I did the same thing Russell did, except it was in Guangzhou during  
the 1980s.
That is .... cross a one-way street with thousands of cars, scooters ,  
bikes , etc. parting around us.
Gus
>
>>> It's Italy, no-one bothers looking at traffic signals anyway.
>
> Some people may think that is an exageration.
> In some places in Italy, perhaps it is.
> In Rome (or much of China) it's not.
>
> I've told this before, but ...
>
> Walk down through the unbelievably surreal and sublime Roman Forum  
> from the
> Colloseum. I can't remember where the road at the bottom leads and  
> why you
> want to cross it, but that was the plan. The river Styx might be  
> less scary
> to attempt to cross. Fiats, Vespas and much more thunder by  
> unabated. Some
> interesting red and green lights do their red and green thing but  
> the flow
> continues. The guide (HHGTTG perhaps?, but probably Lonely Planet)  
> says -
> "walk boldly and steadily. DO NOT STOP. DO NOT CATCH THEIR EYE. You  
> will be
> safe. ..."  Obviously a new and interesting meaning of the word  
> 'safe".
>
> My wife will assure you that the following, while ever so slightly
> embellished, is essentially true.
> So. Take my wife's hand firmly. Firmness I know will be necessary.  
> Against
> eminently sensible protestations step into traffic. Walk steadily.
> Difficulty is enhanced by terror stricken tugging on my arm. Walk
> resolutely. Keep steady pace. Ignore screams and supplications and  
> tugging.
> To succumb to the temptation to cut and run is to risk death at the  
> hands of
> confused Vesparians. Ulysses at the mast cannot have been more  
> resolute (his
> crew did not allow him the option), or needed to be. And lo, the  
> Vespas,
> Fiats and many other types part and pass around us. At terrifying and
> unabated speed. No horns blown, no startled drivers. just business  
> as usual.
> Not catching the eye, steadily, screaming and tugging we progress  
> across the
> maelstrom to the further shore. Moses watching his masses cross the  
> Red Sea
> can have been only slightly more impressed and relieved. Death at  
> the hands
> of the Romans seemed for us to be hardly less imminent than for his  
> host at
> the hands of the Egyptians. Lacking either Fire or Cloud ours is by  
> far the
> lesser spectable, but still a moral victory and a life experience. I  
> haven't
> tried it in Egypt.
>
> In Bangkok we stand and eye the hurtling torrent of non stop city  
> traffic.
> These are definitely not Italians. Death would be the merest of  
> formalities.
> We go in search of an overbridge.
>
>
>          Russell McMahon
>
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