The Invisible Streets You Can’t Find on Google Maps
get around a problem: to find a solution or a way to avoid a problem
Via Modesta Valenti is a street in Rome that you will never find. It is the address for more than 19,000 people, but it’s not on any map. It is one of 237 ‘fictitious streets’, known as ‘vie fittizie’ in Italian. They are not real streets but are listed in the city’s records. They were first used after World War II to get around the problem of counting Italian circus workers and traveling salesmen.
Today, these streets are used to help people who don’t have a home. By registering their address as one of these fictitious streets, homeless people can have an official address. This is important because it gives them rights, like healthcare and voting. Without an address, a person legally doesn’t exist. While the system isn’t perfect, Italy has found a creative way to solve one of the struggles of being homeless.
Sample sentences
1. There’s no way to get around paying taxes.
2. We didn’t have a salesperson who could speak French, but we got around the problem by using online translation tools.
3. The government blocks Twitter in my country but I can get around the rules using a VPN.