Untold Italy · Friday, August 7, 2026
Crossing the street in Rome requires a specific approach, according to Roman tour guide Nizim. He describes it as a 'game of chicken' where hesitation is a disadvantage. Drivers expect pedestrians to make eye contact and show no fear to indicate they can handle the traffic.
“Now, Rome is kind of like the midway point between north and south. So in the north people tend to drive a little more normally and we'll maybe respect traffic signs and stuff more. And then the further south you go the kind of more colorful manner we drive. But the rules that we have in Rome you can kind of apply anywhere.”
“You look at what's going on now, so you're at the edge of the sidewalk, and if the car isn't too close and isn't moving too fast, you just start crossing the street. You don't really need to look for. The zebra stripes the street crossings, because they unfortunately don't really mean much.”
“You must stare at the driver while you do this, or they think you're not paying attention and they'll try to freak you out even more than they normally will.”