I don't know what's up- definitely, people in Europe have smaller cars, and they certainly don't use them to drive 3 blocks to the grocery store to get a ding dong either.

One thing people told me was that in Italy, they drive like maniacs. BUT the one thing for Italian drivers- regardless of how crazy they drive, they RECOGNIZE bikes on the road, and you are treated as part of the traffic. I've never had a car jump in front of me to turn right and cut me off in any part of Europe, but it happens every week to me here in Chicago. I've never had people honk at me in such a nasty manner or call me names or curse at me because I'm riding my bike on the road in Europe, yet it happens all the time here in Chicago.

Overall, I feel much safer riding in Europe as opposed to riding in Chicago, and I've been in some heart racing traffic before in Europe, but never any problems once I've entered it. On the other hand, you can be riding solo with like 2 cars on the same street passing, and one of the cars will pull up to you and curse you out for being on the road (especially when you're getting all the way from the right lane to the farthest left turning lane, which I never do unless the traffic is light to begin with). It won't matter if the street is deserted when you're riding on it, or if it's full rush hour traffic.

Go figure.

Koffee