Living in Sicily was fun, but it wasn't good for our driving habits. Since returning to the land of hidden cameras (aka U.S.A), we have gotten more tickets than either one of us would like to admit. And living in Maryland isn't like living in Louisiana. We don't have any connections here who can "fix" those tickets, plus it is pretty hard to deny that we were speeding when there is a nice little photo of our car conveniently attached to the ticket that suddenly appears in our mailbox. Sicilian driving mantra: don't hit any sheep/goats (you have to pay crazy amounts of money for that). New driving mantra: don't speed (or start figuring out new routes that don't have cameras?).
Good thing you didn't live in Switzerland. We got a ticket for going one km over the speed limit. We were trying to pass a truck so we could see. The ticket cost us $168 dollars. When we complained to our Swiss friends they explained to us the next one would be in the $700 range and if we got a third one it would be 30 percent of our income. NO JOKE! Recently a man was find over $200,000 dollars for his third driving offense. We learned to be very careful. Sorry about the tickets!
Good to note! When my parents visited in the fall my dad told me I was going to have to take a class to "re-adjust" to American road rules when we returned...guess I've gained some "confidence" since we arrived here 3 years ago!
I got more tickets when we first moved here to Italy than I had even received in the US in 40 years of driving there. Those MD folks are tricky. I told you to move to northern VA.
Ha ha your post made me laugh, I actually learned to drive here in Malta- and I wonder how that will effect me later on. There is a real creative flare when it comes to Maltese interpretation to parking lines and rules....but having said that I do think my ability to park in teeny tiny narrow cobblestone roads is pretty darn good. Miss having you just a stones throw away!
Yikes!!! But totally understandable! Living here has to change you in many ways, including road rules. When I go home to visit I consciously switch to exceedingly careful when I drive - it's the only way to control the Sicilian driving urges!!!
I remember shortly before we returned Stateside from Belgium, I slowed down to 55mph on one of the E-roads... and I wanted to get out and push! I've already gotten one photographic "gift" from the new speed camera in my own neighborhood, and there are 2 more between here & the Pipsqueak's daycare... Oh, how I miss those E-roads...! Hang in there, you'll (eventually) find a way to deal with all the meshuggineh cameras around here!
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