thought of the day 2009 07 28 - Visiting Rome

You know how sometimes you go to a fancy restaurant or a club and they have a coat check? Do you think the Vatican has the equivalent for robes or the fancy hats? I only ask because it seems somewhat inappropriate. What about when they have some kind of conference? Like when the College of Cardinals has to elect a new Pope. When they all meet the night before the Conclave and decide to go to dinner how does the coat check girl tell the difference between all the robes and pointy hats?

I mean if I walk into a Catholic church with my hat on, people think it's rude but some guy walks in with an absurdly large funny hat and that's okay? That doesn't seem fair to me.