Walking

Yes, walking. I subscribe to a certain logic when I walk and that is the rules of the road. Quite simply, I wish people would think about how they drive when they walk. What does that mean: when you drive what side of the road do you stick to? In most countries, the right side and since I grew up in America and live in Italy where the driving is the same, this will be my base of reference. I get so annoyed when I am on a sidewalk, metro, grocery store or some public place and I am constantly bumping into people. I can't tell you how many times I approach a corner, or an area where I have to turn and I almost butt heads with someone. In the grocery store you need to stop and look before you exist an aisle and keep the cart to the right side! Park it when you need to look for an item.

What also irritates me is how some people just have no sense of space. This also includes personal space, although this might be a key difference between US and Italian society as Italians' personal space is smaller than Americans'. What I mean is when people don't realize who are what are around them. One of the biggest frustrations here are Italians who stand in the middle of an area where people walk (such as the entrance to a store) and don't realize they are there till someone says excuse me.

I am not saying this is a rule that must be strictly adhered to as there are situations in which it is difficult to maintain order in public places, but I think this general logic can help to make walking, moving and getting to places much easier. I suppose though I will always find much frustration here in Italy as people don't seem to get this logic 100%. Furthermore, I walk much faster than people here, even when I have my arms full of groceries. One thing you'll never catch me doing is standing in the middle where people walk to get organised or worse, to look at a map!! Finally, I don't want to sound inhumane so I of course realize when someone has a disability or is elderly. In that case I won't rush up behind them. However, if you are slow walker, be you elderly, disabled or simply have a slower pace, I think you should think of the road once again. Slow moving vehicles on the right and the left lane is the passion lane!