Today was the first day I have driven on my own in very many years. I don't normally drive in UK, let alone drive in Italy, but today I decided I should try to get my confidence up. Unfortunately someone kept beeping their horn - I tried to ignore it, sure I wasn't doing anything wrong, but eventually I slowed down and pulled over so they could go past, sure they were just impatient, but they pulled up level, indicated they wanted to talk, then pulled to a stop just in front of me.
They then told me one of my rear tyres was looking low on air and they were concerned it would be dangerous if I went fast. Of course I was grateful to them for being so persistent in getting my attention and we ended up in a bit of a conversation: I even got a phone number for their recommended electrician and plumber as one of them had just finished doing up a flat in town.
I came away thinking how nice of them, but not now. Mr RR checked the tyres and says there's nothing wrong with them. Mr RR thinks two guys saw a car with British plates and a girl inside and thought they'd honk their horn until she pulled over then concocted a story to get into conversation.
But...I'm not convinced they could see it was a girl driving, it's forbidden to use your horn in our town and the guys were quite a bit older, so is it possible they did have good intentions but were mistaken? It was a busy road with people around and they didn't ask for my number or try to give me theirs so I never felt concerned, but am I just stupidly naive and actually there are creeps that would do all that just to get a 5 minute chat with a foreign woman and I fell for it?
There was an unpleasant story in the local paper today about a woman getting attacked and it's reminded me that of course bad things happen here too and I mustn't be too trusting, but how do you integrate into a new society if you go round wary and closed-minded? How do you make new friends if you regard strangers who try to engage you in conversation with suspicion?
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