Who's going to drive you home...

I had my first driving practice today, not a lesson as such as I already know how to drive, but practice in driving on the WRONG side of the road (I don't care what anyone says, just because the majority of the world drives on the right, doesn't make it correct!). It was good, I am a good driver and this was about getting used to things being backwards eg going anti-clockwise around roundabouts, remembering the slow lane is the one on the right, etc. etc.

However, I have discovered why Italians are such terrible drivers. All the things we're taught in the UK to keep us safe (whether we follow them or not) such as not crossing your hands on the steering wheel, using the handbrake when the car is stopped at traffic lights and not turning your wheels while you're waiting to cross a line of traffic - these are actively encouraged here!

My instructor was amazed when I did the hand to hand shuffle when turning a corner (yes, I know most of you don't bother but, as I said, I'm a good driver) and told me to cross my hands. When I tried to put on the handbrake while waiting at a particularly complicated set of traffic lights, he told me not too and that, in Italy, the handbrake is only used when you stop on a hill. This means you can be sitting at a set of traffic lights (as I was) for five minutes with your foot on the brake and clutch, hoping to god nothing slips. And while I was waiting to turn left (across the stream of traffic) he actually turned my steering wheel so that if anyone had hit me from behind, we'd have been shunted into the oncoming traffic. It's madness I tell you.

Still I'm going back for a couple more, then I'll want a special 'driving on the motorway' lesson. After that, I think I'll be set. Watch out Italy, here I come.