Hello to everyone here! I seem to have arrived with a bit of a bang, haven't I. I'm sorry about that but, having read some of the obvious trolling that had been going on I felt compelled to speak out.
I'm not sure if this is in the right place, but it seems to be the only place I can put it. My question is fairly simple (I hope). I have a 7.5 tonne van and am looking to bring it over with me to Italy when I finally move here full-time (next
No Karen. This forum slumbers sporadically BECAUSE of your trolling ways. People don't post here because YOU (and one or two of your little chums - cue chums!) attack and insult people when they do post - especially if you don't like the 'cut of their jib'. Once you have gone - by this I mean, of course, your nasty, abrasive little on-line personality - things will slowly return to a more sensible, pleasant and informative site for "lovers of all things Italian". I realise you find this concept hard to stomache when what you really want to see are "lovers of all things Karen/Anastasia/Esme/etc/etc/etc". I look forward to that day...
I sympathise with Dave's death, but hardly think that an attack on Italians is the way to best present a case for an expat view of Italy. Surely this only points out the problems with people trying to live an English life in Italy, do you not agree? Problems that can only ever end in the tears of the expat trying to live here, whilst refusing to engage with real life here in Italy. Tell your "friend" that she should learn Italian, engage fully with her community and start to live here as though her life depends upon it. Like every Italian does.
I sympathise with Dave's death, but hardly think that an attack on Italians is the way to best present a case for an expat view of Italy. Surely this only points out the problems with people trying to live an English life in Italy, do you not agree? Problems that can only ever end in the tears of the expat trying to live here, whilst refusing to engage with real life here in Italy. Tell your "friend" that she should learn Italian, engage fully with her community and start to live here as though her life depends upon it. Like every Italian does.
There seems to be yet another attempt by the members of Karens group to attack this forum, and attack those people who are prepared to offer help and advice to people that actually have a love for all things Italian. There are so many sockpuppets at work here that it is sometimes difficult to tell those whose intentions are to bring this forum down, for whatever sad, petty little personal grudge they hold against the site owners. For those that don't know the history, there was a small group of disgruntled posters that took it upon themselves to bully and threaten those not in their clique, which led to many of the names they used being banned. One of them, the ring leader in fact, is a Liverpudlian called Karen. She has several accolytes here who also crop up on a forum about the Abruzzo, by the way. Karen has been many things in the past, but on this forum her best known names (but by no means all) include Anastasia, Scrapspal, Juliancoll, Esme, Aliena, Karina Walderson, Fenicela, etc. etc. etc. So many names, but the reality is that she, and her fans, have devoted a seemingly insane amount of their time trying to bring this forum down to the level of a Scally from Scouseland's bring-a-bottle party. Others to watch here include people who use names such as Flip (eh, Lax?), Here Already (or Qui Qua after they were banned) - even one or two that run other forums for British Expats here in Italy. Karen used to run a forum called "Italiauncovered" (now gone, of course) which was little more than a marshalling point for those that hated this particular forum. Karen even used to run a blog called "South of Rome" (now retired into well deserved obscurity). So, we have a situation here still where a significant group of people are intent on destroying this forum in its stated aim of offering help, advice and a place to share positive thoughts of Italy with others that actually have a love fo Italy. The really sad part of all this is that this situation has continued for so long - several years now in fact. The forum is a part of a commercial venture, which means it will never, and never can be, a place to use as a personal playground by the mentally disturbed, or those with very large personal axes to grind, such as Karen S. I commend highly those that have continued to offer their time and knowledge to help those with a genuine interest: Gala Placida, Charlotte Oliver, Ram and several others. I offer my support also to those that have been chased away by the "gang of 4", including Sally Donaldson (her last user name here), who was hounded mercilessly, even to the extent of having Karen S actually drive to London and visited Sally's address, just to look at her - how disturbed is that! PS. I do know several of the names of the 'clan', including some, but not all, the names they have recently been using to post under - even though they do like to hide their IP addresses, thinking that will give them invisibility (it doesn't, girls!). PPS. Did Karen ever pay you for "Italiauncovered", by the way, Andy? Or was it merely payment in kind? Hmm? PPPS. Karen: I'm not from Manchester - you are, as usual, completely wrong in your assumptions as to who I might be. You don't have a clue, girl...
I don't think there is a maxi trial planned anytime soon - unless Berlusconi actually retires is given house arrest (in our dreams). But I could be wrong?
Read what I wrote once more. I said "If you live overseas, in Italy for example, you have to get an national driving licence for the country you are living in, which for member states of the EU is a simple and painless task". I'm sorry if you failed to understand: I thought it pretty self-explanatory.
You are not being "thick" at all, Ram. You are saying exactly the law regarding your UK driving licence concerning your address. The problem occurs when you are not resident in the UK as you cannot register an address outside of the United Kingdom. If you live overseas, in Italy for example, you have to get an national driving licence for the country you are living in, which for member states of the EU is a simple and painless task, unlike extracomunitarie, such as US citizens, who have to actually sit a full Italian driving test. Once you hold an Italian driving licence, you are of no interest to DVLA, unless you return to live in the UK again, when you will have to apply for a UK licence once you have lived there for six months - just as here.
It is the website of YOUR government. As most of you are "Brits", you are, indeed, "abroad". The advice is pertinent to you because should you get into any sort of trouble, it is the "UK rubbish gov site" that will be used to point out why they cannot help you any further. The advice is there and is considerably more accurate than much (not all, Ram) that is written here. Remember also that when you tell the agency of your change of address, they will only accept a UK address, not a "foreign" one. If you lie, it is up to you, but be aware that you will be then breaking both Italian and UK laws.
Why do you stay here then? Why do you spend time on a website, supposedly for lovers of Italy, complaining, moaning and whinging about Italy? Are Australians correct when they say that Poms are just a bunch of complaining whingers? As the "Urban Directory" starts its item about "Whinging Poms" says: "A person of British origin who will consistently complain about any situation that they may face. They are emotionally unable to deal with any sort of adverse condition without commenting negatively about it. " Just go home. Buy yourself a sunbed and be happy.
Comments posted
No Karen. This forum slumbers sporadically BECAUSE of your trolling ways. People don't post here because YOU (and one or two of your little chums - cue chums!) attack and insult people when they do post - especially if you don't like the 'cut of their jib'. Once you have gone - by this I mean, of course, your nasty, abrasive little on-line personality - things will slowly return to a more sensible, pleasant and informative site for "lovers of all things Italian". I realise you find this concept hard to stomache when what you really want to see are "lovers of all things Karen/Anastasia/Esme/etc/etc/etc". I look forward to that day...
I sympathise with Dave's death, but hardly think that an attack on Italians is the way to best present a case for an expat view of Italy. Surely this only points out the problems with people trying to live an English life in Italy, do you not agree? Problems that can only ever end in the tears of the expat trying to live here, whilst refusing to engage with real life here in Italy. Tell your "friend" that she should learn Italian, engage fully with her community and start to live here as though her life depends upon it. Like every Italian does.
I sympathise with Dave's death, but hardly think that an attack on Italians is the way to best present a case for an expat view of Italy. Surely this only points out the problems with people trying to live an English life in Italy, do you not agree? Problems that can only ever end in the tears of the expat trying to live here, whilst refusing to engage with real life here in Italy. Tell your "friend" that she should learn Italian, engage fully with her community and start to live here as though her life depends upon it. Like every Italian does.
There seems to be yet another attempt by the members of Karens group to attack this forum, and attack those people who are prepared to offer help and advice to people that actually have a love for all things Italian. There are so many sockpuppets at work here that it is sometimes difficult to tell those whose intentions are to bring this forum down, for whatever sad, petty little personal grudge they hold against the site owners. For those that don't know the history, there was a small group of disgruntled posters that took it upon themselves to bully and threaten those not in their clique, which led to many of the names they used being banned. One of them, the ring leader in fact, is a Liverpudlian called Karen. She has several accolytes here who also crop up on a forum about the Abruzzo, by the way. Karen has been many things in the past, but on this forum her best known names (but by no means all) include Anastasia, Scrapspal, Juliancoll, Esme, Aliena, Karina Walderson, Fenicela, etc. etc. etc. So many names, but the reality is that she, and her fans, have devoted a seemingly insane amount of their time trying to bring this forum down to the level of a Scally from Scouseland's bring-a-bottle party. Others to watch here include people who use names such as Flip (eh, Lax?), Here Already (or Qui Qua after they were banned) - even one or two that run other forums for British Expats here in Italy. Karen used to run a forum called "Italiauncovered" (now gone, of course) which was little more than a marshalling point for those that hated this particular forum. Karen even used to run a blog called "South of Rome" (now retired into well deserved obscurity). So, we have a situation here still where a significant group of people are intent on destroying this forum in its stated aim of offering help, advice and a place to share positive thoughts of Italy with others that actually have a love fo Italy. The really sad part of all this is that this situation has continued for so long - several years now in fact. The forum is a part of a commercial venture, which means it will never, and never can be, a place to use as a personal playground by the mentally disturbed, or those with very large personal axes to grind, such as Karen S. I commend highly those that have continued to offer their time and knowledge to help those with a genuine interest: Gala Placida, Charlotte Oliver, Ram and several others. I offer my support also to those that have been chased away by the "gang of 4", including Sally Donaldson (her last user name here), who was hounded mercilessly, even to the extent of having Karen S actually drive to London and visited Sally's address, just to look at her - how disturbed is that! PS. I do know several of the names of the 'clan', including some, but not all, the names they have recently been using to post under - even though they do like to hide their IP addresses, thinking that will give them invisibility (it doesn't, girls!). PPS. Did Karen ever pay you for "Italiauncovered", by the way, Andy? Or was it merely payment in kind? Hmm? PPPS. Karen: I'm not from Manchester - you are, as usual, completely wrong in your assumptions as to who I might be. You don't have a clue, girl...
I don't think there is a maxi trial planned anytime soon - unless Berlusconi actually retires is given house arrest (in our dreams). But I could be wrong?
Read what I wrote once more. I said "If you live overseas, in Italy for example, you have to get an national driving licence for the country you are living in, which for member states of the EU is a simple and painless task". I'm sorry if you failed to understand: I thought it pretty self-explanatory.
You are not being "thick" at all, Ram. You are saying exactly the law regarding your UK driving licence concerning your address. The problem occurs when you are not resident in the UK as you cannot register an address outside of the United Kingdom. If you live overseas, in Italy for example, you have to get an national driving licence for the country you are living in, which for member states of the EU is a simple and painless task, unlike extracomunitarie, such as US citizens, who have to actually sit a full Italian driving test. Once you hold an Italian driving licence, you are of no interest to DVLA, unless you return to live in the UK again, when you will have to apply for a UK licence once you have lived there for six months - just as here.
It is the website of YOUR government. As most of you are "Brits", you are, indeed, "abroad". The advice is pertinent to you because should you get into any sort of trouble, it is the "UK rubbish gov site" that will be used to point out why they cannot help you any further. The advice is there and is considerably more accurate than much (not all, Ram) that is written here. Remember also that when you tell the agency of your change of address, they will only accept a UK address, not a "foreign" one. If you lie, it is up to you, but be aware that you will be then breaking both Italian and UK laws.
Or you can look at the British Embassy website for Rome. You will also find the official, British answers to most of your questions there - whinging excepted.
Why do you stay here then? Why do you spend time on a website, supposedly for lovers of Italy, complaining, moaning and whinging about Italy? Are Australians correct when they say that Poms are just a bunch of complaining whingers? As the "Urban Directory" starts its item about "Whinging Poms" says: "A person of British origin who will consistently complain about any situation that they may face. They are emotionally unable to deal with any sort of adverse condition without commenting negatively about it. " Just go home. Buy yourself a sunbed and be happy.