12.09.19. Comparisons are odious?

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Thursday 12th 52-61F. Sunny period promised but it was often dark and heavily overcast during the day. Walked to the lanes.

I have been watching lots of YT videos, in English, about Dutch cycling facilities. They were so advanced 5 years ago they make Denmark's cycling facilities, in 2019, look like a third world country. One where cycling hasn't yet been invented. Don't believe a word about Denmark being cycling friendly. It might have been in the past but lost its way to the motor car decades ago.

Many major, Danish, roads have no cycle lanes at all. Let alone segregated cycle paths. Nor do they bother with cycle paths on major bridges between the three main landmasses. Meaning cyclists must travel long distances to find a suitable bridge crossing. If there is one.

Or must take the costly train just to cross the bridge. When the station ticket machines are actually working. You'd think they could have a bridge going transporter just for commuter cyclists. Something like a low loader with lots of bike racks and simple but spartan human accommodation for the crossing. Or find room to build a proper cycle lane on either side.

Dutch cities compete every year to be the Cycling City of Holland. While Denmark competes on how many decades they can go between sweeping the cycle lanes free of compost, fallen branches, fossils and loose gravel. Holland has lots of concentric cycle lanes around specially designed roundabouts. It has lots of cycle bridges, vast protected cycle parks and universal, red cycle route tarmac. Denmark has thousands of red, traffic lights.

Most Dutch cyclists don't wear helmets. Yet they have the lowest number of head injuries in the entire world. The secret is segregation of cyclists from motor traffic and always giving the cyclist the right of way. Even down to the design of the roads to drive the lazy motorist onto a bicycle.

Watch a video of the Dutch cyclists in action and you see a truly advanced level of relaxed skill. There is no sign of aggression because they all know they make the same mistakes at times. It is quite mesmerising to watch how they mingle and endlessly cross each other's complex paths without coming into contact. I feel I would really struggle to survive on my trike in these incredibly busy conditions. Yet you see lots of trikes and cargo bikes mixing effortlessly in the cycle traffic.

Countless children safely ride to school as they practice their riding skills from a very young age. The school's cycle parking facilities are unbelievably vast and efficient. Finding a single, obese person in any of these videos is remarkably difficult. The nation's health benefits from having so many cyclist is mind blowing and improving every day. Shops sales are booming because cyclists can park right outside. Instead of fighting for a space for the car and walking back and forth.

Outside Holland, the car has killed many independent shops. Leaving the towns and villages exposed to the ravages of the centralised, monopolistic, supermarket and big shed, money printers. Meanwhile, the Dutch are deliberately closing their city centres to cars. Making for a quiet and healthy environment for all. The streets are filled with relaxed pedestrians and cyclists. Their behaviour is sophisticated, tolerant and calm. Born of long practice and endless experience.

Outside Holland there are token pedestrianised streets full of the wrong kinds of chains. If every high street is identical why would you bother which town it is? They all look just the same. So you might as well buy your stuff online. Instead of waiting anxiously in a queue. While you worry about overstaying your distant parking spot.

Even where Denmark has pedestrianised city streets, motorised traffic is allowed but NOT cycles. You can be heavily fined for cycling there but cars pass back and forth with total impunity! They even have police deliberately targetting the cyclists and publicising it! Whoo-o-o-oh! Twilight Zone Alert! Holland is able to cater for both cyclist and pedestrians in the same street in vast numbers. Often in narrow historical streets. While the car takes the very long way around the outside.

An Audi, school mini-bus sized, people carrier passed me on the road. It was sporting expensive wheels and very low profile tyres. I wondered at the severe delusional psychology of the proud owner as he travelled alone. The German government is about to ban these vehicles from their city centres.

I expect the Danish government will give them special parking privileges and tax breaks. It's always fun to watch the idiot owners trying to park them in cramped supermarket car parks. Many Danish supermarkets have the parking lines painted too close together. So it seems as if they have lots of spaces. Only there isn't room for a small car between the lines. Let alone a bløødy great mini-bus!

Did I tell you how a woman driver of a very large, German, luxury saloon was embarrassed by my presence? I was loading my trike's bright, new, yellow saddlebag with carrier bags full of heavy shopping. She had deliberately taken the only disabled parking space. Which is nearest the supermarket door and right in front of me as I was busy at the cycle rack.

I glanced up a couple of times just to see if she had a disabled parking card in the windscreen. Of course she hadn't. That was enough for her to struggle to reverse out and take another spot further away. Perhaps she thought I was disabled because I was riding a trike?

Isn't the cold psychopathy of wealth entitlement wonderful? Until you embarrass yourself in the public eye. Like some Lady Godiva. Hidden from view only by her luxury vehicle. That disabled parking spot is very popular with large, luxury vehicles. Even when the car park is almost empty. There is a large blue disabled sign on a post at driver's eye level so they would have to be registered blind not to see it. 🙈

Click on any image for an enlargement.

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