It’s become a real wishing hell.
A New Zealand tourist’s dive into Rome’s historic Trevi Fountain has prompted calls for harsher penalties and tighter security to protect the iconic landmark.
The footage starts off innocuously enough with two girls snapping selfies in front of the 18th-century pool.
Then, all of a sudden, a 30-year-old man strides up to the edge and jumps in headfirst while fully clothed in jeans, a long-sleeved shirt, as well as his shoes and socks, the Telegraph reported.
The long-haired hellion then swims and wades back and forth through the ancient basin’s pristine waters, at one point even performing the backstroke.
Fed-up authorities tell the human penny to get out, but to no avail, as he continues to frolic in the synthetic spring.
The unnamed troublemaker was reportedly fined €500 ($582) for the stunt and banned from returning to the attraction.
However, many felt that this punishment was far too lenient.
“€500 is small change,” wrote one commenter on Facebook. “If it was €5,000 they would think about it for a while.”
Another fumed, “Immediate arrest and release on bail. If you don’t pay, you shouldn’t get out.”
“Should have given the f–kwit a month in the slammer,” vented one critic.
“It’s disrespectful. Do the deed. Wear the consequences,” said a third.
Unfortunately, the scenic Trevi fountain, made famous by Federico Fellini’s classic film “La Dolce Vita,” has become a cesspool of oft-ill-behaved tourists over the years.
In a similar incident last winter, another Kiwi was fined and blacklisted after bathing in the basin.
Meanwhile, this month, three people were hospitalized after a brawl broke out between two rival gangs near the fountain, forcing bystanders to shelter in nearby bars and cafes.
Over the winter, Rome imposed a €2 ($2.33) entrance fee in a bid to reduce congestion and help fund the city’s historical preservation efforts, NPR reported.
In the first three months, this campaign generated more than €1.3m (over $1.5 million) in revenue for the city.
However, locals and tourism officials found the fee quite paltry given the caliber of the landmark.
“I think tourists were shocked by the fact that the city of Rome is only asking for 2 euros for a site of this level,” Alessandro Onorato, Rome’s assessor of tourism, said Monday. “I believe that if the Trevi Fountain were in New York, they would have charged at least $100.”
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