Traffic in Italy is known for being chaotic. But traffic in Sicily can sometimes surprise even Italians. Cars, scooters, motorcycles, bicycles, e-scooters, and even horse-drawn carriages all seem to be moving in the same direction, yet each follows its own path and speed. I am still amazed by the way a scooter can make its way through a market packed with people.
The main pedestrian streets have speed limit signs for bicycles and e-scooters, though many people seem to treat them more as recommendations than actual rules. These streets are also the official territory of Palermo’s famous tourist transport: Ape three-wheelers and horse-drawn carriages. As for the horses, it is best not to expect any sudden braking and simply stay out of their way.
The perfect place to develop your “Palermo pedestrian survival skills” is Via Roma. It is a long avenue with numerous pedestrian crossings and no traffic lights. Whenever friends visit me from other countries, I share with them what I learned during my first weeks living here.
First, you carefully look for a pause in the chaos. You scan the distance for fast-moving scooters and motorcycles, while remembering to check for traffic coming from the opposite direction.
When the flow of cars begins to thin out, you look for a kind driver and make eye contact. Gently. With a smile.
They will almost always let you know—with their eyes or with a gesture—that you can cross.
Then you smile back and thank them. At this point, remember to check the rest of the traffic as well. But quite often, once the first vehicle stops, the others slow down too.
The final step is crossing the street: quickly, with a smile, and another gesture of thanks. Most importantly, quickly.
Palermitans are remarkably kind and helpful. Sometimes they will stop for you even when you intended to wait. Then a silent conversation begins through gestures:
“You go first.”
“No, you go.”
“I’m fine waiting, go ahead.”
And, just like that, it usually ends with smiles.
Because people here are kind.