Sidewalks

At home I am used to sidewalks that accommodate thousands of people on game days, tents for hot dog vendors, spill over from popular bars, and whatever else can fit that particular space. This environment leads the casual walker to focus not on their next stop or what they may be coming from behind them, but rather, on a text message, a sandwich or a friend. In Rome, though, the concept of sidewalks is a little bit different.

Here, for the most part, there aren't sidewalks at all, and if there are, they definitely do not cater to the pedestrian. Since the streets are so narrow, the sides of them are used for Vespas as parking spaces and single file wall hugging walkers. This design leads requires pedestrians to have boyscout like readiness every step of the way. I have almost been clipped three times and found myself apologizing more than the driver of said Vespa. The driver, instead, looks at you like you committed a crime against humanity, shakes their head, and jets away.