<div>I'm in London at the moment and spent the weekend in Amsterdam.</div>
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<div>Biking in Amsterdam is brilliant - the paths are well marked, and everyone cycles, Grandmas, little kids, guys in suits, my seven months pregnant friend, just everyone. Cyclists are given the consideration they need and deserve.
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<div>But in London, there's been an amazing transformation. When I lived here 15 years ago, it was only nutjob couriers on bikes, who were scarier than the drivers. Now, loads of people bike. Load of them. The partner here in my office bikes to work every day, and this is hardly uncommon. Organizations like National Trust and English Heritage include in their guides how to get there by bike. Paths everywhere, and loads of people doing it. For those who say cycle paths don't work, they'd only have to look at London to see that yes they damn well do.
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<div>Of course the people here actually know how to drive as well, which makes a nice change from Boston/Cambridge.<br><br> </div>
<div><span class="gmail_quote">On 27/06/05, <b class="gmail_sendername">Max Harless</b> <<a href="mailto:mharless@wesleyan.edu">mharless@wesleyan.edu</a>> wrote:</span>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid">Mmm... bicycling in Berlin. Yes, it is bicycle nirvana here. But it<br>has a number of things that even money couldn't recreate in Cambridge:
<br><br>- People who are driving actually know how do drive; many don't even<br>bother to learn, because it's so expensive and such a pain in the<br>neck. People spend 3 to 5 whole seconds craning their necks to look<br>for bicycles before making a right turn -- I see this all the time --
<br>because they know the bike lane has the right of way at a green<br>light... and what's this thing about right before left? They'll just<br>sit there as long as it takes me to figure out I have the right of<br>way.<br>
<br>- Most everyone has been on a bike since they were tiny (this is a<br>little frightening to watch, sometimes)<br><br>- It hardly snows here. (well... they SAY it snows, but I never saw a<br>plow THIS winter). (Does there exist a bicycle paradise with snow?)
<br><br>- Sidewalks the size of Central Sq. would be considered minimal...<br>There must be room for pedestrians, bike paths, huge trees... and<br>cafe tables for the jobless.<br><br>...And so much more.<br><br>Traffic calming, though... that works everywhere. Particularly the
<br>creation of dead ends and other inconveniences for cars, but not<br>bikes.<br><br>Amsterdam... that's more like an amusement park ride, with no safety<br>features. I'm not really sure it's safe; it's just a lot of fun.
<br><br>As for CM in general, I would amend Lee's prose-poem somewhat<br>tritely... It'll happen if you make it happen. It's so easy.<br><br>max<br><br>>Turtle,<br>><br>>Are Berlin and Amsterdam shining examples bicycle nirvana? The are
<br>>definitely wonderful rides for me. I have never felt so safe. (perhaps I<br>>was only mesmerized by the architecture).<br><br>_______________________________________________<br>Boston Critical Mass mailing list
<br><a href="mailto:list@bostoncriticalmass.org">list@bostoncriticalmass.org</a><br><a href="http://bostoncriticalmass.org/list">http://bostoncriticalmass.org/list</a><br></blockquote></div><br><br><br>-- <br>Anne Wolfe, Esq,
LL.M.<br>Mobile: ( 077484) 76599 <-- NOTE NEW NUMBER!<br>"No matter how persecuted you feel, you still can't defect to Disneyland." - Hilary B. Pryce