Italia Post

[Greg.]

Hi Ian,

There's lots I could say about the points you raise, but probably not good to continue here. If you want to continue the discussion (I know you have had several bad police experiences in the past) PM me your email address and we can continue there.

Best wishes,

Greg

[Baggy Trousers]

Some years ago, I lived in Malta where much of the mail, particularly parcel stuff, is routed through Italy.

It was not uncommon not to receive items which genuinely had been despatched. Much of the mail came through Regio di Calabria - a place where they would steal the wheels off your car in broad daylight if you were silly enough to leave it in an hotel car park. But Southern Italy, notably Sicilia, does have a certain reputation. However, the Siracusa market is something else . . .

As for Paypal, following my contretemps with them and the Devon Police (see earlier posting on another thread), I also have to conclude that they (Paypal, not the police about whom I am considerably disgruntled) are a bunch of conartists. In fact, I am becoming increasingly disillusioned with eBay (who own Paypal and therefore must have a certain internal conflict of interests where customer complaint resolution is required) but they have so monopolised the market that it is difficult to find a workable alternative.

I think the greatest protection you can have is to disregard the Paypal hype about "verification" - it is largely meaningless and offers them an entre into your bank account. Not for me, thank you.

A pity because the eBay idea is excellent and the system worked well for several years. It was not until the criminal elements discovered it as a good vehicle for their scams that it started falling apart. Bit like social security and the malingerers. I have an acquaintance who has been drawing the dole and Supp Ben for 20 years - never done a stroke of work. But don't get me going on that topic . .

Richard.

PS Luca, despite the foregoing, I would live in Umbria or Tuscania if I had the money. Forza Italia!!

[Ianm2]

hi Greg, agreed about not continuing, bit of a misconception, i haven't had many bad xp's, very very few personal dealings, just this one really, they were ok, but just nothings happened.

best wishes

[BOONDI]

Just my 2d worth....

With regard to drugs....

In my area, over 90% of crime is drug related. 85% of theft is carried out by junkies desperate for a fix. 5% is alcohol fuel "Mindless violence" and criminal damage such as vandalism.

If the junkies were given as much free heroin as they wanted, the problem would be solved. As a fix of heroin costs about 10p when it comes from legal sources i.e. a pharmacy, it would be very cheap to provide all that they need. The money saved on the cost of the crimes committed could then be spent on improving society as a whole.

[Greg.]

What a great idea . Free drugs for the junkies, crime rate (apparently) plummets and we can sit back content that we're satisfactorily managing an impaired society, maintaining a disfunctional status quo. Lets take it further as we're going to need all this heroin to feed the sick portion of our society, lets allow the Afgans to continue poppy production, buy it from them legitimately, keep their farmers happy and of course the Taliban problem will go away and our boys can come home. Horray!

Legalising drugs that undermine the fabric of society is not the solution. Other countries that have tried a liberal approach to drug abuse have not found any positive outcomes. Many are now trying to reverse this ill conceived approach.

[Ianm2]

got to disagree totally, junkies trying to buy limited supply with no money, is causing untold misery to victims, and if police resources are so limited, they won't be able to investigate these robberies, adding insult to injury.

I know which matters most, someone taking diamorphine in their own home and causing no one troulbe, or someone's house getting trashed and then being told, sorry, too busy, no contest as to which really affects people most, which is how things ought to be judged.

the present policy isn't working, you can't stop it the only solution is boondi's. drugs are simply medicines made illegal. its semantics.

just kill the associated crime stone dead by decriminalising. societies fabric is far more undermined by the related crime. its out of hand already.

there are 3 'solutions'

1/ all out attempt to wipe them out, probably not possible
2/ continue as we are doing, police stretched, growing problem, massive associated crime to pay for it. massive misery caused to users and victims
3/ liberalise, let people do it if they want, no more crime from scrabbling to afford it.

the only logical is no 3.

[LSfarzo]

Originally Posted by Will Cowen

Hi Luca,
I went to my Post Office to check if my missing parcel was
lost in the post sorting office and the man on the desk said
its a common problem with Italian Post.
The only other problem I have had was a no payment and
that was Italy and his name was Luca, common name in Italy?

Hi Will and all the others guy of this thread,

1) I do not know if Luca is quite a common name in Italy because I do not like wasting my time in reading silly statistics.. anyway:
2) I always have payed what I buy and I am sure i did not bought anything from you.

3) Sometimes I think it is better to be sure that the link between the mind and the fingertips (using the keyboard) is on before posting some stupid messages.

4) I was used to think that this forum was a pleasant and useful place before reading this thread and before descovering that some guys indulge too much, for my taste, in telling things that they do not even know at all.

5) I love, as everybody does, the land he lives in and like all places you will find good and bad things and I do not like people prating of my land though they would only tell of real matters because here exist good and bad things.

6) I Think it is too easy to say "in Italy do not buy or sell because postal system is not good or all italians are thieves or that in Reggio Calabria they steal the wheels from your cars..." but most of those sentences, I think, can be applied to all the countries where we live in and many more worst could be applied, too!

7) Please, everybody, take a look at the timber in your eyes before pointing at the little defect in the other's eye (excuse me for the trivial translation..)

Best regards.
Luca Sfarzo

[Ianm2]

hi Luca, I have just read the thread again,

no-one has criticized Italy as a country, or Italians as people.

they have just said there are problems with the post, and there have only been 1 or 2 messages about that.

but with the cyber age people are nervous about getting stolen from, and that's enough, they would simply not take the chance.

there is nothing personal against italy in it.

best wishes

[LSfarzo]

Originally Posted by Ianm2

hi Luca, I have just read the thread again,

no-one has criticized Italy as a country, or Italians as people.

they have just said there are problems with the post, and there have only been 1 or 2 messages about that.

but with the cyber age people are nervous about getting stolen from, and that's enough, they would simply not take the chance.

there is nothing personal against italy in it.

best wishes

Ianm,

I wrote my reply because I think that though if he had the money one would live in Italy , it is not so much nice to say that "...Regio di Calabria - a place where they would steal the wheels off your car in broad daylight if you were silly enough to leave it in an hotel car park. But Southern Italy, notably Sicilia, does have a certain reputation…” or that the last people you sold something and that did not pay you is an italian (and has my name.. too ).

I fully understand that the thread is about problems with postal system in italy and that some sellers tend to use to apply a restrictive policy toward italian buyers but as I am sure you can understand that there is a very little step between reporting those facts and meaning all the common (silly) sentences that many people, unfortunately, usally state.

I spent some days in london just on the last weekend and I enjoied a lot; a month ago I went to germany and some time ago (not so long, too) i went to usa and so on.. I travel a lot for work and for pleasure and I am very very tired of listening always to the same things about Italy when talking to people ; so though not explicitly stated some replies was a offensive for me and as I think (and I am sure) that many people in this forum are good sense and kind people (and not common sense, silly ) I thought it was the time to say what I said.
It was not my intention to outrage anyone talking about all the other things in this thread but I wanted to punctuate some things.

Best regards, and thank you
Luca Sfarzo

[BOONDI]

Hi Greg, all...

It's a sad fact that the war on drugs was lost a long long time ago.

What's worse is the fact that we live in a hypocritical society that says it's OK to had out tranquilizers and anti depressants to millions of people, getting them addicted in the process, but people who are addicted to heroin must either take methadone(a much more addictive, unsatisfactory and dangerous "legal and freely available heroin substitute") or steal to feed their "illegal" addiction.

The crime rate would not "apparently" plummet, it would really most definitely plummet. Drug dealers would be out of business overnight. Police would be freed up, courts would be freed up, prisons would be freed up, and all at reduced cost to the tax payer. Drug education could be targeted at those who need it and addicts registered at a central register. Another benefit is that the supply and use chain becomes clean. The clean heroin can be handed out at the same time as clean needles and syringes. The cost savings to the NHS would be immense too.

We already buy opium to manufacture pure Diamorphine and other opioid compounds from Afghan farmers, so whats the problem here Greg? Oh yes, thats right, Diamorphine is a legitimate drug so it's OK for large Pharma to buy it from Afghanistan then....Hypocritical, but OK.....

As for drugs undermining the fabric of society, thats BS. The crime commited, and the fear of crime; just to fund a fix, far, far outweighs the degradation to society that a legal and controlled drug program ever will.

Ask the Americans about the prohibition years......