Dream On

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[Listening to: Glimpse At The Good Life - Dogs Die In Hot Cars - Please Describe Yourself [UK] (03:22)]

After reading Toronto's New Year resolutions, Spacing magazines Wish List for Toronto in 2006, I thought I would compose a short wish list for Rome in 2006:

• Car drivers would realise you can't talk on your mobile phone and drive at the same time.


• People who double parked would get tickets.


• Parking Wardens who stood by Traffic lights smoking instead of moving on those who double parked under their noses would get the sack.


• The bins would be redisigned so tha they could be emptied and placed next to the curb (I'll have to post a photo to illustrate how bad this gets)


• The Vigili Urbani would be given motorini and not cars (they are supposed to be helping solve the problem, not contributing to it)


• Italian supermarkets would realise that having 10 tills is useless if you only ever open 2 of them


• And also that it helps to give you a bag before you start ringing things up, not after (on the days you have not taken a bag to the supermarket, of course)

Rome is a lovely city, but the points about the cars are only half made in jest. If people park in the bus lane, the bus has to slow down. As this interview with Paul Steely White, Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives, says, you have to look at how many people use Public Transport, and then how much is done to cater for those who drive. It's off balance, here and every where else. I just find it frustrating after 12 years here that nothing changes. Every day I go though the same places where traffic (on a bike, in a bus or in a car) changes from 2 lanes to 1 simply because 2 or 3 people have double parked outside a bar to get a coffee.

Enough rants for today...it's not worth losing my sleep over....