Funniest Thing for April '10

Tell ITN about the funniest thing that ever happened to you while traveling in a foreign country. (ITN prints no info on destinations in the United States.) There are no restrictions on length. The ITN staff will choose each month’s winner, who will receive a free one-year subscription to ITN. Entries not chosen cannot be acknowledged.

This month’s winner is EDWARD PUSATERI of Chicago, IL:

On my first trip to Rome, decades ago, I decided to take a bus to one of the historic sites. I got on the bus, moved toward the rear and steadied myself near the back door in order to exit quickly when I needed to.

We were at a stoplight, but when the light turned green the bus didn’t move. The driver began shouting back to the passengers. Since it was in Italian, I was sure he wasn’t talking to me.

Meanwhile, a nun worked her way down the aisle. As she approached me, she whispered, “You’re leaning on the bell!”