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Thread: Italian Scooters

  1. #1
    Senior Members' Member Matt1eD's Avatar
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    Italian Scooters

    Scooters are every Italian's life particularly in Rome, and the cities. A friend and I are planning a trip to Rome, primarily for the coffee.

    Were we stupid enough to risk the roman traffic, which tbh we won't be, could we legally use scooters. This site:

    http://www.scooterhire.it/cat.asp?Cat=1

    states we don't need a licence. We are both over 14 and neither of us have a drivers licence. I trust the scooter hire people have it under control, but this site says a new law came in just over a year ago requiring a test in road safety:

    http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english...ent_344897.htm

    As the hire site says they can give a quick lesson, is that the learning for the test.... I doubt it! Did that law go out or what?

    We can also use them in ZTLs (restricted traffic - pedestrians & two wheeled vechiles).

    Links:

    http://www.romebuddy.com/loves/scooters.html (scooters & the romans)
    http://wikitravel.org/en/Rome (useful for all the free sites and transport)
    http://www.iscootny.com/scoot_faq.htm (scooter FAQs)
    http://news.independent.co.uk/europe/article315120.ece (lol)

    Matt

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    Senior Member RVF500's Avatar
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    Scooters in Italy are nicknamed 'mosquito bikes' and are routinely hated by anyone on 4 wheels.

    They can be found riding the wrong way up one way streets, jumping lights and generally getting in the way. None of which perturbes the average mosquito rider as long as the hair streams just right, the sunglasses are perched at the right angle and the mobile phone you are talking on while you ride is the latest model (in the case of the girls) or you have the latest sports exhaust (I kid you not) and can pull wheelies (in the case of the boys). I won't mention trendy clothing. This is Italy we are talking about after all. They are born trendy.

    So, if you are going to hire a scooter (which I think you can) don't worry about the legalities so much as having the right accessories. The locals regard road law as more a rough guide than legally binding. The police have a slightly different opinion but that doesn't seem to bother the locals.

    Enjoy, I spent 6 months working, and driving, there and would go back tomorrow. Even though I hate mosquito bikes
    Last edited by RVF500; 29-09-2005 at 10:48 AM.
    "You want loyalty? ......get a dog!"

  3. #3
    Senior Members' Member Matt1eD's Avatar
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    Cheers, (sport exhaust, yup I've seen them, whole modding sites!).

    My last run in with italian driving was in Aosta, a van driver did a 20 point turn to turn round in a narrow street (which was no cars, not even for access) and then narrowly missing my drove into a shop windows smashed his lights and drove off

    I'm slightly concerned (I assume that the hire place would no the laws so would be safe), I know they've started introducing a new assortment of laws on scooters and most people turn a blind eye to them.... it's just foreigners and police - they never mix!

    Thanks

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