I'll be the first to admit- I'm not the world's best driver. Not the worst, but definitely not near the top. Sometimes I can't help but praise God that I haven't been in a serious accident or have a trail of speeding tickets.
I really do.
Of course this doesn't have my foot ease off the gas pedal and if a deer crosses the road in front of me it has most likely seen its last day. (Not like I try to mow them down, but if it's another car or me vs the deer? Bye-bye Bambi.)
At any rate the last week has been rather adventurous with following other cars to places none of us have been, not paying attention which road I'm on, and even being somewhat adventurous when I saw traffic I did not want to sit in. After the latest installment of "I wonder where this road takes me and since I don't have the GPS with me..." I decided that driving in Naples is a blast. I mean where else can you*:
I really do.
Of course this doesn't have my foot ease off the gas pedal and if a deer crosses the road in front of me it has most likely seen its last day. (Not like I try to mow them down, but if it's another car or me vs the deer? Bye-bye Bambi.)
At any rate the last week has been rather adventurous with following other cars to places none of us have been, not paying attention which road I'm on, and even being somewhat adventurous when I saw traffic I did not want to sit in. After the latest installment of "I wonder where this road takes me and since I don't have the GPS with me..." I decided that driving in Naples is a blast. I mean where else can you*:
- Flip a u-turn from an off ramp to an on ramp
- Make a 3rd (or even 4th) lane on the shoulder while merging
- Flash your lights a ways back to make the car in the fast lane get out of way
- Use painted divisions as another lane
- Park on a sidewalk
- Split a lane with another car because you're making space for the car merging
- Hear honks that mean "hey I'm here" rather than "what the #$@! are you doing?"
- Treat Stop signs as optional (even if other cars are heading your way)
- Ride your scooter down the side walk
- Go the wrong way on a 1-way street
- Reverse down a street for a significant amount of time
- Double park (totally acceptable if your blinkers are on) and pretty much blocking traffic
*"You" is being used in the generic sense here. This list is a compilation of things I've witnessed. Honest. But when in Naples...
Don't worry- passengers also get to have a blast while driving around Naples (assuming hands, head, feet, arms are kept inside the vehicle are all times). It is the passenger that gets to try to figure out just what that darn GPS is really telling you. (Side note, any GPS that says Oropeza "or-ap-eh-sa" really should not be trusted.) From the passenger seat you are truly able to enjoy the piles of trash (kitchen cabinets, couches, beds, misc car debris) and just may catch someone taking out their trash Sunday morning. The passenger also gets to take in the views of at a much finer level than the driver as s/he aren't navigating cobble stones placed by the ancient Romans.
No seriously. It's fun. A little stressful and still requires a pep talk before leaving the safety of the base or my apartment but fun. It's what you make of it. Which reminds me...I need to write the powers that be and suggest that painting the lines on the tange was probably a waste of money since everyone is still driving where they please. That money could have been much better used by say, trash clean up? I realize that the paint probably doesn't cost that much, but when you factor in the wages and equipment I may have a case here.
Don't worry- passengers also get to have a blast while driving around Naples (assuming hands, head, feet, arms are kept inside the vehicle are all times). It is the passenger that gets to try to figure out just what that darn GPS is really telling you. (Side note, any GPS that says Oropeza "or-ap-eh-sa" really should not be trusted.) From the passenger seat you are truly able to enjoy the piles of trash (kitchen cabinets, couches, beds, misc car debris) and just may catch someone taking out their trash Sunday morning. The passenger also gets to take in the views of at a much finer level than the driver as s/he aren't navigating cobble stones placed by the ancient Romans.
No seriously. It's fun. A little stressful and still requires a pep talk before leaving the safety of the base or my apartment but fun. It's what you make of it. Which reminds me...I need to write the powers that be and suggest that painting the lines on the tange was probably a waste of money since everyone is still driving where they please. That money could have been much better used by say, trash clean up? I realize that the paint probably doesn't cost that much, but when you factor in the wages and equipment I may have a case here.
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