11 Ingenious Yet Completely Illegal Italian Inventions
Because in Italy, where there's a will there's a way.
1. The safety belt T-shirt.
In Italy, wearing a seat belt became mandatory in 1988. And within just a few months, Neapolitan markets were already dotted with white T-shirts with a black diagonal stripe. Because if you don't wanna wear a seat belt, why not print a fake one on your clothes?
2. A CD that can stun speed cameras.
An anonymous Italian discovered an ingenious way to avoid speeding tickets: Just position CDs behind the rear window and the windshield. According to "experts" in forums, it doesn't always work. But if you manage to find just the right angle, you can dazzle speed cameras with the reflected sun and say "Ciao ciao!" to speeding tickets.
3. A teddy bear magnet that will help you save money on your electricity bill.
Italian houses have electric meters that track electricity consumption. A simple magnet is all you need to slow them down, resulting in a dramatic reduction in utility bills. Last year, in an Italian butcher's shop, the police found a magnet nestled in a teddy bear that was placed on a meter.
4. The first 300 euro false banknote.
Counterfeit money is by no means an Italian invention. But Italy may be the first ever producer of a nonexistent banknote that was actually released and used on the market. Last year, a Naples gang was caught printing 300-euro banknotes that were mostly spent in Germany. Could this be why Merkel is so wary of Italian economic policies?
6. The ''spongy'' scales.
In Italy, some scales used to weigh gold are rigged by lining the plate with a thin layer of sponge, lightening objects by up to half of their true weight. This way, purchasers can treat themselves to a 50% discount, at the seller's expense.
7. The ''magic'' bus ticket that lasts forever.
A ticket to infinity and beyond? Make a ticket last a lifetime by lightly coating it with glue. Scratch away the validation stamp. Reapply glue. Repeat.
8. The amplifier to falsify taxi speeds.
Taxi drivers buy a signal amplifier online and fit it to the taxi meter to falsify speed data. For example: 50 km/h is registered as 100 km/h — an ingenious way to increase taxi fees.
9. The nail to steal gas.
You've just been charged 50 euros at the gas station? Part of that money could have been used to line the pocket of your filling station attendant rather than quench your car's thirst. How? An array of inventions ranging from a sophisticated remote control linked to the control unit's motherboard, to a simple nail that obstructs the flow of fuel from the pump but not the price meter.
10. The chair to save your car spot.
Do you want to ''reserve'' a parking post? Just leave a chair on it...
11. ...and the parking drying rack.
Hey! I'm drying my clothes!! Get the fuck outta here!!!