Driving in Naples is an experience. They drive like there is nobody else on the road but there is a flow to it and as I catch on, I find I am shaking my head less. It amazes me how some people drive 30 mph while others are flying by at 90 mph on the autostrada, sometimes straddling 2 lanes and weaving in and out of traffic. Mostly they all drive very fast and will merge into on coming traffic on a city street to pass you in order to gain one car length. For a people who like to take their time doing most things, when they are in their cars they are all in a hurry. They use their horns a lot both as a signal and as an exclamation, they flash their lights as a warning to stay out of their way and we could learn some really colorful Italian words listening to the shouting during rush hour.
This is real driving though and you can't talk on the phone, put on make up, eat, etc. The traffic rules (stop lights, lane markers, right of way) seem like they are just suggestions, although I have been told by a local that they know which traffic lights they can go through and where they need to stop. Unlike in the states you can't drive in auto pilot assuming that your way will be clear. That said, I haven't seen any real accidents on the side of the road. I think we will be better, more defensive drivers when we leave here if we can just leave the aggressive nature of the driving behind. Other than dealing with narrow city streets in my big van I am actually starting to enjoy driving here.
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Driving In Naples
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This is supposed to be 2 lanes!
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stuck in game day traffic
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