The primary mode of transportation here in the Netherlands is biking. I know I’ve told you about my bike in other articles, but biking is a huge part of life in the Netherlands. The people get around using cars, the tram, metro, buses and trains too. Biking, however, is central to the Dutch culture.
In the U.S. and many other countries, there are laws which prohibit texting while driving a car. In the Netherlands, the government recently passed a law which bans the use of cellphones while biking!
Instead of school buses, many daycare centers transport the kids using six-person carts pushed by a bike.
Even the elderly, who might otherwise be too frail to bike around, use fancy motorized bikes to stay out on the road.
If you don’t have a bike and you trust your friends, you can ride on the back of your friend’s bike by sitting on the rack over the back tire. The really talented people can ride sideways, like they’re riding sidesaddle on a horse!
I once saw a guy carrying a 10-foot long ladder on his shoulder while on his bike.
I notice new funny, little details of the bike culture everyday. Biking is an essential part of life here in the Netherlands.
