Rome's Trevi Fountain
Some of you will not be surprised to learn that I'm going to have to deprive you of my nonsensical musings for a short while. (Think: several red biros and lots and lots of paper.) But I'd like to leave you with something to do.
I discovered today that the average sum of money thrown into Rome's Trevi Fountain every single day is 3000 euros... which isn't really all that shocking. It is, after all, one of the must-see spots in one of the world's most popular cities - and it isn't exactly tiny - so it's not hard to imagine 3000 people throwing a euro each into it every day.
But anyway, your challenge is to come up with the most ingenious and discreet way of stealing one day's supply of coins. And here's a little incentive: I promise to send a little prize to whoever comes up with what I consider to be the best idea. No matter where you live in the world, I promise to send the prize to you.
The only condition is that you have to post your idea on the Comments section of this blog. Comments posted on Facebook will not be accepted: only those left on dariushalavi.com will be considered.
Your deadline: Wednesday 7th July 2010. Get going!
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UPDATE 7th July 2010: The competition's over, folks. And you don't need me to tell you who the winner is. Congratulations, Rachel. Text me your current address and I'll send you the prize asap. Thanks for entering.
Comments
My plot is based on those arcade games where you have moving plates which push piles of 2p pieces around, and as you feed them coins, occasionally fall off the plates and into your pocket. I would create a horizontal slot at floor level behind the waterfall and slide an upward-angled transparent Perspex plate to line the bottom of the fountain. I would then cunningly lie in wait behind the waterfall (we could do shifts, Dariush, it's no fun getting rich alone), belly-down commando-style - and perhaps some black stripes on my cheekbones? And and and we could have Barber's Adagio playing as background music. Anyway, when a paying customer contributed, the coins would progressively push each other down the slope and into my - I mean our - piggy bank.
http://www.primetimeamusements.com/arcadegame.php?id=183
And guess what, you're currently the odds-on favourite to win. Well, you and that Sue woman...
Congratulations Rachel. The prize is packed and ready to go. Has your address changed since the last time I sent you a Christmas card?
Thanks for taking the time to submit an idea that was so ingenious, it actually frightened everyone else out of competing.