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*not for the faint of heart
About Me
- Romerican
- My love affair with Rome began over 15 years ago when I moved here... and as often happens with love affairs, the honeymoon is over! This blog is all about my love/hate relationship with Rome and Italy.
Blog Archive
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2008
(71)
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July
(19)
- Oh snap!
- The Dark (sweaty) Knight
- Greasy hands
- Silver lining
- Calgon, take me away!
- Hotdogs?
- Summer cinema
- Above and beyond the call of duty
- Just say no
- Fastweb must die
- Golden oldies
- Adventure in Rome
- Amazing
- The great AC debate
- Chicken parm??
- Cheeks & chokes?
- Has it come to this?
- Happy 4th
- That's amore?
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July
(19)
8 comments:
Wow! I cannot believe people still make sweeping generalizations like that.
Well, as far as generalizations go, I'd have to say that the one about Italians and lack of public transportation etiquette is fairly true!
I see it here in Rome on a daily basis (and have often blogged about it) and I also notice Italian tourists doing the same abroad. When I'm in NYC I notice that the people who seem oblivious to common courtesy & etiquette on the subway are almost always the Italian tourists and the elderly Chinese immigrants. Sure, it's a generalization, just like "Italians tend to litter" or "Italians don't follow traffic rules", but for the most part it's true...
Wow... Matthew Parris is one of the UK's most prolific and respected journalists for and has been for the past 30 years. Just in case anyone was planning on disagreeing...
As someone who used to ride the Rome metro every day - I've gotta agree with Romerican. Of course some Italians aren't pushy on public transport but most are.
On the other hand, when I was pregnant people would give me their seats very often - not sure if people do that on the London underground.
I just think that pushing isn't really considered rude here - and no one waits for people to get off before getting on because they've never been taught that 'rule'.
The English, of course, are fine - until you get them overseas. See: Barcelona, weekends; Rome, 64 bus; Paris, restaurants.
I don't think it's considered rude in Europe ... writes this woman from New Zealand.
You see, I was stunned by the rudeness of Belgians on trams and in queues when I first arrived here, then realised it's not badly intentioned, it's not even an etiquette thing, it's just how it is.
Later I wondered if it's not that in New Zealand we have tons of personal space, we mostly have our own transport and our public transport is little-used. It's simple to queue patiently when there aren't so many people.
Then again, I'm so in love with Rome that I shouldn't even write here :)
Welcome Di Mackey!
In most of the big cities I've been to or lived, there is a basic behavioral code for public trans... this is true in American cities as it is in European cities.
In a city like Rome, many people depend on buses, trams & the metro to get around and many Italians themselves get annoyed by other Italians who are oblivious to common courtesy on the public trans. I don't think "that's just how it is", I think some people are just genuinely inconsiderate & rude. The further north you go in Italy, the more attentive people seem to to public space rules.
Of course you're free to write here! I obviously like Rome since I've been here for 10 years, and in being here that long I've seen a lot more and lived through a lot more than people who are here for a year or a week. The longer you live in any place, the more you know it- for better and for worse. Right?
Indeed ... I did smile over the exclaimation marks. I need to read you some more, having followed a link from Alex's site.
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