Italy: Man walks 450km after lockdown row with wife

An Italian man stepped outside to cool off after quarrelling with his wife - and ended up walking 450km (280 miles).

Italians have nicknamed him "Forrest Gump" on social media, after the slow-witted hero of a 1994 movie, played by Tom Hanks, who runs thousands of miles across the United States.

Police stopped the Italian's epic walk at 2am in Fano on the Adriatic coast, a week after he left Como in the north.

The man, 48, got a €400 (£362; $485) police fine for breaching the curfew.

The story was first reported by the Bologna-based newspaper Il Resto del Carlino but quickly went viral in Italian media.

Some comments on social media presented the man as heroic and criticised the fine. One said he should have been rewarded - not fined - and given a new pair of shoes. Another praised him for walking off to cool his anger, rather than resorting to violence.

The man told police "I came here on foot, I didn't use any transport". He said "along the way I met people who offered me food and drink". "I'm OK, just a bit tired," he said, having averaged 60km daily.

Police found him wandering aimlessly and cold at night on a coastal highway.

After checking his ID in their database they found that his wife had reported him missing, so they contacted her and she travelled to Fano to collect him.


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-55224031

It's a bit sad really, and no doubt this is how many people simply go missing forever.

But for the lockdown he may have continued walking without the police bothering to check him out, eventually putting down roots somewhere else.

Just one more name on a missing persons list.

Damn, I think my record was about 5 miles when I'd heard enough from the old lady.

Syl wrote:It's a bit sad really, and no doubt this is how many people simply go missing forever.

But for the lockdown he may have continued walking without the police bothering to check him out, eventually putting down roots somewhere else.

Just one more name on a missing persons list.

I agree, syl

they picked him up a week later. his wife must have been going out of her mind with worry

all over a row which probably started over socks not put in the laundry or some such nonsense

gelico wrote:

Syl wrote:It's a bit sad really, and no doubt this is how many people simply go missing forever.

But for the lockdown he may have continued walking without the police bothering to check him out, eventually putting down roots somewhere else.

Just one more name on a missing persons list.

I agree, syl

they picked him up a week later. his wife must have been going out of her mind with worry

all over a row which probably started over socks not put in the laundry or some such nonsense

Women have the knack of driving men to the brink of insanity...

Tommy Monk wrote:

gelico wrote:


I agree, syl

they picked him up a week later.  his wife must have been going out of her mind with worry

all over a row which probably started over socks not put in the laundry or some such nonsense

Women have the knack of driving men to the brink of insanity...

Tommy, sometimes you sound lika a real woman hater.

Women must hate men more like, otherwise they wouldn't try to drive us to the brink of insanity...

Oooh, generalisation alert.
I have been married decades and my OH is no madder now than the day I met him.

Probably had another row when she went to collect him.

Vintage wrote:Probably had another row when she went to collect him.

Hahahahahaha funniest post on the thread.

Tommy Monk wrote:


An Italian man stepped outside to cool off after quarrelling with his wife - and ended up walking 450km (280 miles).

Italians have nicknamed him "Forrest Gump" on social media, after the slow-witted hero of a 1994 movie, played by Tom Hanks, who runs thousands of miles across the United States.

Police stopped the Italian's epic walk at 2am in Fano on the Adriatic coast, a week after he left Como in the north.

The man, 48, got a €400 (£362; $485) police fine for breaching the curfew.

The story was first reported by the Bologna-based newspaper Il Resto del Carlino but quickly went viral in Italian media.

Some comments on social media presented the man as heroic and criticised the fine. One said he should have been rewarded - not fined - and given a new pair of shoes. Another praised him for walking off to cool his anger, rather than resorting to violence.

The man told police "I came here on foot, I didn't use any transport". He said "along the way I met people who offered me food and drink". "I'm OK, just a bit tired," he said, having averaged 60km daily.

Police found him wandering aimlessly and cold at night on a coastal highway.

After checking his ID in their database they found that his wife had reported him missing, so they contacted her and she travelled to Fano to collect him.


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-55224031

People sometimes go for a walk to 'clear their head' after a row. 450km?? -must've been one humdinger of a row!