Good to know that law and order is returning to Italy:

Italy’s mayors are enforcing a zero tolerance summer with a string of bizarre [laws]. . . .Among the new edicts are a ban on public kissing, sand castles, noisy sandals, lawn mowers and leaving a towel unattended on the beach to bag a top spot.

The wave of new bylaws reflects the tough policies of the new government of Silvio Berlusconi. After announcing the finger printing of Romany gypsy children, putting troops on the streets and a crackdown on illegal immigration, the government gave mayors extra scope to “protect public decency and decorum”.

But the power appears to have gone to the heads of some of the mayors. At Eraclea near Venice, a popular destination for British holidaymakers, Graziano Teso, the mayor, has banned the building of sandcastles and all ball and racquet games on the beach. . . .[U]sing a lawnmower during the afternoon in the upmarket resort Forte dei Marmi on Italy’s Tuscan coast is also ruled out as it might disturb anyone taking a nap. . . .

Gerardo Rosania, a cente left opposition councillor at Eboli, said:  “Daily in Eboli we see drug dealing, fights, knifings and other violent crime but the mayor has decided to crack down on kissing.  “The town is over run with vandals and public buildings are in need of restoration and here we have our mayor imposing fines of up to €500 on courting couples caught kissing.”

Ah, Italy.  A partire dalla vita dolce alla vita tirannica ma ridicola. Maybe there’s a future for Rudy Giuliani after all.

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