In reply to:

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In it were Italian and French police officers. The Italians (identified because my companion is Italian) were extremely nice and helpful and seemed concerned.

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I have to been Paris several times, and a couple of Italian cities. The French have always been polite with me. The Italians, on the other hand, have sometimes been kinda rude. The oddest example was once when I was standing around looking at the Duomo in Florence a man came up to me out of nowhere and asked if I was American. I said yes, and he made a rude gesture with his arms, muttered something in Italian that didn't sound nice at all, and stomped off.