[paganel]

> the inspector didn't speak English

Next time, if that happens again, you need to be more assertive, by going with a: "Ma vai fanculo, vai!" (difficult to translate), followed by a more mellow "io non pago niente!" (I won't pay anything), and physically try to make a way out of the whole situation.

Granted, I'm not an Italian and I don't live in Italy, but I do live in a city very similar to Rome in many other aspects, and I've seen myself around these parts how foreign tourists are sometimes "hunted" for fines the same as it happened to you. In many cases those applying the abusive fines go for the "easy prey", as soon as you show some hints of fighting back they let you go, so to speak, not worth the hassle for them (especially as they also know that they're doing something very shitty and abusive).

[rippercushions]

Being assertive is fine, but surely starting off with telling an officer to go fuck themselves as your opening gambit is a bit bold?

[ramesh31]

Hard for Americans to understand, but people interface differently with authority figures who don’t carry guns or have a license to murder at will.

[ReactiveJelly]

I think they were trying to physically make a way out, but there was no ticket scanner for the bus.