‘Stupid’ surfers spark outrage from Venice mayor after speeding down Grand Canal | World News
Two motorized windsurfers labeled “idiots” by the mayor of Venice for speeding on the city’s Grand Canal have been identified by authorities.
A video posted on social media by Luigi Brugnaro of the couple walking along the famous Italian waterway after they were caught on camera.
On Twitter, Mr Brugnaro asked for the public’s help to find what he called “two overbearing idiots mocking the city” so they could be punished.
He added that “mayors urgently need more authority in terms of public safety”.
And he offered to buy dinner for anyone who identified the surfers.
In a later post, he said their boards had been confiscated and the two would be found soon.
He did not say what penalties they would face, but the city has some rules governing visitor behavior.
Venice has been affected by overtourism for many years, and with it the disappearance of people making trips there.
In 2019, the city fined two German tourists £830 for making coffee on the 430-year-old Rialto bridge.
Visitors are also prohibited from swimming in the canal and eating and drinking on the steps of the monument.
From 2023, day-trippers will have to pay a visitor tax to offset the increased cost of providing services in the city.