Hello Mr. Mayor!
My village Coat of Arms.
Well yesterday I had to go to my local Comune (Council Offices) the main reason being the need of some help to fill out a form from the Gas company for the Tax Office...the same form was sent to me in October last year by the Electric company. Believe it or not, they are both branches of the same company - ENEL spa. But they want all the details from the land registry of my property (and everyone else's for that matter) so the tax man can ensure that everyone is paying what they should!!!! Ha ha ha - well if that happens it'll almost be a first in Italy.....
But I (unlike a large number of Italians) don't have any problems with paying my taxes, despite my threats (locally) not to pay if the council don't get their finger out and stop the racket from that blo*dy manhole cover behind my bedroom wall at the back of the house. You may remember the 'run-ins' I've had with our local Poliziotto whose first name is Natale (Christmas).... and the story of the snotty letter I sent to the Mayor a YEAR AGO!
Well back to yesterday - I'm slowly climbing the wide circular staircase to get to the main offices in the Comune, and who should be coming down the stairs but 'Il Signor Sindaco' (Mr. Mayor). Our meeting went something like this:
MM: Hello signora - Happy New Year!
Me: Happy New Year to you too.
MM: How are things these days? Are you still enjoying living here in our village?
(Bet he'll never ask me that again....)
Me: Well - actually (trying not to laugh) I'm so pleased I saw you as I'm not at all happy!
MM: Oh dear - whatever is the matter?
Me: That blo*dy manhole cover - that's what's the matter.
(It was clear at this point that he wanted the earth to open up beneath him - hahaha)
MM: With a false (?) look of surprise) Why - haven't they done it yet?
Me: Listen Mr. Mayor - I first reported this on 3rd October 2004 - and following 'no action' I wrote to you in January last year too!!! It's still making an enormous thud everytime a car passes the house. The lane is so narrow that cars have to go over it! The resulting thud wakes me up everytime- a 'lay in' in the morning is out of the question too....it's like sitting in the timpani section of the national orchestra - and I'm FED UP WITH IT! Now they're telling me that the whole manhole cover needs raising and resetting in new asphalt and that's why it hasn't been done!
(By now Mr. Mayor - MM - is so red in the face it's hard not to laugh)
MM: Oh dear! I'll see to getting it done this week for you - I'm SO sorry!
(I'll give him 'Oh dear' - HE'S supposed to be 'in charge' - the silly s*d)
Me:Yeah - right! I'll believe that when I see it!
Well that was a bit of excitement I s'pose to lift the boredom - but just how much more excitement at this level do you suppose I can cope with???
Oh the beurocracy here in Italy is so difficult to understand unless you live here (or are trying to).
Well yesterday I had to go to my local Comune (Council Offices) the main reason being the need of some help to fill out a form from the Gas company for the Tax Office...the same form was sent to me in October last year by the Electric company. Believe it or not, they are both branches of the same company - ENEL spa. But they want all the details from the land registry of my property (and everyone else's for that matter) so the tax man can ensure that everyone is paying what they should!!!! Ha ha ha - well if that happens it'll almost be a first in Italy.....
But I (unlike a large number of Italians) don't have any problems with paying my taxes, despite my threats (locally) not to pay if the council don't get their finger out and stop the racket from that blo*dy manhole cover behind my bedroom wall at the back of the house. You may remember the 'run-ins' I've had with our local Poliziotto whose first name is Natale (Christmas).... and the story of the snotty letter I sent to the Mayor a YEAR AGO!
Well back to yesterday - I'm slowly climbing the wide circular staircase to get to the main offices in the Comune, and who should be coming down the stairs but 'Il Signor Sindaco' (Mr. Mayor). Our meeting went something like this:
MM: Hello signora - Happy New Year!
Me: Happy New Year to you too.
MM: How are things these days? Are you still enjoying living here in our village?
(Bet he'll never ask me that again....)
Me: Well - actually (trying not to laugh) I'm so pleased I saw you as I'm not at all happy!
MM: Oh dear - whatever is the matter?
Me: That blo*dy manhole cover - that's what's the matter.
(It was clear at this point that he wanted the earth to open up beneath him - hahaha)
MM: With a false (?) look of surprise) Why - haven't they done it yet?
Me: Listen Mr. Mayor - I first reported this on 3rd October 2004 - and following 'no action' I wrote to you in January last year too!!! It's still making an enormous thud everytime a car passes the house. The lane is so narrow that cars have to go over it! The resulting thud wakes me up everytime- a 'lay in' in the morning is out of the question too....it's like sitting in the timpani section of the national orchestra - and I'm FED UP WITH IT! Now they're telling me that the whole manhole cover needs raising and resetting in new asphalt and that's why it hasn't been done!
(By now Mr. Mayor - MM - is so red in the face it's hard not to laugh)
MM: Oh dear! I'll see to getting it done this week for you - I'm SO sorry!
(I'll give him 'Oh dear' - HE'S supposed to be 'in charge' - the silly s*d)
Me:Yeah - right! I'll believe that when I see it!
Well that was a bit of excitement I s'pose to lift the boredom - but just how much more excitement at this level do you suppose I can cope with???
Oh the beurocracy here in Italy is so difficult to understand unless you live here (or are trying to).
posted by Carole B at
6:05 PM
2 Comments:
GOD FOR YOU TO SPEAK UP FOR YOURSELF.
I ALWAYS FEEL THINGS HAPPEN FOR A REASON, THE MAJOR NEEDED TO BE CORNERED BY YOU THAT DAY TO REMINDED OF HIS DUTIES. NOW LET'S PRAY HE WILL REALLY GET TO FIX THAT DANG NOISY COVER FOR YOU.
KEEP BREATHING :)
TINA IN RAINY COLD KENTUCKY
Hi, Carole,
waving by. I am enjoying reading your stories on this dreary afternoon here in Connecticut. As far as fixing the missing man cover, I am very pessimistic about it being done anytime soon knowning the bureaucracy in Italy. My father tells me similar stories in his e-mails from Sicily. For your sake, I hope that the Signor Sindaco (Mr. Mayor) passes by your road and nearly (trying to be nice here) flattens his car tire when when it hits the hole and maybe then it will get fixed.
Maria
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