We're discovering that Rome is a pretty pedestrian-friendly city, but it's not for the timid. You can't afford to be slow or indecisive when it comes to getting around on foot in a city of speeding and weaving motorini, motorcycles, tour buses, bicycles, trains, trams and kamikaze taxis.
If you follow the traffic lights 100% of the time, you'll probably stay safe... but you'll spend more time on a curb than seeing the sites.
So in the past few weeks, we've picked up a few tips on how to get from point A to point B in fast-paced Roma:
1. Follow street lights when possible, but don't pass up a gap in traffic unless you've had too much to drink or are wearing stilettos (or both).
2. When you come to a crazy intersection with no discernible crosswalk and you're fearing for your life, just latch onto the nearest local. Native Romans are usually well dressed (look at shoes on women/suits on men) and smoking (hold your breath). Don't follow another tourist unless they really look like they know what they're doing.
3. Walk confidently. Make eye contact with oncoming motorists and walk purposefully. They WILL stop for you.
4. Try to set aside the idea of American "personal space." Roman streets are filled with vehicles passing within inches of pedestrians. They're not being rude; no one here gets a wide berth.
5. Italians are expert, focused drivers. Generally, they do not talk, eat, apply makeup or text while at the wheel; they are concentrating on the road ahead and they are used to anticipating -- and accommodating -- distracted pedestrians. That's not an excuse to wander out into the street, but it's a comforting fact.
We've been talking about these things a lot lately as we adapt to the vehicular chaos that is Italy. Although it does not pretend to coddle its pedestrians, Rome really is walker-friendly. The thing is, you have to be bold enough to really own your pedestrian awesomeness.
So get moving, stare down that double decker bus and take your right of way!
