European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 17, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Travel in ornate Hearse makes ils Way through the chaotic streets of the City. In Naples confusion is a Way of life children Are a part of the Street life of Naples. By Don Tate staff writer you Haven t lived until you be nearly died in the traffic of old Napoli. A Brush with death in Naples traffic is about As common As a Brush with Naples flies. And As casual. Hey forget it one is told. Have fun. It s Spring  what does it matter if you happen to be roaring along at Rush hour through 10 consecutive red lights or going the wrong Way on a one Way Street Down a Streetcar track with the Streetcar coming directly at you hey what s the big Deal co with the flow. The taxi Driver simply whips his vehicle left out into the opposing traffic wriggles deftly through whips Back right onto the tracks As the Street car rattles past and barrels Onward. What could be merrier driving Here is sport comments a surviving Veteran of Naples traffic sport. He says that keen peripheral vision and an almost mystical Faith that All will turn out Well no matter what is the neapolitan Way. A first time visitor might feel that All the cars of Naples Are All out at the same time on the same Road trying to wipe him personally out. What he must understand is that neapolitan Delight in. Crazy daring four wheel adventures As naturally As they drink wine. They Delight in ignoring All known traffic Laws. Indeed some of the More aggressive citizens of old Napoli feel free just to walk out in the Middle of the Liscomb ovulation and Start directing traffic and a visitor can witness wonderful Wacky new Laws created on the spot. But where in this City like no other is real Law and order a pair of White hatted polizia stand at a traffic Circle near the Piazza Vitoria where traffic seems to be spewing in and out like Spaghetti from eight stripes photos Gus Schuettler different directions. The polizia stand there in the vehicular maelstrom faintly smiling As if musing about life. Finally one enforcer sidles Over and places a ticket on a non moving car. The easiest kind to catch. Since the cars Are parked in All sorts of weird positions an observer wonders just what heinous crime the parking be per Trator has committed that he be singled out of the rat Maze for discipline. Swirling around the cops Are what seem to be 100,000 fits going beep beep beep Horn beeping is strictly forbidden it says in the Musty tomes of old Napoli s traffic legs but excitable Naples Drivers Delight in beeping their horns especially at Kamikaze Sundown when the offices flood out and everyone is in a passionate Rush to get from Here to Yon through quaint twisty crushingly crowded raucous Little streets that run around and bump into each other. If they be built a new Road in Naples in 50 years to properly accommodate that modern invention the automobile nobody seems to remember it. Swoosh. Scrunch. Squeeze. Cars and people weaving past each other like bulls and bullfighter with an entire Inch or so to spare. Glorious sport. Even More sporty is when All that comes together like the christians and the Lions colliding in a coliseum traffic Jam. Horns blasting engines roaring hands waving jaws working nothing moving. Mama Mia mama Mia Svegliato Wake up and yet in this snarl of exhaust belching seeming chaos smoking like Vesuvius about to Cook off there is something amazing. Something neapolitan. The faces Points out an observer of the Napoli scene look at the  most of the faces Are smiling laughing enjoying the chaos. Where else would you see that Newyork no. Tokyo a. In old Napoli you also get washed Over by it on the sidewalks and in the cafes and shops stripes Magazine april 17,1986