rtj: the Italian police must have changed a bit since my day. Herself and I (following her after a few drinks and stuff) once wandered into the middle of a tight group of plainclothes Carabinieri, all casually toting a variety of submachine guns and pistols. One was dangling his Sten or Schmeisser or whatever it was stylishly by its trigger guard with one finger.
They were dead hard guys with unhealthy greenish complexions, and were initially offended by our stupidity and obvious blindness. However they immediately latched on to Herself's very obvious alarm. It took a bit of explaining in my own very poor Italian, but they weren't really convinced. Why was the signora so scared? they kept asking. Probably because she knew I was carrying a bit of dope, but it wasn't the right moment to explain that they wouldn't have cared about that.
In the end they dismissed us with a contemptuous wave of the forefinger. Phew!
We went straight into the nearest bar for a couple more stiff ones.
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