Do you want
to be the next hit at your neighbor's cocktail party? Of course you do. Nothing
like conjuring up some stories from the time you spent at the villa in Italy and
those narrow roads and whacky Italian drivers...to get everyone to stop talking
and listen in. Only we both know it wasn't really that bad, and after a couple
of days you will find yourself just another maniac cruising at top speed only
inches behind someone's bumper - safely!
Lezione
Numero Uno:
A slow
driver wanders (for illustrative sake, let's say it's you) into the left hand
lane on the Autostrada. From far far back you can see a dot with brights
flashing madly. Soon your rear view mirror fills with a car and a stern look
coming from that driver who was just a dot moments before. Please note - This
driver will not pass on the right, nor will he get off your bumper. What do you
do? It's easy - get over in the slow lane on the right! I had to tell you?
Lezione Due:
The rule is
simple and clear: fast cars stay to the left; slow cars to the right. Unlike
many U.S. highways where it is more or less a free-for-all with passing on the
right, left or center, Italian drivers do not pass anywhere but on the left.
Tre: The
Round About
Traffic
circles are everywhere in Italy. So are tunnels. When approaching traffic
circle, what should you do? Close your eyes and make way! No, they are just
like those in the US and UK - yields to the traffic in the circle, but don't be
shy and plunge into the fray, and watch out Italy!
Numero
Quattro: Who Has The Right Away?
Here's a
dilemma - you're on a narrow road and an approaching car takes up more than
half of the road, as do you. And let's throw in a cliff on one side to make it
exciting. What do you do? Common Darwinism tells us to yield to the other if
they are bigger. If they are the same size or smaller, it's more negotiable.
Renting an Italian car is found here.
