Move over Mad Max

[--Pete]

Hi,

I've got to move to Italy and join their Highway Patrol.:wub:

--Pete

[Concillian]

I've been to Italy. Trust me, you do NOT want to drive there.

If you choose to, have good insurance. I along with a few other people watched a motorist plow into a parked car at reasonable speed, then pull out and drive away with pieces of his car dragging and sparking on the ground. The locals seemed relatively unphased by this. While my family was slackjawed, the locals seemed to turn to see what the noise was, then go back to what they were doing a second later.

In Naples, if a car fits there, it's a lane of traffic. And a gas pedal is generally treated as if it were a light switch. On or off. I saw cases of things like people backing off an on ramp when they realized it wasn't where they wanted to go (making people behind them get out of their way) and people driving with 2 wheels on the sidewalk and 2 on the road if it meant getting a few carlengths ahead in city traffic.

[eppie]

I've been to Italy. Trust me, you do NOT want to drive there.

If you choose to, have good insurance. I along with a few other people watched a motorist plow into a parked car at reasonable speed, then pull out and drive away with pieces of his car dragging and sparking on the ground. The locals seemed relatively unphased by this. While my family was slackjawed, the locals seemed to turn to see what the noise was, then go back to what they were doing a second later.

In Naples, if a car fits there, it's a lane of traffic. And a gas pedal is generally treated as if it were a light switch. On or off. I saw cases of things like people backing off an on ramp when they realized it wasn't where they wanted to go (making people behind them get out of their way) and people driving with 2 wheels on the sidewalk and 2 on the road if it meant getting a few carlengths ahead in city traffic.

Car insurance in Napoli is also twice as expensive as in other cities. When I lived in Italy I really hated the traffic there. But now in the north even I get annoyed by the slow driving people. Many Italians are technically good drivers though...because they have to.....you have to expect everything.....because it will happen there.

The thing I am scared of regarding the Lamborghini is the poor quality of the roads in the south......such a low car probably doesnt react to well on holes in the road.

[Concillian]

Many Italians are technically good drivers though...because they have to.....you have to expect everything.....because it will happen there.

They definitely know the dimensions of their cars and can estimate where the passenger side is better than Americans. I remember being in the passenger seat of a VW Vanagon on a USO tour. The driver asked me to pull the mirror in. I did, and we then whizzed by the mirror of delivery truck that couldn't have been more than 6 inches from the windows.

On the open freeways though, it's pretty nice. They will get out of the way of faster cars for the most part. I mean they drive like 1.2 liter cars, it takes those things a long time to get up to speed, they understand that you don't want to slow down, or it'll take another 2 minutes to get back up to speed.

[Jester]

Amen.

I've been to France a couple times, Spain once, and I now live in Britain. Let me confirm, *nowhere* do they drive like in Italy. They are completely off the handle.

-Jester

[VinnieJones]

Amen.

I've been to France a couple times, Spain once, and I now live in Britain. Let me confirm, *nowhere* do they drive like in Italy. They are completely off the handle.

-Jester

The hell? When did you leave edmonton?

[Jester]

The hell? When did you leave edmonton?

September 10th. I'm over here for school, and will be for a few years to come.

-Jester

[VinnieJones]

September 10th. I'm over here for school, and will be for a few years to come.

-Jester

Nice! Congrats. I just had a friend from here move to ... um... leeds for school I think. She seems to really be enjoying it so far.

And on a side note, I know it's not just the euro's who use fancy cars for highway patrol. I was driving through Idaho about 8 years back and spotted a countash decked out in black and white with sirens on the top. Apparnetly they have no problems using siezed cars that were the proceeds of illict means to help in their war on speeders.

[kandrathe]

Hi,

I've got to move to Italy and join their Highway Patrol.:wub:

--Pete

Nice car!

Color me Mr. Practical though. They should auction off the cars and hire more cops in cheaper cars. Radio's and bullets still go faster than a sports car.

[eppie]

Nice car!

Color me Mr. Practical though. They should auction off the cars and hire more cops in cheaper cars. Radio's and bullets still go faster than a sports car.

Even more cops in Italy?? Well at least the coffee industry would be happy....

[Occhidiangela]

I've been to Italy. Trust me, you do NOT want to drive there.

Yes you do. Driving in Italy is high adventure, and great fun, if you get with the program and embrace the madness. I drove there for three years, in parts of Italy where many stop lights were suggestions . . . in the main, in and around Naples.

I miss it. Driving there kept you on your toes.

In Naples, if a car fits there, it's a lane of traffic. And a gas pedal is generally treated as if it were a light switch. On or off. I saw cases of things like people backing off an on ramp when they realized it wasn't where they wanted to go (making people behind them get out of their way) and people driving with 2 wheels on the sidewalk and 2 on the road if it meant getting a few carlengths ahead in city traffic.

Yeah, the nostalgia for the halcyon days of driving in Bella Napoli is killin' me here. Need to go and get a Guinness to calm down.

Occhi

[kandrathe]

Yes you do. Driving in Italy is high adventure, and great fun, if you get with the program and embrace the madness. I drove there for three years, in parts of Italy where many stop lights were suggestions . . . in the main, in and around Naples.

I miss it. Driving there kept you on your toes.

Yeah, the nostalgia for the halcyon days of driving in Bella Napoli is killin' me here. Need to go and get a Guinness to calm down.

Occhi

I found driving in Greece 3x times scarier than Italy.

[Rhydderch Hael]

...and we then whizzed by the mirror of delivery truck that couldn't have been more than 6 inches from the windows. ...

Six inches!? Why, that left you with a good five inches to spare!

[NuurAbSaal]

Italy is for wussies (no offence:P)!

Further south is where it's at. Drive a motorhome through Cairo rush hour and live to tell the tale, THEN you have truly "driven". Tripolis was also interesting, mostly because of unpaved roads with 30cm holes in them.

And the buses on the "motorways", twisted chassis (=frame, I guess, way too tired to check), tires where you can almost see the wires and 150 km/h. Onehundredandfiftykilometersperhour! That's 93 mph:o.

The memories still send a chill down my spine.

take care
Tarabulus

[kandrathe]

Italy is for wussies (no offence:P)!

Further south is where it's at. Drive a motorhome through Cairo rush hour and live to tell the tale, THEN you have truly "driven". Tripolis was also interesting, mostly because of unpaved roads with 30cm holes in them.

And the buses on the "motorways", twisted chassis (=frame, I guess, way too tired to check), tires where you can almost see the wires and 150 km/h. Onehundredandfiftykilometersperhour! That's 93 mph:o.

The memories still send a chill down my spine.

take care
Tarabulus

I've heard that some places like Bangkok, Mumbai, Beijing, and Addis Ababa are even worse due to the press of pedestrians, livestock, motorbikes, automobiles, trucks, and other miscellaneous vehicles all on the same narrow pot hole filled roads.

[roguebanshee]

They definitely know the dimensions of their cars and can estimate where the passenger side is better than Americans. I remember being in the passenger seat of a VW Vanagon on a USO tour. The driver asked me to pull the mirror in. I did, and we then whizzed by the mirror of delivery truck that couldn't have been more than 6 inches from the windows.

Hey, you were in a heavily armored vehicle (:P), you were perfectly safe.

Now imagine a similar situation as a passenger on a motorcycle.