The Collective Unconscious

The Wikipedia definition is: Collective consciousness, collective conscience, or collective conscious(French: conscience collective) is the set of shared beliefs, ideas, and moral attitudes which operate as a unifying force within society. …

We have come to believe that this describes Italian drivers throughout the Amalfi Coast and perhaps the entire country. We would like to forward an additional concept though. Let’s add the word Neapolitan to it. So, our new theory reads as the Neapolitan Collective Unconscious. We have had more than one person here in our section of Campania relay to us that they live for today and that nothing else matters. They think ahead but let tomorrow take care of tomorrow. This reminds us of the popular song from the 60’s of Che sara, sara (que, sera, sera). This attitude of letting tomorrow be itself and living today combined with the whole devil may care driving system adds up to an interesting travel experience. We have decided that Italian drivers, for all the bad publicity they get internationally, may just be the best drivers in the world. Let me explain;

They seem to unconsciously know exactly where each part of the vehicle they are driving is at all times. This applies to everything from bicycles to very large tourist buses. The drivers seem to be able to project exactly where the vehicle will be in space and time at all moments in the immediate future. We saw cars coming in the opposite direction, barely having enough room between them and an oncoming bus, while being passed by someone on a scooter. The number of vehicles on the road running along the main road is insane and it runs the gamut of almost every wheeled vehicle usable on a paved road.

Speaking of scooters… the riders of these conveyances truly have no thought of tomorrow as they whiz about, powering up hills (barely in some cases), passing wildly around cars, buses, lorries, other scooter and pedestrians. They weave and bob through traffic, both vehicle and pedestrian like there is no grim reaper. I have ridden a motorcycle for many years on all sorts of roads and am often taken aback at the daredevil manner in which these riders operate. There is no gender bias on a scooter, they all ride exactly the same way. We have begun noticing the difference between a scooter operated by a tourist and a local. The tourist is generally much more compliant with traffic signals and lines in a roadway as well as staying in their lane. This infuriates the locals which is noticeable by the number of scooter beeps and revving motors as they roar around each other and the other traffic.

Traffic signals/signs/pavement markings, as we have been told by many local drivers, are merely suggestions. Bigger vehicles tend to pay attention to the very few red lights here on the coast but cars and scooters tend to take the lights as a concept that they may or may not adhere to. There is often the sound of horns honking all over the coast road but we have discovered that they are indeed used for a reason. Almost all vehicles honk as they approach a tunnel, blind corner, switchback corner or very narrow section of the road. Of course, all of these terrain features describe most of the coast road. I am not sure I have seen more than 100 meters of straight road from Positano to Maiori and forget even 50 meters straight going to either Scala or Ravello! And yes, the drivers do use a lot of hand gestures while beeping their horns. I have heard no long blaring of horns, usually just quick “beeps” along with a possible motion of the hand, indicating what the driver is suggesting you do. They beep as they pass other vehicles, they beep as they pass pedestrians and they may make a couple of beeps using some understandable hand gestures indicating how you should go around them or back out of the way for our passage. I have heard no loud yelling or cursing (I googled all the local curses before our journey just to be armed in advance) and have seen no unprovoked rude gestures. And, of course being Italians, the men beep lightly at the pretty women as they pass.

Pedestrians… Well that’s a whole different but same experience. These little towns are close enough to walk between (hills and steps, yes) and the locals ask that you walk on the Sea side of the road. This way the motorists can anticipate where you might be in the insane and complex ballet that is traffic on the Amalfi Coast.

SO…

In summing up my limited experience with the Collective Unconscious, I’m not sure that Jung would agree with my interpretation of his theorem but I’m going to go with it. There does indeed seem to be something connecting all these drivers into an ether of some sort where traffic control is projected to all drivers at all times and keeps them safe. Go ahead, search the web…there are many sites that say American highways are much more dangerous. Of course, everything here is at slow speeds because you really can’t get up to any speed on this twisty set of roads.

Until next time, I am walking, using the bus and ferry system, I have no intention of getting behind the wheel of a car this entire trip.

Be safe out there,

Bfd