Italian Traffic Jams

[RobBob]

Was in N. and central Italy last week. I thoroughly enjoyed driving the piss out of a rental car on the autostrada, but also got caught in a couple of major traffic jams. The kind where you stop and sit in one place for an hour, while they clean the teeth, hair, and car parts off the highway somewhere far up ahead.

 

Since returning home, I've thought about how fundamentally different the behavior in these jams was from what it would have been in the States. After a few minutes, people stopped their cars and many got out and started visiting with others in neighboring cars. Hundreds of cigarettes were simultaneously smoked. Who knows, maybe somebody managed to get hooked up afterward. Eventually we began moving again. I guess it didn't dawn on me initially that no horns were blown, nobody looked wound-up about being caught in traffic. It kinda flew in the face of the vision of Italian drivers giving each other the high sign and pushing each other off the road.

 

The other thing that struck me as cool was that the back roads were filled with cyclists (just like here) dressed in their bright duds...but I'd guess that more than half were over 50. Aging ex-jocks still living the dream. Viva Italia!

[lummox]

Aging ex-jocks still living the dream.

i hear your pain.

[cj001f]

That's cuz the people who wanted to get places were driving minis

[cracked]

If it were a German traffic jam everybody would get out of their cars, pass around the schapps, scowl, and bitch about it.

[murraysovereign]

One of my favourite descriptions of Italian drivers was that they all drive "as if it's illegal to be behind someone."

[David_Parker]

On my trip to the Dolomites a few years ago I thought the only "sport" ! would be participating in would be climbing. However I quickly learned that driving in Italy is alao a sport. I loved the 16 ft. radius hairpin turns throughout the mountains and I was impressed with the way the drivers conducted themselves on the autobahn. While I always thought Italians had big egos, I found they put their egos into the car they drove but not the WAY the drove it. The rules were simple...if someone wants to go faster and is behind you you better make room by moving over. Nobody passes on the right. Everyone drives fast, but some cars are just faster than others. It is not rude to cut in front of you again, missing you by inches. It's like they have eyes in the back of their heads. They are courteous to bike riders and respect motorcycles. The buses are the things to look out for.

 

Also, on a two lane road with wide shoulders, it is common for the faster driver to pull out, turn on his headlights and straddle the middle lane. The car in front being passed is expected to drift over and any car coming the other way knows to do the same. If you pull over to pass and see headlights coming down the middle, you wait! Try that in the America.

 

I think Americans are the worst drivers with biggest egos. It's like "hey, I know I'm in the left lane and your flashing your lights to pass me, but I'll be damned if I'm going to move over because I'm going at least 1/2 mph faster than the car I'M trying to pass, so fuck you!"

 

My next bumper sticker: "If I pass you on the right, then you're an ASSHOLE!"