Stupidity in the Eternal City

As a resident of Rome, the daily grind can become almost unbearable when dealing with the sheer stupidity, inefficiency and downright lack of civility that exists here and that is choking the life out of everyone here. That along with the smog, the graffiti, the 50 million cars and 100 million scooters, have taken over any sense of quaintness this town may have ever had.

Oh, the stories I could tell, but here is an example of what it's like in Rome on the most simple and mundane level: taking a walk or as in my case, walking my children to school. This is a daily event that should be fairly straightforward, right? Well, in Rome it becomes just another glaring example of what is wrong here, and in particular, why raising a family here is a nightmare.

Some examples of what I have to face each day: the top photograph is the crosswalk in front of my house. It's not that the Smart car is parked in a crosswalk (which is the norm here anyway), but it's that the crosswalk was painted that way - there's actually a parking spot where the car is parked. So pedestrians once they cross the street "safely" still must stay in the street in order to find a spot where they can eventually squeeze onto the sidewalk.

This photograph is another example of a wonderful idea, not fully carried through. My neighborhood is currently undergoing all these improvements to the sidewalks - for example, building in guides for people with disabilities such as these grooves which are to assist blind people. However, look at what this moron has decided to do? I couldn't even get my very small stroller through that mess, but had to go - again - into traffic in order to cross the street. There's no point in spending hundreds of thousands of euro from city coffers and taxpayers money if they put in these improvements only to have the same blase' attitude about parking regulations.

Getting Giulia to school is already one of those things that is often filled with stress - trying to get her out of bed, fed, dressed, teeth brushed, hair brushed, homework together, lunch packed, ballet kit, sports kit, etc., etc. Thankfully, homeschooling Paloma this year - the stress has been minimized. But Giulia is a slow poke and will find a book to read or any other diversion to avoid doing what she needs to do to get ready. Yet she also hates to be late to school! For such a smart girl she just doesn't get the fact that her dawdling is what causes her to be late.

On the way to school it's an urban obstacle course - cars parked badly, dog poop (especially when it's rainy) and scooters driving down the sidewalk because of the heavy traffic. To make matters worse, we have to cross one major intersection on our way to the school which is always blocked in the morning and evening. People drive like maniacs at this intersection and so what does the city decide to do with its recent works? This photograph tries to show how they blocked off the pedestrian crossing so you are literally forced to go into traffic. Another example of the cluelessness of this city's civil servants.