Parking and Politics in Italy
Yesterday, I flew to Milano Malpensa, the main airport for Milan in the north of Italy. There are a lot of things to like about Italy. The sun was shining, it was 10 degrees warmer than in Germany. I was looking forward to a great cup of espresso and a nice meal.
Sadly, Italy does not have a reputation for building stable and effective governments, a topic which recently was discussed in the New York Times. Italy has been swimming in a pool of critical issues for some time now - unemployment of people under 25 is over 20%, cost of living has increased much faster than wages, the birth rate is one of the lowest in the world and soccer scandals have rocked the country.
When you visit the country for a short business trip, you don’t notice any of that. What you do notice is a lot of traffic (I missed my return flight), bumpy roads and detours and a lot of very nice leather shoes.
You may also notice some things organized around, let’s call it, the chaotic principle. Here is an example. At Malpensa they have just opened up new parking lots for rental cars. So far so good. The lots are circular or oval-shaped with cars parked in concentric circles. Hmm. You are looking for a small Fiat (and all the cars in the lot are small Fiats) parked at number 849. The numbers are written on the ground. As you enter the first circle of cars, the number is 496. Which way do you go to get to 849? Perhaps the outer circle is 400 - 500, the middle circle is 600 - 700 and the inner circle is 800? Walk, walk, walk. Still no 800 numbers. After a bit more walking, you finally find the car. The numbering scheme is still not apparent, but what the heck, the key fits in the car, the sun is shining, the coffee is good.
No wonder Italian politicians don’t accomplish a lot. They are still looking for their rental cars in Malpensa. Or enjoying a cup of espresso. It’s amazing how the little things in life can make you happy.
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POSTED IN: Customs and Culture, Travel
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