The May day was glorious, warm and sunny, the sky bright blue. My husband and I had spent the whole day rambling around the Forum and the Colosseum and were walking back up a small side street to the Capitoline Museum.

A small red Fiat zoomed past, then stopped about 100 yards downhill. It reversed back noisily, the driver leaned over and wound down the front passenger window. Thirty-ish, long black hair swept off his forehead, he smiled and greeted us in accented English, as he opened a map of Rome.

"Hallo, can you tell me how to get to the highway? I need to go north to France".

"Sorry, we're also visitors here".

"OH, so you're tourists?" He acted surprised, though it was very obvious with our backpack and camera bags. "Well perhaps you can help me in another way. Where are you from, by the way?"

"South Africa". Something prompted us not to mention that we now live in the USA.

"OH, I love South Africa, and the people are so nice". We looked politely at him. "Well, I also need cash, because the ATM did something funny to my card. So, I have a plan. I'm a salesman for a special company in France, and I have a wonderful woman's leather jacket here in the car. Why don't you look at it, and you can buy it for a very special price."

He leaned over to the back seat and brought up a beautiful black leather jacket.

"You look like nice people. I'll let you have it for a good price, then I can get cash for petrol at least?"

I smiled. "Thanks, but I really don't need a jacket right now".

I turned away and he tried again. "Please, I need petrol money and you can help me if you buy this". The road was deserted and we were beginning to feel a little awkward.

My husband stepped in then. "No, we really don't want the jacket, but I can give you what money I have in my pocket so you can buy petrol"

"How much do you have?"

"I'm not sure, not very much though". He pulled some coins and a couple of small lira notes from his pocket. "It's not a lot, but it's all I have. You're welcome to have it"

The transformation in the guy was amazing. He snarled, and spat out, "You f....ing, stinking b....". He slammed the red car into gear and accelerated off in a fury.

My husband and I smiled at each other, a little shocked but happy we weren't caught out.

Later, back at our friends' apartment we discussed the incident. Liliana was certain the car was stolen with the expensive shopping inside.