2004-04-16 The Italian Automobile
As I’m sitting on a bus, I probably have little personal experience upon which to base an analysis of Italians and their driving. However, this journal is as much about observation as it is about experience.
By American standards, cars – as with just about anything here – are quite tiny. More so than any other is probably the Smart Car, a joint project between Mercedes and Swatch. With a cabin just barely large enough for two, the car also has no apparent front or back end… it’s just a little capsule on wheels.
Yet, with cars as small as they are, the people who own them use them for everything. I’ve seen people sleeping in Puntos, eating in Minis, reading the paper in Pandas.
Still, considering the way loitering is as popular as soccer, perhaps it’s more of the Italian love affair with the street. Instead of Americans, who are only concerned with getting from Point A to Point B, Italians are content simply to enjoy the ride.