Catania gelandet. Danach haben wir uns bei Europcar ein Auto gemietet. Europcar hat uns nicht darauf hingewiesen, dass in Catania täglich Touristen ausgeraubt werden. Wir wurden auch nicht von Europcar informiert, dass in dem Viertel, von der Strasse „Via Plebiscito“ viele Diebe gruppiert herumstehen und auf Touristen warten. Die Leihautos heben sich durch ihren sauberen und makellosen Zustand von der Masse der anderen meist schmutzigen und mit schrammen versehenen Autos ab. Deshalb ist es für die Räuber sehr einfach Touristen in Leihwagen zu identifizieren. Auf der Fahrt vom Flughafen zu dem gebuchten Hotel in Catania folgten wir dem Wegweiser unseres mitgebrachten Navigators. Plötzlich wurden wir von einem Motorradfahrer von rechts kommend auf der „Via Plebiscito 595“ zum Anhalten gezwungen. Zu dieser Zeit und an diesem Ort war der Verkehr zähflüssig. Der Motorradfahrer nutze die Tatsache, dass von rechts eine Strasse in die „Via Plebiscito“ mündet, die von der „Via Antonino di Sangialiano“ kommt. In dem Moment, als der unmaskierte Motorradfahrer vom Gehsteig auf die Strasse fuhr, und ich bremsen musste, öffneten die Diebe alle Türen und rissen meinen Rucksack heraus. Die Räuber griffen nach der Handtasche meiner Frau. Obwohl meine Frau ihre Handtasche festhielt, kam ein zweiter Dieb, und mit gemeinsamen Kräften entrissen sie meiner Frau ihre Handtasche. In diesem Moment bin ich schnell aus dem Auto ausgestiegen und konnte gerade noch verhindern, dass uns auch noch die Koffer gestohlen wurden. Der Dieb, der sich schon an die Koffer gewagt hatte, erschrak durch meinen wütenden Anblick und ist schnell davon gelaufen bevor ich ihn zufassen bekam. Die anderen Diebe flohen auf einem Motorrad davon. Nach diesem Vorfall ist keiner der Verkehrsteilnehmer, die diesen Raub beobachtet hatten stehen geblieben und hat sich als Zeuge gemeldet. Alle sind einfach weitergefahren, als wäre nichts passiert. Die Polizisten, die danach den Vorfall aufnahmen, sagten uns, dass dies ein klassischer Fall sei. Das Deutsche Konsulat in Messina und die Deutsche Botschaft in Neapel sagte uns, dass diese Form der Raubüberfälle in Catania täglich passieren. Nachdem die Polizei den Fall aufgenommen hatte, erhielten wir einen Termin am Dienstag, den 23 Juni zur Einsicht der Fotos von verdächtigen und straffällig gewordenen Personen bei der Kriminalpolizei, den Carabinieri. Der Kriminalpolizist zeigte uns Fotos vom Jahr 1999, 2000 und 2001 mit der Begründung, dass er keine Fotos jüngeren Datums hätte.
    Das zeigt, dass in Sizilien ein rechtsfreier Raum für Kleinkriminelle, wie Diebe und Räuber herrscht und weder die Polizei oder die Mafia fähig sind eine Ordnung herzustellen, die wenigstens Touristen in Sicherheit und Ruhe reisen lässt.

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    Catania-Fontanarossa Airport
    rsleisk
  • Updated By rsleisk on June 1, 2007
  • Catania Page by rsleisk
  • Catania Warnings or Dangers
    by rsleisk
    The airport had been recently remodeled but had not fully opened so when we arrived we were taxied to the main terminal. I went claim my baggage along with everyone else thinking it would be fairly quick because there were no other flights. Boy was I wrong!

    I waited and decided to use the restroom which was a mess getting into because of the tiny corridor you had to enter to get to the restroom. You had to walk by the Ladies room which had a long line and then fight your way back out the corridor.

    Anyway, I kid you not it took almost 2 hours to get my luggage! We would sneak a peek through the flap where the bags are suppose to enter and see the baggage guys smoking and talking. There was also noone from the airport to complain to in the baggage area. So be warned, don't expect to get your bags quickly!

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    The Etna has a safety line...
    Volare
  • By Volare on August 25, 2002
  • Catania Page by Volare
  • Catania Warnings or Dangers
    by Volare
    The Etna has a safety line that you should not traspass. Otherwise you do it at your own risk.

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