Tourist parched after 990 euro beer

[Kellanved]

ROME (Reuters) - He had heard Rome was expensive but nothing prepared the Hong Kong tourist for a 990 euro (680 pound) beer.

The unwary visitor received the bumper bar bill for a drink sipped near Rome's most famous street, Via Veneto, where beers usually cost as much as 10 euros, Rome mayor's office said.

The tourist, who was travelling alone, was invited to the bar by a tout who served him a beer and then said it would cost him 990 euros. He bartered it down to 490 euros, but the bar owner ended up taking 990 euros off his credit card anyway.

"When the bill arrived I thought it was safer to pay it. I was scared something could happen to me if I didn't," the man, whose name was withdrawn, told Rome mayor's office that is investigating the crime.
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http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=662922006

[Fenris]

1. What's worse is that it was probably something like Warsteiner.

[KamaAina]

5. Let's hope it wasn't Schaefer

"the one beer to have when you're having more than one"!

[giant_robot]

2. Wow. 990 euros = $1,260.79 US.

So he bartered down to $624 US (490 euros), then paid $1260? For a beer? Like $624 is a bargain? I love beer, but I don't think I'll ever need one that bad!

[Book Lover]

3. Jesus! for Italian Beer?

I mean, I'm Italian so yes, we do food better than the whole world, but our beer sucks. Rome is such a rip anyway...

[kay1864]

4. Rome can be such a ripoff...

I hear many merchants (and even museum ticket-takers!) still practice the "slow count", where they count the change s-l-o-w-l-y into your hand, and you leave (thinking they're done), and they pocket the rest.

Tales abound on Rick Steves' website. Rome is the one mentioned most often. If you're ever going to visit, read the entries there first. And wear a moneybelt ALWAYS in Europe!