Riding A Motorino in Rome
Buying a motorino is something that has tempted me from the minute I moved to Italy. However – at present – I only have second-hand experience of riding a motorino in Rome. My family is convinced that I will seriously injure myself, if not die, the second I dare to drive such an obviously dangerous vehicle.
Of course words of caution are appropriate, and the blogs and forums all over the internet are full of them, showing just how bad Rome’s traffic reputation is. (Read our previous article on traffic in Rome here: Streets Of Rome: Anarchy, Primal Fears.)
A quick look at Amanda Castleman’s report “Roman Traffic Al Fresco” shows that while riding a motorino in Rome is dangerous, it is also outrageously wonderful. Her concluding comments are:
But I’ve got the bug. Driving in Rome is dangerous, but it’s also sublime. The locals are aggressive speed freaks, but they are all the more alert and honed for it. Absolute control is needed to navigate the absolute chaos. All my senses spring alive, as I float through the traffic, flashing by the fountains, shattered columns and Baroque domes.
I know that this will not appease my family’s fears, but I might take the matter into my own hands, buy a motorino, and viciously corrupt them by taking them for a few rides. Infecting them with the “bug” might be the only way for me to enjoy life the way it is meant to be enjoyed in Rome – after all the reputable New York Times has the following to say on the subject:
How do Romans get that extra kick between espressos? They hop on a Vespa, take a deep breath and plunge into the city’s famously chaotic traffic.
And there you have it.
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[...] and appears to work surprisingly well. (Read two of our articles on traffic in Rome here: Riding A Motorino in Rome and Streets Of Rome: Anarchy, Primal [...]