How to Cross the Street in Rome

Interesting.  In SE Asia, Frogger style is the only way to go.  It’s all about putting your faith in how much the drivers don’t want to hit you.  In Buenos Aires, I try to stick to the sidewalks and cross at intersections.  Maybe it’s the porteno Italian heritage that makes it such a dangerous city for pedestrians who stride with anything less than full confidence…

We published a how-to street crossing guide at BNT the other day and frankly some of the advice made me a little cross-eyed…hail a taxi, don’t get in, and run in front of it when it stops?  Recipe for a trip to the hospital in my mind.  But ah well, it’s all about provoking a discussion…

This turned out to be one of my favorite experiences in Rome! After a day of observing, I dove in, so to speak, with enthusiasm. In my experience though, the drivers don’t stop—they just alter their speed and/or trajectory to avoid you. That’s why it’s very important to keep a steady, predictable pace all the way across.

Actually “when David Farley isn’t strutting across Roman streets, he’s” doing something very wrong with the dog, but who am I to judge?

Well done, Farley! Stay sweet and don’t get squished.

Okay, let’s set the record straight here: google “I got cot f*#@ing the dog” (but writeout the f-word and be sure to use “cot” instead of the correct spelling) and see whose website you’re led to. Then you’ll know who’s really mistreating the dog. Ayun?

It’s not just an American assumption. While in Stockholm, I once had an encounter with a driver who refused to go until after I crossed. I insisted he had the right-of-way, but he just kept waving me to go. This lasted for about 5 minutes. It was a shock, coming from NYC. If they had a survey of best cities for pedestrians, Stockholm would take 1st place.

There’s always a logic - counterintuitive or not, wherever you go…After almost a lifetime in Italy, I would add here:
*always make eye contact with the driver of whatever; otherwise you DO risk getting run over. It does happen.
And remember:
*pedestrians ALWAYS have the right of way no matter where they are in the street. As a driver you’d never win a case against a wayward pedestrian….
David is right though, sprezzatura helps.  Read The Book of the Courtier by Baldassare Castiglione to understand just about everything about surviving in Italy - in the !6th and 21st centuries!

I agree with one other tip…don’t make eye contact with the drivers.  If they see you look at them and know you’ve seen them, they won’t stop.  If you just keep walking, they will stop.  A non-native Roman told me this and it seems to work…plus you don’t see a lot of pedestrians knocked over by cars.

Well, I beg to differ with Francesca…my two children are alive and well so far (touch metal, here) thanks to this tip. Take a tip,too, from the elderly who tend to launch themselves with an arm or cane thrown out in warning. 
Unfortunately, I do see pedestrians hit; fortunately, usually not seriously.
In sum. there’s much more fun to be had in Rome than dodging traffic….

Just checked my website stats, and apparently there are not one but two google users who were busted in a flagrant, un-spell-checked, canine, booty call situation.

Which would be one for you and one for me, Farley, but why would I be googling whose location I already know how to find…? Is there a third musketeer?

Anyway, wish i was in Rome (eating Vietnamese food) RIGHT NOW!!!

I can vouch for waiting to cross the street until there’s a phalanx of Italians.

On the fashion front, do NOT be tempted to wear your red slacks, like I did, to St. Peters Square unless you’re under 10.  You will feel like the opening scene of Schindlers List, like a beacon in the night, like your own private red light district.  You will STAND OUT.

Following someone who looks like he knows what he’s doing is probably the best bet, when you’re crossing a road in a new place. I have this tendency to jump in and freeze in front of a car if I’m alone.

Street crossing is one of the great adventures of travel. My first experience with sprezzatura was in Naples. Absolutely terrifying. I didn’t think the traffic would ever stop, so, follow the locals. It’s all about watching the locals..and asking questions when possible. Saint Petersburg is interesting too. You must trust that nobody wants to hit you and maybe willing them not to doesn’t hurt either.

On busy streets in Bangkok, I’ve waited for a group of monks and crossed with them.

Claire @ http://travel-babel.blogspot.com

I had my initiation in Italian street crossing in Naples…much worse than in Rome! And not only as a pedestrian, I braved the madness of the traffic all over Italy in a campervan. The roundabouts were, well, interesting!

But Italy is no comparison to SE Asia when it comes to crossing the street - I think the golden rule anywhere would be NO SUDDEN MOVEMENTS. Be predicatable and you should be alright.

Very fun this….try Catania at rush hours for a nice refresher - as pedestrian or driver - flashing stoplights at most (all?) intersections and roundabouts galore!

I can cross the street in Rome. That’s just NYC on steroids. But I was just in Bangalore and Hyderabad, where crossing major intersections is impossible. It simply cannot be done.

Sophie, crossing in Hyderabad may look difficult, but the advice of following a local is spot-on.  Stand just downstream of the local, and cross into the gap of traffic he/she has created.  Seems to work anywhere!  If no locals, though, one may be out of luck =)

Nice! I’ve bookmarked it http://www.propeller.com/submit/checkstory :D

Isn’t it like this in all big cities? Remember that people are soft and cars are hard.

I usually wait for a group of locals before i cross heavily trafficked roads too.

I didn’t realize that crossing the street in Rome was so complicated! Your article was both informative AND entertaining, thanks!

Never realised it was actually that bad in Rome, and never realised how many cars there where either, I wonder how many scooters there are then?

It would be interesting or maybe rather horrifying to see some accident statistics from Rome.

If walking is this dangerous, how do the people get around.  Is it mainly scooters?  I know they are very popular there, but I can’t believe the city governments aren’t all over this issue.  It seems it would have to really hurt tourism.

Best,
Kyle Park

I disagree with trionfale in that you must stare down the Roman.  It’s just like the scene from Crocodile Dundee where he stared down the dogs, but ladies this will be the only time you will want to make eye contact with the natives.  Once they see you they will stop.  However, the more tricky navigation issue is the buzzing motorini (Vespas) as they make a habit of going behind the pedestrian, which to David’s point if you do not follow through with your crossing you could get clipped on your retreat. 

So in order to put your Roman sprezzatura on: 1) make your firm decision; 2) stare down the drivers; 3) cross with ease; 4) don’t retreat.

Oh, by the way, don’t try this in NYC….......

Happy Crossings,

Chris

I wouldn’t say “staring down” drivers has ever worked for me and that’s not what I suggested - eye contact of the friendly but decisive kind has always seemed enough.  Otherwise, no. 1, 3, 4 are right on, esp. no. 4 - retreating confuses everyone and messes up both the physics and the geometry of the art…

In Taiwan, you should always hold up your hands and try to run to the other side of the street because the streets here are very chaotic. Many foreigners in Taiwan (Americans, Europeans) have troubles crossing the streets because the cars and scooters do not stop and even cross when there is red light!

I’d use the technique I developed in Vietnam! Never run, and just stare at the drivers as you walk across! (silently saying a small prayer each time)...