Well, in Naples, more specifically Pozzuoli, drivers do not feel that need to drive slowly. As I drove myself home from Capodichino yesterday, in a torrential downpour, I was driving as cautiously as possible, and was rewarded for my safe efforts by the general disdain of the Neapolitan population. I was slowing down traffic, and as the Vespas sped by me, cutting me off to prove a point, I realized, this place is almost unreal to me. A man was riding his bike in the middle of the road, wearing all dark clothes, no helmet, in the middle of a vicious torrent, and he just kept weaving in and out of traffic. Cars driving down shoulders, Vespas driving up on sidewalks, anything to get them just one inch ahead of the next guy, horns beeping, headlights flashing, these are all the sights and sounds of a rainy day in Naples.
Things I never thought I would see have turned into the norm here. People texting on the scooters, families of 4 on one at a time, people holding umbrellas while driving their Vespa in the rain....all these things are part of the quirky uniqueness of my adopted home. I have learned to fit my car into inches of space I never thought possible and driving defensively is taken to an entirely new level.
One thing is for certain: Drivers here have guts. They fearlessly attack driving like a ravenous animal having caught his prey. They are so tenacious, that they always have the right of way, no matter who they are, where they are, or what they are doing. It's the attitude that gets them by.
It's also the same attitude that makes them slow down when I am out running to call things to me, or hang off the Vespa to get my attention as they drive by....but these are stories for another day. Til then, I will grab my Duomo umbrella, and keep my fingers crossed.
