Italophile

I’m a big big fan of ATAC (the Roman transportation agency). Some dumb guidebook I was flipping through the other day was hating on them and it made me angry because, you know what, considering that building extra Metro lines is very nearly impossible here, I think they do a damn good job of making the city accessible. The buses are (in my experience anyway) clean and pretty reliable and the signs they put up are clear and easily comprehensible, even for tourists. They even reinvigorated the tram system with these sleek, green trams that remind me of caterpillars. As if that’s not enough, last time I checked the monthly passes they sell were multicolored and featured an awesome leaping bunny illustration.

Anyway, the most basic ticket ATAC issues, which lets you ride for 75 minutes, is called a BIT, which stands for “Biglietto Integrato a Tempo.” So the other day I was on the bus, absentmindedly staring at my BIT when I realized the English translation of its name is “Time-Integrated Ticket” or, if you’re one for acronyms, “TIT.” And now I can’t stop thinking of some ATAC ticket-checker getting aboard a bus and shouting “Show me your TITs!”

I know, it would never happen – as if anyone actually checks your tickets here!