Lorna at Vicenza

well does anybody really believe Italian statistics ??????

katu

NO :-)

TestaRossa

You mean they are about as believable as UK ones? All trains arrive on time says girl who has never slept with another person(small print, within given parameters of, like, 50 - 90%). That kind of thing?

Lorna at Vicenza

Train stopped for wrong kind of snow or leaves on the track.

Emmasz

After driving for 16 years and never touching another car we finally bought a brand new one. After only 2months someone opened their door onto ours and I think there are about 7 other minute dents. People don't care. Someone has also scraped the bumper (silver colour) probably trying to get out of a parking spot. It breaks my heart every time I spot another scrape or dent..... not to mention the mentallity of the average italian driver!!!! they've really no idea about safety and courtesy!!!

lisajhb

Yeah know what you mean. Round our way the streets are small and chocka. Consequently when you park your car somwhere you never know how you are going to find it when you camoe back. My poor little car is battered and bruised all over, and the funny thing is, my OH refuses to believe me when i swear blind i know nothing about the latest dent. And then it gets to the point where it seems, thou doth protest to much me thinks! Plus, the size of the parking spaces are often a joke. A few years ago, i parked in a square in the town, and when i came back i couldnt get down the side of the car to open the door. And to make matters even harder, i was preggas at the time! In the end i had to ask a passer by to climb in through my boot, and reverse my car out!!He was the last of the gentlemen!

Margaret M

Reminds me of when in the UK I went to the local pool with my (22 year old) son. We used to go very early in the morning and park in the shopping centre car park. This was before the shops were even open, so car park virtually empty. Son say "park in that space" - "can't" says I, "it is for mother and child". "are you not my mother, am I not your child" says son.

Lorna at Vicenza

my car too has quite a few dents and a nasty scrape ...... all presents that people have left me.
I can understand why people just drive off as the insurance premiums are so very very high here - but it is still absolutely maddening !!!!

phoebeluton

i was hit by an Italian driver when i was on my bike, and now i've got a broken leg! so for me they are officially the worst drivers.

Lorna at Vicenza

are you still on your crutches ???

lisajhb

Oh god are you ok?!

phoebeluton

my sister came this week and brought me some armpit crutches which are much better than what i had before. yesterday a neighbour lent me her wheelchair so i could go out for dinner. Everybody was so nice to me!
i'm much better now thanks, just very bored being at home all day everyday!!

TestaRossa

I have just experienced the Italian driving experience as a pedestrian.

A car stopped, in the wet, to let me and my daughter cross the pedestrian crossing, the car behind him didn't! Luckily I spotted what was going to happen and didn't cross until I knew the first car wasn't going to shunt into us! We crossed, the two cars pulled over to the opposite side. I hung around to see if they wanted a witness or anything. Instead all I got was a look or gesture (not rude!) that suggested it was my fault for not dashing across the road!

It really is getting stupid! Why can't they enforce this law? Every crossing in the UK has a camera - would that be a deterrent here, do you think?

katu

Is it a law?? There seem to be too many pedestrian crossings to make it compulsory to stop for pedestrians.

TestaRossa

I heard from those who have taken their patente that it is and when an auto scuola car approaches a crossing they always stop for pedestrians too.

The UK has the same number of people in a smaller area and manages it!