Someone Explain This to Me

Over the past few days, no less than three Italians have stopped me on the street to ask me directions. While I'm wearing bright colors, something no one here does. While I'm listening to my ipod, so I can't hear them. While there are plenty of black-clad, ipod-free Italians walking all around me. So, why ask me? Why ask the girl who is obviously American, even wearing a bag that says "A Bag From Barcelona" IN ENGLISH? I'm quite proud of myself, though. Instead of just involuntarily saying "sorry!" and flailing my arms like I usually do when spoken to in a different language, I actually held it together well enough to reply "Mi dispiace, no lo so" (I'm sorry, I don't know). I did know twice, but unfortunately my italian skillz do not extend to giving people directions.