wrote:

Here in Oregon, if a pedestrian steps off the curb, even in the middle
of the block (nowhere near a crosswalk) traffic stops and both sides
are supposed to wait until the person completely leaves the street
before continuing. I've been here 12 years now and it's still feels
freakin' weird to me.

That's one of the things I really like about Oregon. It almost prepared
me for Rome. For oddly enough, given the reputation of Roman drivers,
there is perhaps no paved place the world you are less likely to be hit by
a car than in a crosswalk in Rome.

Where there's a light, pedestrians have to wait their turn according to
the light, but in crosswalks not at a light (and there are many, often in
the middle of blocks on VERY busy streets), pedestrians have an absolute
right-right-of-way. Cars won't stop if you just step a foot off the curb,
as in Oregon, especially if you show any sort of hesitation. But if you
boldly forge ahead, you can set off from one curb to another at any time,
even when traffic is heavy and whizzing by at 70 kph, in complete
confidence that cars will stop (even if they have to come to a literal
screeching halt).

Try the same thing outside a crosswalk, Roman drivers make a little game
of how close (and how fast) they can come to just missing you.

JR