Driving in Italy!

In my late teens I learned to drive while living in Texas where a car is a necessity. When I moved back to New York shortly after I no longer needed a car. Matter of fact, having a car was highly impractical, expensive, and burdensome. When I needed a car to leave the city I would rent a car. The number of times I rented a car can be counted on one hand!

I tried to learn how to drive manually while living in Texas, but I failed miserably, so I stuck with automatic. I came to Rome thinking I would never get behind a wheel, but I had to drive for my job and to make matters worse, a manual car! To give you an idea of what driving is like here, let me relate a few experiences:

• An impatient guy on a motorscooter couldn't wait for the light to change green, so he drove in between two parked cars and up onto the sidewalk! Then he ran the light so he could be in front of everyone else!!!
• Another motorscooter incident: A guy on dirt bike (smaller than a scooter) was trying to get ahead of traffic and misjudged the distance between a passing car and a parked car. He tried to speed past the moving car and the handlebars of his bike shattered the side mirror of the parked car. Glass was flying everywhere and the sideview mirror was left barely hanging on the door---do you think the guy stopped??? Absolutely not! He didn't even slow down!!! He sped by without even a side glance!
• There is a saying here: Green light means: GO! Yellow light means: GO! Red light: its only a suggestion! GO!
• Parking: Its normal to park on the sidewalk here. Why? Because there is not enough parking for all the cars!

So, you can imagine my trepidation when I had to learn how to drive manually and drive in this madness! I almost had a heartache the other day when I hit a guy on motorcycle that tried to fly past me as I made a turn at a busy intersection. My heart literally stopped beating as I sent him airborne and watched his motorcycle skid for a few feet. He brushed himself off like he was the 'Fall Guy' (stunt man) and walked over to me so casually (I had pulled over and parked a few feet away trying to regain my composure) that I thought I was dreaming. I asked him if he was alright, he shrugged and said something in incoherent italian, so I then checked my car, when I whirled around to see him going back into traffic to get his motorcycle I thought I would faint. He shakes his head as he approaches me and says, 'Whadda 'bout mya bike?!...O Dio!!!' What could I say? I was thinking to myself this man came out of nowhere and hit my car...but I didnt want a problem with him! We resolved the situation amicably and yes, insurance papers were filled out, but what a mess! A seatbelt and airbag..nah, give me a suit of armor!

....just another day in the life!