CC-Villas - Blog

One of these days Piazza Venezia in Rome – certainly the square with the heaviest traffic in the city, in this regard comparable to the Etoile in Paris – has seen an outstanding example of traffic regulation “the Roman way”. For reasons unknown one of this place’s 7 exit roads has been closed, nicely timed for the daily rush hour.
Who, as has happened to me, ended in this inferno did not have the slightest chance to escape even knowing a bit about driving in Rome. Police all over the place who limited their action to shaking their heads or just look away. Who thought he might be able to sneak out at the next exit now found this road closed as well, finest “management by surprise”. Together with me some other 200 cars and certainly not less than 20 buses were circling the Piazza again and again. The bus passengers at least had a chance to give up and leave the bus during that kind of stop and go. I myself spent more than an hour before I finally managed to find an escape route.
Lessons learned: Never drive with your fuel level low in the city centre.
Nevertheless, almost everybody reacted in a somewhat fatalistic manner if one leaves apart the usual verbal fights and the ongoing cacophony of a few hundred car horns. And, by the way: I have not seen one case of car damage caused in that chaos. Moreover, once back home each and everyone had his story to tell complaining about the unbearable Rome traffic situation getting worse every day – but going back to the city centre by car next day.
“Ma quanto ti odio mia bellissima Roma”, “I truly hate you, my beloved Rome”.