jumpstart Posted May 7, 2020 Author Share Posted May 7, 2020 mtravel - 2020-05-07 10:11 AM jumpstart - 2020-05-06 2:46 PM ... however in Rome they drive on both sides of the road and try crossing the road as a pedestrian... If you have problems in Rome now I understand why your women are not able do 30 feet of reverse when we meet them in some passing zone on the Scottish single tracks. However Rome is far from the ranking of the worst cities. Try Naples where red traffic light is just a warning: someone could cross your way ... Or Catania where there are 1.5 cars per lane. Or Palermo where the signs Give way are to be interpreted in reverse (Palermitan kindness let you pass if they have precedence but the opposite must also apply). However nothing to worry about. If you really want to learn to drive with ease you have to try (increasing order of required skills): Mexico Cairo All Indian cities. But here you have too many advantages, they drive on the left too. Almost always.... Max New Zealand ‘s not to great either with the Chinese drivers....not got a clue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulletguy Posted May 7, 2020 Share Posted May 7, 2020 mtravel - 2020-05-07 10:11 AM jumpstart - 2020-05-06 2:46 PM ... however in Rome they drive on both sides of the road and try crossing the road as a pedestrian... If you have problems in Rome now I understand why your women are not able do 30 feet of reverse when we meet them in some passing zone on the Scottish single tracks. However Rome is far from the ranking of the worst cities. Try Naples where red traffic light is just a warning: someone could cross your way . Or Catania where there are 1.5 cars per lane. Or Palermo where the signs Give way are to be interpreted in reverse (Palermitan kindness let you pass if they have precedence but the opposite must also apply). Max Yeah i think that one would have me in a sweat!! The two worst cities i've driven are Bucharest and Budapest. Both an absolute nightmare and certainly NOT a fun place to drive! In Bucharest you need to have the foot hovering close to the brake pedal ready to smack it hard for an emergency stop....not easy with a fully laden van carrying full tanks of water etc. Cars constantly weave in and out changing lanes, cutting you up. One driver, a BMW zoomed straight in front of me on a roundabout despite me having the right of way.....but when i saw his UK registration plate i let fly some very English expletives!! But he just zoomed off weaving in and out. Later that same day i was telling a Romanian guy about it and saying how i cursed him when i saw he was British. The Romanian guy said to me, "how do you know he was British....he was more likely Romanian that had bought the car in your country". Fair point! Best traffic light systems i've seen in European countries are those which have a secondary set of smaller lights placed lower down the post at driver eye level. Some also have a countdown timer so you can clearly see when they are about to change to amber and green. That is a very good idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtravel Posted May 8, 2020 Share Posted May 8, 2020 Bulletguy - 2020-05-07 3:16 PM The two worst cities i've driven are Bucharest and Budapest. . We are now completely off topic. I have been to Budapest twice, in February 1993 by car and in August 2004 in motorhome. I didn't find any major traffic problem. In 2004 I was a little worried because of some travel report that I had read and that described it as chaotic and unruly. Certainly intense as in all capitals but I do not give anything more. In Bucuresti, on the other hand, I drove just a little, entered the city, went to the campsite and left after two days and I have no great experiences to mention. Reached the city center by bus and then walked around, it did not give me the impression of problematic traffic. Romanian drivers: In my opinion they have not yet understood how roundabouts works. Everyone gives way to everyone, whether they come from the left rather than the right. Miles of queues result even outside the cities. My personal worst has been 13km queue between Sebes and Alba Iulia for a very simple roundabout. Anecdote: Only two months earlier what was once Czechoslovakia had dissolved in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. We were going from Prague to Budapest on the highway passing through Bratislava. The border consisted of a simple patrol of unpleasant Slovak policemen who stopped cars and checked passports. On the other hand, a similar patrol but of the Republic controlled who was going in the opposite direction. A few kilometers and I stop in a service for refueling. I fill the tank and go to the cashier where I find that my Czechoslovakian crowns were not accepted. They do not honor credit cards. What do I do ? Fortunately, a German lorry driver understood the situation and offers to change them. Ten, twenty, fifty. I give him mine and he gives me the Slovak ones. But how ? They are identical. No he said, they were identical, now the Slovak ones have a stamp to distinguish them from the Czech ones. Max Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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