Here are a couple of things that we have learned since being here:
1. Italy has quiet hours from 12-4pm daily. No dog barking, kids playing in yards (and making noise), mowing the lawn etc. I wonder how long it will take me to mess this up!
2. Most stores have riposo from 12:30-2:30pm or so. That is the time that they are closed for lunch and nap. I think I will be able to adapt to this custom. . .
3. You are not allowed to keep weapons in your car. This includes golf clubs.
4. Children 13 and under require a babysitter. You have to be 14 to babysit, 16 to drink, and 18 to drive. So technically, you could end up with a tipsy 16-year-old babysitting your 13-year-old but you would have to pick them up to get to your house.
5. If you are pulled over for speeding or any other traffic violation, you have to pay the ticket price on the spot or the carabinieri (police) can take your car. The fine for speeding 11-20km (about 6-12mph) over is 180 euro or $240.
6. The police stand on the side of the road and stick out their "lollipop" (ha ha) to pull you over. If you decide to keep driving, they have the authority to shoot out your tires (or wherever the bullet happens to hit).
what? a lollipop? are you serious?
ReplyDeletehow did you find out about this, i hope by reading a book! :)
this whole thing just brought up so many funny things in my mind! thanks for the posts! keep them coming!
The "lollipop" looks like a red and white bulls eye on a stick. It is about the size of a CD. Luckily, I didn't find out about it first hand!
ReplyDeleteIf you didn't pull over, could you just blame it on cultural ignorance? Although I guess your tires would already be blown out...
ReplyDeleteI would definitely claim cultural ignorance but I am not sure how far that would get me!
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