When in Rome ... parking

I've worked out the system.  Phew ... 

Let's suppose a small group of friends decide to meet up for a coffee, or maybe lunch.  We're living in Rome and one of us lives in Vigna Clara and knows a great corner cafe where we've all decided to meet.  We all live in different suburbs, so some of us are driving in, some coming by bus and of course I've got my Vespa.

So what happens here in Rome?  Well, as we're all trying to park nearby, we spot a side street that has quite a few cars parked already.  It's a narrow street, and is one way traffic.  There is a huge car parking area at the front of the cafe, but that's already full.  Hakuna matata you may say.  Well, you'd be right.  From what I saw the other day, this is what would happen ...

The first to arrive would squeeze into a spot.  The next, NOT in a tiny Fiat or a Smart car, would find a space that wasn't really big enough, and rather than continue to drive around to see if there was a spot to fit, would just angle in to the too-small space and half park on the footpath.  The next few would recognise their friends' cars, realise it was close to the cafe, decide not to drive around looking for parking spaces and just double park.  There is already an unknown vehicle double parked, but that's ok.  The obvious rule about double parking is that you just don't worry!  The vespa arrives and there's a choice:  yep, double park or park behind a vehicle, making sure NOT to leave any space for the vehicle to wiggle out of their parking space.  Mind you, if the large vehicle hadn't already parked half way onto the narrow footpath, it may have been possible just to leave it on the footpath ....

Then everyone just goes off to enjoy their coffee, or lunch or whatever.  May as well do a spot of shopping after meeting up, there's no rush.

You'd think there'd be a problem when the poor person who had previously arrived and parked properly returns to their car to find it completely boxed in.  So they just start honking the horn, thinking that the drivers who have double parked would come running to move their cars.  Well, think again.  In this instance, she gave up and went to get a coffee herself.  Then the next driver, who had half parked on the footpath, came back to her car, realised she couldn't get out either, and so went to buy a gelato.  I began to wonder if the cafe hires people to double park so the 'victims' get to spend money in the cafe.  Then I realised this wouldn't be necessary because the food is so good there they don't need to do anything like this.

But if I move to Rome to live, I'll be getting a Vespa if I don't have FP, but I wouldn't be parking like the one below did!

Why?

here's why ...