Thursday, July 9, 2009

Sidewalk Parking

Sidewalk parking, LivornoPlease don't ask me what kind of car is this four-wheel bathtub, in fact I'd like to know it myself. Here everybody parks everything almost everywhere but, if he has choice, on the sidewalk is better. Against any parking law.Sidewalk parking, LivornoIn Livorno you can easily spot an SUV towering on a narrow traffic island at the intersection of two streets, impeding view and passage.Sidewalk parking, LivornoEven if it is quite difficult to climb a curb with a “Piaggio Ape”, they simply can't resist...

20 comments:

Tash said...

Very interesting and varied selection of vehicles on the streets of Livorno. The little tub car is very funny - I wonder what it runs on. Maybe there is a hole in the floor & it's propelled like a Flintstones car. Hope the pedestrians can still get by or does everyone drive in L. like in LA?

Tinsie said...

So it's not just Athenians that park their cars wherever they like! Hehe.

I love the first photo, I'd so like to own a car like that :-)

Stefan Jansson said...

Love the first car. There's a guy living just a couple of hundred meters from me who own a amphibious vehicle. Perhaps I should ask him if I could tag along on his next drive.

joo said...

Cool selection, the red little one is cute, but my favourite is the last one:)
Here people also park everywhere - sometimes it looks af if they just left their cars in hurry and escaped!

B SQUARED said...

Love the little red car. I expect 8-10 clowns emerged from it.

Hilda said...

I am sooo relieved that it isn't only Filipinos who park on sidewalks and traffic islands! ;)

Your 'four-wheel bathtub' description had me laughing out loud! And I'm actually still laughing as I type this. Do tell us what it is when you find out, okay?

Hilda said...

I just checked your link to Piaggio Ape. I didn't know they were made commercially! I see similar 'submicro vans' on our streets too and thought they were just the product of the same welders and mechanics who make our tricycles and jeepneys. Fascinating.

Jazzy said...

the same kind of parking in Tuzla, causes lots of problems for pedestrians, hm.
red car is really cute!

James said...

Cute cars. Sidewalk parking reminds me of Paris.

Lowell said...

Fascinating...I noticed the tendency to park in unusual places in Paris, too.

The first photo reminds me of a little pedal car we bought for our son many years ago...

The SUV, well, hell, we're surrounded by monstrous SUV's and trucks that take up two normal parking places...

Great series, VP!

Frank said...

We can't see SUVs here becuse the Hunners block our veiw. I wish we would all begin to drive smaller cars in the US. (Then I could get out of my land yacht. It's just safer.)I love the first tiny little car. Toy-like.

Halcyon said...

Funny! In Paris people often park on the sidewalks and such too. I guess that's a problem for big cities. But you'd never see it happen in New York. Your car would be gone within the hour!

brattcat said...

Such a funny little red car. It looks like a child's toy.

Saretta said...

And how about those motorcyclists who drive down the sidewalk?!

cieldequimper said...

LOl, that bathtub is such fun! When I drove my rented Lancia in Tuscany I always tried to find normal parking spaces. Talk about the undisciplined French! ;-)Paris is much the same though, what really gets to me is the total lack of respect for handicapped people.

Baruch said...

Haha, I love the description "bathtub". Interesting looking vehicles - I've never seen a scooter like that

crocrodyl said...

Interesting! And the car in the first photo is extremely strange:) Thanks for sharing:)

amatamari© said...

I have no doubt: the "Piaggio Ape" is a myth: you can meet anywhere,
from the countryside to the city,
for small uphill road and along the wide plain.
Love it...
forever
:-)

henny said...

Come to Saijo and you would feel grateful to see any parking law violence in Livorno :)). I can wander the town for days to find no one who simply can't resist ...

Bemos in Indonesia, I think they were influenced very much by this Piaggio Ape.

Jilly said...

What a fabulous post. Just love the difference and weirdness of some of these 'vehicles' - apologies lack of comments. Been really sick with bronchitis and asthma but feeling MUCH better now.