Crazy Italian drivers..
Discussion
I've driven in Italy many times but I can't remember them being as bonkers as last week when I was over there.
On the motorway they will drive for miles straddling 2 lanes, then with indicators constantly on, faster cars will race up behind anyone slower in the fast lane, and sit literally 3ft from the bumper of the car in front. Its hilarious to watch until it happens to you. I didnt see one 'Polizia Stradale' in 600 miles of driving. Then I was overtaken by a hearse festooned with crosses on its roof that flashed me out of the way. And it did have a coffin in it. Unbelievable. Can't help but love em can you
Any other tales of crazy Italian driving?
On the motorway they will drive for miles straddling 2 lanes, then with indicators constantly on, faster cars will race up behind anyone slower in the fast lane, and sit literally 3ft from the bumper of the car in front. Its hilarious to watch until it happens to you. I didnt see one 'Polizia Stradale' in 600 miles of driving. Then I was overtaken by a hearse festooned with crosses on its roof that flashed me out of the way. And it did have a coffin in it. Unbelievable. Can't help but love em can you
Any other tales of crazy Italian driving?
Please can we not add to this. I'm nervous enough as it is. I'm driving in Italy for the month of May (honeymoon) in my car and our first stop is Rome, dead centre....i mention this to friends and all iget is sucking through teeth noises and slow shaking of heads followed by questions regarding my level of insurance and rescue cover.
It is in-bred to Italian culture. My wife is Italian and the sheer lunacy of motorway driving astounds me - but they don't think they are doing anything wrong or dangerous.
I think you were lucky they were only 3 feet from your bumper. Try driving an under-powered something or other (eg Punto) - you go to over-take a lorry, up a hill, foot is flat to floor, can't go any faster and then zoom some loony is on the rear seat of your car.
When you are in the passenger seat and the driver does this, it takes on another meaning.
The driving in central Rome needs to be seen to be believed. Good luck!
I think you were lucky they were only 3 feet from your bumper. Try driving an under-powered something or other (eg Punto) - you go to over-take a lorry, up a hill, foot is flat to floor, can't go any faster and then zoom some loony is on the rear seat of your car.
When you are in the passenger seat and the driver does this, it takes on another meaning.
The driving in central Rome needs to be seen to be believed. Good luck!
Have to mention this although I've told it before I think -
About a year ago I was in the Lambo factory watching Murcie's being built with my sis who speaks fluent Italian. As usual with Females,the guys in production were staring at her, grinning and commenting loudly to each other.
I said to the guide 'what are they saying out of curiosity'. She replied (unaware my sis spoke Italian) 'they are commenting on how beautiful your sister is'.
'Oh really'says my sis. 'I thought they were saying how much they would like to s**g me'
About a year ago I was in the Lambo factory watching Murcie's being built with my sis who speaks fluent Italian. As usual with Females,the guys in production were staring at her, grinning and commenting loudly to each other.
I said to the guide 'what are they saying out of curiosity'. She replied (unaware my sis spoke Italian) 'they are commenting on how beautiful your sister is'.
'Oh really'says my sis. 'I thought they were saying how much they would like to s**g me'
simonspider said:
I've driven in Italy many times but I can't remember them being as bonkers as last week when I was over there.
On the motorway they will drive for miles straddling 2 lanes, then with indicators constantly on, faster cars will race up behind anyone slower in the fast lane, and sit literally 3ft from the bumper of the car in front. Its hilarious to watch until it happens to you. I didnt see one 'Polizia Stradale' in 600 miles of driving. Then I was overtaken by a hearse festooned with crosses on its roof that flashed me out of the way. And it did have a coffin in it. Unbelievable. Can't help but love em can you
Any other tales of crazy Italian driving?
Simon you really were quite lucky with 3 feet ! Corners are even more dangerous... When I had the bike (ninja) I was taken off of it by a car cutting the corner in my direction.. On the motorway they will drive for miles straddling 2 lanes, then with indicators constantly on, faster cars will race up behind anyone slower in the fast lane, and sit literally 3ft from the bumper of the car in front. Its hilarious to watch until it happens to you. I didnt see one 'Polizia Stradale' in 600 miles of driving. Then I was overtaken by a hearse festooned with crosses on its roof that flashed me out of the way. And it did have a coffin in it. Unbelievable. Can't help but love em can you
Any other tales of crazy Italian driving?
The other day a bloke went into the back of my friends new Tiguan whilst he was stationary at the lights - even worse was that the bloke who went into the car was a driving instructor
I was once in convoy on the motorway going to see an aunts house sh has in northern tuscany and this aunt is not the fastest of drivers. There was a juggernaught behind us for about 3km tooting constantly. Suddenly he decides to overtake and tries to then take my car off the road and then do the same to my uncles car ahead.. !
Edited by Louis. on Friday 29th February 18:23
in 1996, whilst visiting Umbria and whilst driving a hire car (btw, the hire car park was full of Lancias but wife and I got the only (almost brand new) and very, very WHITE Rover Kensington 110 - aka, a f**kk'n Metro) we 'enjoyed' some great Italian-style driving moments.
A whole week was spent going from one great place to another and seemingly just driving into perfect parking spots - like a full except for one easy-to-enter slot car park in Assisi or just parking almost by the door to the funicular into Orvieto etc etc etc...
One traffic jam/slight slow down on an Autostrada involved entering a tunnel near Perugia where two Stradale were !!!!! standing !!!!! in between lanes just gesturing to slow down or move into the outside lane... most but not the traffic slowed down and the broken down old Cinquecento in the tunnel had another officer and the old boy who owned the similarly old car standing and chatting as people shot by...
We were stopped twice in the week as well - once in the hills near Gubbio where the officer smiled at 'erself and she said, "Buongiorno" in her best Fermanagh-Italian, so he just looked very nervous and waved us on - and once near Pisa heading for our return flights where I was driving the (by now filthy) Metro and had just 'completed' what I though was a very aggressive manoeuvre and actually overtaken a Carabinieri vehicle as well as a load of small trucks.
I deployed my finest toothy smile as we started to slow for some more of the gentlemen with the flashy uniforms, 'erself started to giggle when she noticed how big their guns weren't, ("not as big as the one's the RUC used to carry"
, and he just stared at us until we stopped, looked at the badge on the bonnet, almost seemed to be about to offer condolences but, as before, just waved us on...
Various trips to Italy have taught me one simple thing. We have plenty of drivers in the UK who clearly feel that the roads are their own somehow. In Italy, I'd say most drivers KNOW with some certainty that the road is their own.
If you signal that you are going to do something - then just ruddy do it and live with the mistake if it was a mistake - signalling and NOT doing what you said you were going to do will earn you flashing lights etc etc etc...
Indicators on for miles is pretty usual as well - I noticed that drivers there will indicate left for the entire time they are overtaking on any roads - they cant all forget that their indicators are on can they?
Mostly, just relax about it or let your wife drive - she's done it before after all, hasn't she??
A whole week was spent going from one great place to another and seemingly just driving into perfect parking spots - like a full except for one easy-to-enter slot car park in Assisi or just parking almost by the door to the funicular into Orvieto etc etc etc...
One traffic jam/slight slow down on an Autostrada involved entering a tunnel near Perugia where two Stradale were !!!!! standing !!!!! in between lanes just gesturing to slow down or move into the outside lane... most but not the traffic slowed down and the broken down old Cinquecento in the tunnel had another officer and the old boy who owned the similarly old car standing and chatting as people shot by...
We were stopped twice in the week as well - once in the hills near Gubbio where the officer smiled at 'erself and she said, "Buongiorno" in her best Fermanagh-Italian, so he just looked very nervous and waved us on - and once near Pisa heading for our return flights where I was driving the (by now filthy) Metro and had just 'completed' what I though was a very aggressive manoeuvre and actually overtaken a Carabinieri vehicle as well as a load of small trucks.
I deployed my finest toothy smile as we started to slow for some more of the gentlemen with the flashy uniforms, 'erself started to giggle when she noticed how big their guns weren't, ("not as big as the one's the RUC used to carry"
, and he just stared at us until we stopped, looked at the badge on the bonnet, almost seemed to be about to offer condolences but, as before, just waved us on...Various trips to Italy have taught me one simple thing. We have plenty of drivers in the UK who clearly feel that the roads are their own somehow. In Italy, I'd say most drivers KNOW with some certainty that the road is their own.
If you signal that you are going to do something - then just ruddy do it and live with the mistake if it was a mistake - signalling and NOT doing what you said you were going to do will earn you flashing lights etc etc etc...
Indicators on for miles is pretty usual as well - I noticed that drivers there will indicate left for the entire time they are overtaking on any roads - they cant all forget that their indicators are on can they?
Mostly, just relax about it or let your wife drive - she's done it before after all, hasn't she??
Gotta love the Italians for driving. Remember having a 13 course LUNCH in San Remo and it was on top of a hill. As you can imagine our drive back was somewhat slower than the journey there. Anyway, there were some serious hairpin turns (with HUGE drops)...didn't stop middle aged Italian dude cutting us up in his 3 wheeled Piagio
Also does EVERY car in Italy have a dent on it? Is it a factory option?
Also does EVERY car in Italy have a dent on it? Is it a factory option?
Has somebody got a pic of the 3 wheeled Piaggio?? Isnt it called a Fox or something? I'm sure Inspector Clouseau drove one into a swimming pool as a telephone repairman in one of the Pink Panther films.
Again, when I was there last week there was one on the hard shoulder with a bloke in the back coning off the slow lane. Looked like it was going to tip over! Why are they so popular over there?
Again, when I was there last week there was one on the hard shoulder with a bloke in the back coning off the slow lane. Looked like it was going to tip over! Why are they so popular over there?
The 'cones' used on the A1 between Modena and Milan during 2003 (when we were convoying to a racetrack as part of the Lamborghini 40th anniversary celebrations) were a long line of approx. 40cm high thin black sticks with tiny black flaggy-things on the top...
Nobody slowed down for them at all. The hire Vectra we were in was 'equipped' with a speedo that read to 220 kmh and no higher. ('we' being some 'not-taking-our-Lambos-to-Italy-for-the-big-celebration' people, ahem)
We were chasing a number of quite famous PH'ers cars - like the Diablo GT that's now Lambochick & DIW35's car and even His Holiness Saint Valentino the Balboni in a very black LM002 loaded with quite a few girls, as I recall...
We were very off the clock for at least 80% of the time heading to the track but in the pouring rain on the way back we kept it down to a more sensible speed being slightly less than, er, 60% of the time.
The Tangentiale around Bologna was remarkably serene in such bad weather - people seemed to be driving carefully with smiles and displaying lots of due care. Mind you, I wasn't actually doing that bit of the driving but I was very, very, v e r y drunk.
It took me ages to get dressed for the big celebration dinner that evening and I think I trod on Guiseppe Greco's foot just before we all went outside for the big firework display as well. He was the President of Automobili Lamborghini at that time but, as you all know, he isn't anymore - that'll teach him to stick his shiny-shoe'd feet under mine!!
Nobody slowed down for them at all. The hire Vectra we were in was 'equipped' with a speedo that read to 220 kmh and no higher. ('we' being some 'not-taking-our-Lambos-to-Italy-for-the-big-celebration' people, ahem)
We were chasing a number of quite famous PH'ers cars - like the Diablo GT that's now Lambochick & DIW35's car and even His Holiness Saint Valentino the Balboni in a very black LM002 loaded with quite a few girls, as I recall...
We were very off the clock for at least 80% of the time heading to the track but in the pouring rain on the way back we kept it down to a more sensible speed being slightly less than, er, 60% of the time.
The Tangentiale around Bologna was remarkably serene in such bad weather - people seemed to be driving carefully with smiles and displaying lots of due care. Mind you, I wasn't actually doing that bit of the driving but I was very, very, v e r y drunk.
It took me ages to get dressed for the big celebration dinner that evening and I think I trod on Guiseppe Greco's foot just before we all went outside for the big firework display as well. He was the President of Automobili Lamborghini at that time but, as you all know, he isn't anymore - that'll teach him to stick his shiny-shoe'd feet under mine!!
simonspider said:
Has somebody got a pic of the 3 wheeled Piaggio?? Isnt it called a Fox or something? I'm sure Inspector Clouseau drove one into a swimming pool as a telephone repairman in one of the Pink Panther films.
Again, when I was there last week there was one on the hard shoulder with a bloke in the back coning off the slow lane. Looked like it was going to tip over! Why are they so popular over there?
Do you mean this ? Again, when I was there last week there was one on the hard shoulder with a bloke in the back coning off the slow lane. Looked like it was going to tip over! Why are they so popular over there?
http://www.piaggioape.co.uk/range/
i was in italy last week and we pulled along side a woman who was in the inside lane reading a book
and she didn't seem to be alert to anyone or any thing around her it was unbelievable i havent seen anything like that in this country.
i have also noticed that they never use there indicators either and when they do signal it is usually the opposite direction to were they are turning.
and she didn't seem to be alert to anyone or any thing around her it was unbelievable i havent seen anything like that in this country.
i have also noticed that they never use there indicators either and when they do signal it is usually the opposite direction to were they are turning.
simonspider said:
Has somebody got a pic of the 3 wheeled Piaggio?? Isnt it called a Fox or something? I'm sure Inspector Clouseau drove one into a swimming pool as a telephone repairman in one of the Pink Panther films.
Again, when I was there last week there was one on the hard shoulder with a bloke in the back coning off the slow lane. Looked like it was going to tip over! Why are they so popular over there?
Here we go Simon Again, when I was there last week there was one on the hard shoulder with a bloke in the back coning off the slow lane. Looked like it was going to tip over! Why are they so popular over there?
http://www.imcdb.org/vehicle_12722-Piaggio-Ape.htm...
Actually quite a good site for cars in movies.
I'll always remember being a passenger around lake majorie (spelling) in a mitsubishi shogun terrified at how narrow the road was in places - and yet within two miles of driving around it I saw two cars at massive angles sliding about through an S bend toward me (huge oversteer from one way to the other then gathered up nicely)...
Wasnt half as impressive as the Fiat Uno that clipped a kerb at great speed and ended up driving on two wheels for a good 10 or so meters - was probably still on two wheels as it went past me, but I was in too much of a state of shock to follow its progress as it went past. Terrifying.
Wasnt half as impressive as the Fiat Uno that clipped a kerb at great speed and ended up driving on two wheels for a good 10 or so meters - was probably still on two wheels as it went past me, but I was in too much of a state of shock to follow its progress as it went past. Terrifying.
BCA said:
I'll always remember being a passenger around lake majorie (spelling) in a mitsubishi shogun terrified at how narrow the road was in places - and yet within two miles of driving around it I saw two cars at massive angles sliding about through an S bend toward me (huge oversteer from one way to the other then gathered up nicely)...
Wasnt half as impressive as the Fiat Uno that clipped a kerb at great speed and ended up driving on two wheels for a good 10 or so meters - was probably still on two wheels as it went past me, but I was in too much of a state of shock to follow its progress as it went past. Terrifying.
Lightweights! (probably Mafia Grannies) Wasnt half as impressive as the Fiat Uno that clipped a kerb at great speed and ended up driving on two wheels for a good 10 or so meters - was probably still on two wheels as it went past me, but I was in too much of a state of shock to follow its progress as it went past. Terrifying.
I had a few good ones around Genoa last year, but my best tale comes from a few weeks back. Admittedly not Italian, but a very similar driving style.
I was on a coach from the Singapore-Malaysia border to Kuala Lumpur on the motorway and tailgating was going on as you'd expect. One Proton appears in the outside lane, chugging along, then another on it's bumper, then 3 more all bumper to bumper at a good 60-70mph! Then one of the middle placed drivers got bored and switched to the hard shoulder (from lane 3) to overtake much everything in sight
I was on a coach from the Singapore-Malaysia border to Kuala Lumpur on the motorway and tailgating was going on as you'd expect. One Proton appears in the outside lane, chugging along, then another on it's bumper, then 3 more all bumper to bumper at a good 60-70mph! Then one of the middle placed drivers got bored and switched to the hard shoulder (from lane 3) to overtake much everything in sight
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