When in Rome...

[Duarte]

It was the oddest thing.

I'm sure sure that some of you will know, in many European cities there do not appear to be any enforced traffic laws. Every time you step onto a road with the intention of crossing, you fear for your life. Especially in Rome, they put the 'green man' symbol at the same time as the green light for cars. Mopeds will ride around on the pavement and miss you by inches...

Anyway, on my last day there I saw a brilliant thing. You see people on mopeds there (and on proper bikes) in shorts and t-shirt, sometimes wearing helmets and often carrying things such as instruments or shopping. On my last day there I saw some passenger on a moped carrying what appeared to be a bass...

It stopped at a traffic light, and I got a closer look. Low and behold, a Music Man Sterling. It looked pretty beaten up...and I'm not suprised.

I was stunned to see people doing this, do any of you other European guys carry your basses around like this?

 

[and lombardini]

If you mean "without a case"...nope...

 

[Grand Wazoo]

no! Mai! (No never, only nuts do that)

Now you've seen Rome imagine Naples, it is 10 time worse there, everything goes in Naples, one way systems are optional, traffic lights are a russian lottery, scooters have as many passengers as they can carry, traffic wardens are hiding in cafe bars drinking espresso as they are too scared to stop someone in Naples for a traffic offence and find a gun pointed to their face, need I say more?

 

[MrMusashi]

be sure to grab some markbass stuff while youre down there... i bet you can turn that into a profit to (re)finance your eb purchases

if nothing else, grab their bass keeper.. its one brilliant product!!

MrM

 

[five7]

Grab a sterling when it flies off a scooter. That is crazy! I have carried a bass in a gig bag on my bike backpack style but never by itself.

 

[Micolao]

Especially in Rome, they put the 'green man' symbol at the same time as the green light for cars.

come oooooooon...
that is not true.

do any of you other European guys carry your basses around like this?

No.

 

[Bongodude]

I Definitely don't.

 

[nashman]

Hw would you play when motoring when your bass is in a gig bag?!

 

[mmbassplayer]

When in Rome I like to stand ackwardly in front of the most odvious landmark...

JOSH

 

[Aussie Mark]

in many European cities there do not appear to be any enforced traffic laws. Every time you step onto a road with the intention of crossing, you fear for your life.

You think that's crazy, check out some of the big cities in Asia such as Guangzhou, Bangkok, Jakarta, Manilla. You'll be amazed at what you see being carried on motorbikes - goats, ducks, air conditioning units, TVs, families of five, 15' long timber planks.

 

[oli@bass]

Manila

+1

Hilarious.

 

[Basscake]

Every time you step onto a road with the intention of crossing, you fear for your life.

The trick is NOT to hesitate.

If they see that you are about to back off they certainly step on it.
But they also break really hard if you are brave enough.

It sounds completely suicidal, I know....
But it really works.

 

[Duarte]

It sounds completely suicidal, I know....
But it really works.

Yeah, I realised that towards the end. Just walk, don't look back or to the side. Make no eye contact...just walk and hope for the best.

 

[bovinehost]

The trick is NOT to hesitate.

If they see that you are about to back off they certainly step on it.
But they also break really hard if you are brave enough.

It sounds completely suicidal, I know....
But it really works.

Not in South America. Just a tip for you explorers.