Returning to Rome on holiday the first week in April. And it's time to play chicken with Italian drivers again(including the police!)whenever you step on the road ...even at a pedestrian crosssing. It's do or die! Show the slightest bit of hesitation and they keep the foot on the loud pedal! No quarter given! You always know a first time visitor as they put one foot out on the road and quickly pull back as a scooter threatens to remove their toes, those Italian drivers can smell fear! Its all part of the fun! Can't wait. I think I'll take a white cane and dark glasses for a laugh! Cause some mayhem!
Andy
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I know the first time I was there "learning" the ropes I was probably just as obvious. In smaller towns I kept stopping my car so people could cross the road; they just stared at me wonder what in the heck I was doing.<img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/laugh.gif" class="smilie" alt="" /> I soon learned the "Italian" way and never had so much fun driving.
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When I was in Italy, in 2008, visiting my brother in Florence, I took the opportunity to spend 5 days in Rome. As I was walking back to my hotel after spending a day walking around I had to cross a very wide street. The light was green when I started and about 1/3 of the way across it changed to yellow and I became aware of a sudden increase in the volume of engine noise coming from up the street. It sounded like a F1 grid waiting for the green lights. So I sprinted the rest of the way across reaching the opposite curb just after the light went green. As soon as the light changed the taxi and scooter drag race commenced, missing by a couple of feet. My brother told me there were pretty stiff penalities assessed to drivers who knock scooter riders off their machines, so the scooters get a lot of leeway.
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(This post was last modified: 03-14-2011, 09:05 PM by Chris Vais.)
Ah yes, being a pedestrian in Rome. I worked there for several months. The key, I learned, was to maintain a constant pace, and not make eye contact with the drivers. I did get clipped once, but otherwise considered it sport.
The problem is that I've continued to act that way ever since. Scares my wife to death, but I get places in a hurry. Works very well in parking lots, worldwide, BTW.
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