Ristorazione S. Aponal

My husband and I are traveling Italy and were enjoying a few days in Venice when I had the horrible misfortune of stopping into this place for a glass of wine. I entered in love with Venice, the people, the canals and beautiful little busy streets. When I left, I felt like it was a dilapidated, old, sewer city that needed to crumble into the sea immediately.
My husband and I had a lovely walk earlier in the day, exploring the twists and turns of the streets. We stopped by the Rialto bridge and had a cold bottle of wine with some with some snacks at a random café and afterward started back to our hotel. Well, with the heat of the day and the wine I needed to stop to use the restroom. My husband went on to our hotel and I ducked into S. Aponal and ordered a glass of wine then ran to the restroom. The café was empty and when I returned I just sat and rested while I sipped my glass and watched the stream of tourist wander by like cattle.
The waiter was not in a good mood. He delivered the glass of wine and says «You no get my Wifi.»
I thought he said «white wine» and that misunderstanding angered him.
«NO! You NO get my password for wifi!»
I didn’t even know they had wifi, nor did I care. «Oh… OK…» I reply and just continue resting.
When I finished, I put out my credit card. This, evidently was an insult.
«NO! Less € 20, you pay cash»
I didn’t have any cash and my glass of wine was € 4. I apologized and told him the card was all I had.
«You go ATM NOW! You get MONEY. NO CARD!»
I try to explain that I can’t withdraw cash with this card. If I had known what was going to come, I would have just purchased a bottle of wine to take back with me or just told the guy to charge my card € 20. The Waiter repeats the same thing 4 or 5 more times but is getting more and more infuriated with each repetition. Another waiter comes over and I think he is going to try and cool my waiter down because he seems to be working himself up into a frenzy. No, The second waiter then starts yelling the same thing at me as well while I keep trying to explain the situation. Their emotions keep escalating and they remind me of what people look like with road rage. I just can’t understand what I did that made them so angry. I try to explain myself calmly for a 20^th time and offer to leave my CC and go get cash from my hotel. The screaming has attracted other waiters now and like before they take turns explaining the situation to each other and joining in yelling. Soon, the scenario has change from 2 angry waiters arguing about a bill to me sitting with my back against the wall while 10 (yes, 10) waiters standing over me literally screaming and shrieking like infants that I needed to pay. They threaten to call the police. I tell them that would be good. They never do. The yelling was getting to such a crescendo that I couldn’t even speak. I just sat there while this gang of thugs started to scream (not yell-​scream) insults. I
«Stoooobid lady, you need PAY!!» and «NO-​PAY-​LADY, you no-​pay-​lady»
This went on for about 5 – 6 minutes and seemed to work them up more. These men are surrounding and leaning over me screaming so much that phlegm is spraying out of they mouthes onto the table. Then one and then another jerks their head toward me in a threatening way trying to make me flinch like a schoolyard bully. Now i’m scared. Very, very scared. They were trying to intimidate me, now they were terrorizing me. I started to shake. I’m a 5’2″ women alone with 10 men surrounding me threatening me while about 2000 tourists from all over the globe walk by just outside. My phone doesn’t work because service is so spotty, I just grab it and start taking pictures. This makes the waiters laugh. They mock me and pose for the pictures while calling me more names.
Then i say «Tripadvisor, Tripadvisor, Tripadvisor, Tripadvisor» while I take pictures.
Evidently, that was one of the 8 English words they knew. You would have thought a bomb went off at the zoo. I have never seen in my life people of any age, race or nationality act like raging chimpanzees until now. It’s terrifying. I was in a very real way concerned for my safety and I am no green traveler. These men were pushing empty tables and knocking over empty chairs. All over € 4 (actually, the cost of the per charge fee from the CC service provider, so maybe € 2,5).
Finally, a man who was sitting and eating in the back in plain clothes walked up. I though for sure he was a client and was going to tell me he was getting the police. No, it was the owner. He then screamed over everyone the same tired orders and insults. My ears were hurting and numb. I just repeated my case and said «Tripadvisor.» That ensured a second primate explosion.
Then, the final straw. The owner was now beat red and leaning in yelling when some of his phlegm mixed with pasta and red sauce he was eating flew out of his mouth and landed on my cheek under my left eye.