A Different Planet..............

Parking is defenitely at a premium, within the city of Rome.
The locals seem to be able to get into parking spaces that seem way to small for their cars. After walking past hundreds of parked cars over the last week, i'm yet to see a car that hasn't got a damaged or scraped panel or bumper.
The morning rush starts at around 6am, and lasts pretty much all day until it starts to settle down again at 9pm. If there aren't any spaces on the side of the road, hey we'll just double park on the road side of the people who've parked up against the kerb, as you do........and of course if you have something like a smart car, you simply park nose into the kerb, make sure you pay and display, and your good to go. What about the people against the kerb.....?? You're asking me.....?? No idea.....!!
If you've never been to Rome before, i have to say that trying to cross a road, even on a pedestrian crossing is like a game of Russian roulette. Even when the green man is showing, you are actually taking your life in your hands, will the cars or buses stop in time.......?? Even when you're walking across the crossing, cars continue to pass in front and behind you, i'd liken it to walking through a mine field. Very unnerving, but somehow the pedestrians all seem to get across unscathed. Crossing during the day is bad enough, but crossing a dimly lit road at night is even worse.
I have to admit that on occasion i've taken a phone call while driving my car, and i'm not talking hands free. The citizens here appear to take it to a whole new level, in every other car the driver is conducting some sort of conversation on a mobile phone. Of course their pedestrians aren't imune to this affliction of mobilephoneitus.........one moment they're walking along chatting to someone on their phone, next moment you've walked into the back of them, as they're now throwing their arms in the air while shouting down the phone and giving you a filthy look for walking into the back of them........
Still on the subject of mobile phones, i've never seen any of our policemen or women using a mobile phone while on duty patrolling our streets. Every other policeman here in Rome is on a mobile phone, leaning against a wall or slouched in either their police car or van. Who said the word unproffesional......!!
In side the Mini in my image today, there's a young woman who until a minute before i took the shot was parked in a space that was no more than nine inches longer than the car. After four or five minutes of manouvring she was out of the space and on her way, quite an achievement, as in her left hand was a cigarette, and a mobile phone in her right hand, on which she was happily conducting a conversation. They say that women are better mutli taskers than men, and after seeing this young woman in action this morning, i'd have to agree.

Larger image..........

j.