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Published: February 12th 2010
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My trusty bike
Don't let the antiquity of it fool you - this little gem will get you around town with ease. The topic of tonight's random blog is Dutch transportation. Today, I decided to be totally Dutch & take my bike to the library even though it was flurrying. That marked the second time that I had taken my bike out in wintry conditions, but I'm getting more confident with it. I wasn't as afraid that I would wipe out & have to walk into the building with a wet bum. I did realize today that my seat squeaks when I go up hills so that it makes people turn & stare, but oh well. I guess I just can't sneak up on someone is all. However, as much crap as I give my bike, it's actually a pretty handy little guy to have around. In fact, it's so handy that other people were using my bike without me even knowing it! haha. As Adnan & I were planning on how we were going to get to the pub last night, we contemplated biking it over there (since it was across the river & it was freezing out last night, so walking was definitely out of the question). Adnan mentioned that his bike had broken, but he hadn't found time to take
Go green or go home
I think a black Vespa would make a fantastic birthday present. (*hint hint*). Couple that with a green helmet that reads "Sustainable Development" & has pictures of trees on it, & I think it would be a fantastic (& eco-friendly) means of getting around! it back to the bike shop to get it repaired or replaced. In the meantime, he had just been borrowing "an old bike that nobody cared about because it was left unchained in the mailroom downstairs." Hmm... there aren't many old bikes down there, I thought. So I asked him if the bike was green, to which he responded yes, & I put it together that the old piece of crap bike that Adnan had been steathfully using for the past week was really my good ol' greenie that probably saw action in World War II. I guess this goes to show that even a beaten up & old bike still trumps a broken bike! haha. The Dutch are so into their bikes. There are designated bike paths on essentially all of the streets & huge bike parking lots in all the major areas. Also, as I previously mentioned, they created the bike track for you to be able to walk your bike down the stairs. That just floors me. People of all ages ride their bikes here. The other day I saw the cutest little girl on the front of her mom's bike with a windshield in front of
Good ol' standby technique - walking
This is a picture of Adnan, Carolina, & I walking home. Just goes to show you that even though there are so many alternatives, nothing beats a nice brisk 15-minute walk home in freezing temperatures. :) her. Then on the back of her mom's bike was an adorable baby boy strapped into a "bike seat." Talk about eco-friendly family travel! It's like the European version of a mini-van! (I wonder how housewives take their kids to soccer practice here? Hmm...) It's not just parents & children sharing bikes. People will hop on the back of others' bikes for rides all the time. I'm not entirely sure how sitting on a bike rack on the rear wheel can be comfortable, but it's definitely an easy way to travel (if you're the passenger, that is).
Since biking it to the pub was out of the question, since there was 1 bike & 2 of us & neither one of us wanted to risk sitting on the 100-year-old bike rack on the back of my bike, we decided to just hop in a cab. Interestingly enough, all of the cabs in Maastricht (& in this portion of Europe as much as I've seen) are all top-of-the-line cars (i.e. Mercedes, Lexus, BMW). We asked the cab driver (who was wearing a suit) why taxis are the nicest cars, & he explained that they can buy them tax free. So for an ordinary citizen that wanted to buy the BMW for 60,000 euro, he could get it for 40,000. I suppose it makes sense. All of the taxis are identifiable by their blue license plates. It's definitely more chic than the yellow & black taxis of the US. Especially since the taxi drivers here are all in suits and you don't fear for your life at every turn (unlike the taxis of Washington, DC for instance). It's little differences like that that are very interesting to come across.
Not many people here drive cars. There are a lot of Vespas & other forms of scooters, but not many cars. Also, I have yet to come across a gas station, so even if you did have a car, I don't know how you fuel it! Interestingly enough, the parking lots that are in town are all underground. It's really quite odd, but yet functional.
I've decided that when I get home, I want a Vespa scooter as my primary means of travel around town. (Not on highways because that just seems like impending death for sure). I mean, just picture it... on a nice summer day my Dad & I can go out for a ride -- he on his prized Harley, me on my Vespa. What an awesome mental picture. In Johnstown, we have a thing in the summer called "Thunder in the Valley" where bikers come from all over the US to show off their goods. Could you imagine it if I entered a Vespa into a contest? That would be hysterical. (My birthday's in June, so if I could have a black Vespa waiting for me when I come home, that'd be great. Thanks.) haha.
Ok. I think that's enough random babble for tonight. Carnaval starts tomorrow & continues until Tuesday, so expect blogging on the ridiculous antics that go on during that in the very near future!!!
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