Now, I've been to a few places where the idea of health and safety is most definitely not a pressing issue. In Nairobi, watching people pass back and forth through one of those airport scanner thingies as if it was one of those swing gates in a supermarket has to be up there. (Furthermore, the only way to stop people from walking under the wing of a plane was a tiny little orange cone. You get the idea.)
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| Nairobi's extensive health and safety procedures. |
But I wouldn't have put Italy into the 'rather alarming lack of health and safety regulation' category. Alas, rules seem to be rather lax in these parts. Here are a few examples for you.
- SPOTTED! two teenage boys riding a moped at an alarming speed without helmets.
- SPOTTED! man riding a moped at an alarming speed without a helmet whilst talking on a mobile phone.
- SPOTTED! every single person without a seat belt on in their cars.
- SPOTTED! man driving car minus seat belt, talking on a mobile phone.
- SPOTTED! woman driving car minus seat belt, children (yes, plural) in front seat minus seat belt, talking on a mobile phone
- SPOTTED! HEAD HEIGHT FIREWORKS!! SMALL CHILDREN RUNNING ALONG NEXT TO THEM!(see previous post for more info...)
need I continue?
Don't the police do anything about this? I asked, while at the same time getting my answer as I saw what looked like a member of the carabinieri driving minus seat belt and talking on a mobile phone. I guess not. Fastening your seat belt here results in two things. Number one- you feel safe and secure. And number two- you get looks of shock and disgust from Italians, causing you to feel terribly, TERRIBLY uncool. Almost worth not fastening to avoid THAT kind of look. While this lack of concern for safety does worry me occasionally, I can't help but wonder what's worse: lack of safety regulation or too much of it. In the UK, we have health and safety rules for everything. I mean, EVERYTHING. Even something so ridiculous as not throwing graduation caps in the air, lest they could fall on someone and 'hurt' them. Oh please. I launched mine quite violently. The Welsh one informed me recently that in the UK you can only drive around in one direction when riding bumper cars. They are even banned from bumping altogether at Butlins. Erm, WHAT? Sorry, but I'm with the Italians on this one. And I believe I proved this only the other day, by jumping into a bumper car (after watching said head height fireworks, albeit at a distance) and zooming around, BUMPING and BASHING to my heart's content. (*cackles gleefully*)
