RIP Davide Rebellin

[TourOfSardinia]

There is a rule/law to give any cyclist a 1.5m berth in Italy.

 

[Extinction]

There is a rule/law to get any cyclist a 1.5m berth in Italy.

Sure, but on two lane roads like the Via Salaria heading towards the Sabine region east of Rome that's not always possible.

 

[search]

Lack of bike lanes too. There's very little culture for cycling as a mean of transport in Italy.

when I was in Sicily last year, it felt like even sidewalks were unknown to them. You basically had to walk on the road as well

 

[Extinction]

when I was in Sicily last year, it felt like even sidewalks were unknown to them. You basically had to walk on the road as well

But you have to contextualize. All over Italy you have cities and towns that were first designed in the ancient world (and if not the Middle Ages), so were obviously not planned for the automobile. There are thus often no sidewalks along the cobbled streets and indeed Italians occupy the vias with the cars, but in such frequent cases the pedestrians always have the right of way. In Italy people walk in the streets and it's the cars that have to avoid them, with at most a quick beep to advise street-walkers to move aside so a driver can pass.

This isn't the problem with cycling, however, but the strade regionali e provinciali, those often just two lane roads that run between cities and towns from region to region or province to province, where motorists often go too fast and there is too little space to pass cyclists riding on the left border. One of the deadlist roads for cyclists in this sense is the Via Aurelia, which from Rome goes up the Tirrenean coast all the way to France. There is a section of the Via Aurelia north of Rome from Cerveteri to Civitavecchia that unfortunately not infrequently enough is a cyclist's fatal encounter with a wreckless or simply oblivious car or truck driver.

 

[hrotha]

But I see no other fault, as normally Italian drivers deal with cyclists relatively well.

I've only seen people saying the opposite.

 

[Extinction]

I've only seen people saying the opposite.

It obviously depends on the driver and often the region. For example, outside Rome isn't the best, although here too it depends where. If riding in the Castelli Romani beware, because the dense population, trafic and narrow roads don't make for optimal cyclist-motorist relations. However, riding in la Sabina is marvelous and just fine. In Tuscany cyclists are generally well respected, as is the case in many northern regions like Trentino and Veneto. The south can be dodgy, because generally there is less cycling culture. But, again, there are places where riders are well respected, for example in Puglia from Ostuni to Alberobello, but also in southern Lazio in the Monti Aurunci above Sperlonga and Gaeta.

In your statement, by contrast, I detect a hint of anti-Italian prejudice that doesn't conform to much actual experience, which is unfair and unjust.

 

[hrotha]

If you read any of that in my matter-of-fact report on what I've been reading online, I guess I detect a truckload of nationalistic defensiveness in your post

 

[Extinction]

If you read any of that in my matter-of-fact report on what I've been reading online, I guess I detect a truckload of nationalistic defensiveness in your post

Now that's rich, I just wanted to set the record straight. Far from nationalistic, as I'm no nationalist, it just seems to me that, and I have heard it before, there is too often this biased sense that all Italians are uncivil. Like any place else, there are uncivil types, but to say that all you've heard is how terrible Italian motorists are to cyclists is BS. Avoiding the immediate metropolitan zones, there are many fine places in Italy to ride where motorists are respectful. Unfortunately there are too many fatal incidents, I don't deny that, but this mainly has to do with population density, traffic and narrow roads, more I think than any inherent motorists incivility. For every 100 motorists (just offering a symbolic figure), yes, you will probably encounter an occasional a-hole. But in 27 years of living and riding in Italy, I have not, knock on wood, been hit by a car. By contrast, in the US I have been hit by a car 3 times, been threatened with a riffle, a baseball bat and had beer bottles thrown at me just for being on the road. Now there's a Place of uncivil and uncultured barbarian motorists.

PS. Your response, apart from only confirming your initial uninformed prejudice, came with an intention to be offensive. Chapeau

 

[hrotha]

First you accused me of "anti-Italian prejudice" (a not very nice thing to say, most people would agree) and now you're acting all innocent. And no, it's not BS that all I've heard is what I reported because it's literally all I've heard the last few days on this topic.

"I'm no nationalist, I just perceive any comment that might paint Italy in a bad light as a slur". Get a grip.

 

[Extinction]

First you accused me of "anti-Italian prejudice" (a not very nice thing to say, most people would agree) and now you're acting all innocent. And no, it's not BS that all I've heard is what I reported because it's literally all I've heard the last few days on this topic.

"I'm no nationalist, I just perceive any comment that might paint Italy in a bad light as a slur". Get a grip.

And here we go again with the offensive comments:"Get a grip?" Wrong again, and I have nothing to be innocent about, but, unfortunately for you, have quite a grasp of the situation. Rather I was referring to what appeared to be a confirmation bias on your part in the first statement, based on incomplete evidence and evidently skewed opinion.

My apologies if that wasn't clear, but I have no problem with critical observation, just not when it unjustly gives the wrong impression or paints an inaccurate picture. And, as per your first post, do you presume to educate me on riding in Italy? Have you ever lived in Italy? Have you ever even ridden in Italy?

So desist from putting words in my mouth, as I could do the same for you, but won't stoop to that patronizing level. And while I recognize the many problems in Italy, starting with the current prime minister (again I've lived here for 27 years), not all motorists are bad and it's naturally a wonderful place for cycling.

 

[dampframme]

ZEIT ONLINE | Lesen Sie zeit.de mit Werbung oder im PUR-Abo. Sie haben die Wahl.

www.zeit.de

Truck driver from Germany was arrested after a European arrest warrant, a decision is being made about extradition to Italy.

 

[Scarponi]

Had a hit and run previously in his life. What an absolute piece of work

 

[ZamlinusYoutubeious]

Ciao, Davide
Un mistero che non possiamo fare a meno di ammirare