Bicycle mayhem
So. I live in Leiden en study in Amsterdam. Both cities in the Netherlands. Both inhabited by many people going around by bike. Both cities with large universities. However; biking is way more dangerous in Amsterdam than it is in Leiden!
For those people who think a bike is for fun. In the Netherlands it is one of the top means of transportation within the city. For a long time I didn't have a drivers license for the simple reason that I didn't need a car to go where I wanted to go. Most of the distances I can do by bike. And if it was too far to go there by bike I would take the bus or the train. And many Dutchmen with me. We ourselves know how to deal with this. With all the cyclists I mean. But still it can be very annoying. And in Amsterdam it is definitely more annoying than in Leiden.
The most annoying being the fact that people most of the time don't sign where they want to go or are going. So, we are all on a bike, all in a hurry and no one is showing which way they go. Some don't even look behind them before they go left, or right for that matter. And that's annoying! Not only for me as a fellow cyclist in a hurry, but also for cars or other road users. They don't know what they will do either.
So this morning again. While I want to pass a slow cyclist, this person just goes left without looking! Almost pushing me off my bike! And that's not the first time! Yesterday I had one looking angry because I went straight. Well I didn't sign that I was going right although the three people in front of me did go right. What do you want me to do? Sign straight? That's just really confusing and I definitely refuse doing that.
Please?! Is it so hard to look behind you and stick out your hand to let people know where you want to go?
Love and peace,
Anniek
For those people who think a bike is for fun. In the Netherlands it is one of the top means of transportation within the city. For a long time I didn't have a drivers license for the simple reason that I didn't need a car to go where I wanted to go. Most of the distances I can do by bike. And if it was too far to go there by bike I would take the bus or the train. And many Dutchmen with me. We ourselves know how to deal with this. With all the cyclists I mean. But still it can be very annoying. And in Amsterdam it is definitely more annoying than in Leiden.
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| Cyclists in the Netherlands (*1) |
The most annoying being the fact that people most of the time don't sign where they want to go or are going. So, we are all on a bike, all in a hurry and no one is showing which way they go. Some don't even look behind them before they go left, or right for that matter. And that's annoying! Not only for me as a fellow cyclist in a hurry, but also for cars or other road users. They don't know what they will do either.
So this morning again. While I want to pass a slow cyclist, this person just goes left without looking! Almost pushing me off my bike! And that's not the first time! Yesterday I had one looking angry because I went straight. Well I didn't sign that I was going right although the three people in front of me did go right. What do you want me to do? Sign straight? That's just really confusing and I definitely refuse doing that.
Please?! Is it so hard to look behind you and stick out your hand to let people know where you want to go?
Love and peace,
Anniek
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