Here’s a handlebar-eye view of an Amsterdam morning bike commute, from the bike blog Amsterdamize. There’s some hairy moments and consequently quite a bit of swearing so turn the sound off if at work.
He takes a lot more risks than I ever do, but then I have had the misfortune of being knocked off my bike by a hit and run driver. Amsterdam may be a bike-friendly city, but as you can see from the video its drivers are just as big a mob of self-centered asswipes as they are elsewhere in the world.
Amsterdamize
June 27, 2008 at 1:46 pmthanks for posting that, I’m honored!
Yes, there are quite some a-holes on the road, but overall we mostly benefit from the fact that all drivers are also cyclists in one way or another. I know some scenes come off as hectic, crazy (most certainly if you include my antics/cycling mode) and ‘dangerous’ to some, but I often compare that to Bangkok traffic: waiting for an accident to happen..but somehow it doesn’t.
Hence, I posted a new one, same concept, different execution. You know, to keep it ‘balanced’. :) Let me know what you think.
http://amsterdamize.wordpress.com/2008/06/25/amsterdamize-bicycle-vlog-2-i-cant-slow-down/
Cheers, Marc
Palau
July 1, 2008 at 4:33 amSorry for the delay in your comment going up: it got posted twice and thus stuck in the spam filter.
Love the new video, so much so I’m cheekily posting it up top. That’s the Amsterdam we know and love, with all the pretty bits in ;-)
It always amazes me that there aren’t more accidents, but I have seen a couple of nasty ones; one at Waterlooplein in which the rider was killed – didn’t see the actual accident luckily, but did see the blood all over the road, very gruesome – but both were the fault of the driver. That’s the trouble, you can trust yourself to take risks but you can’t trust other people.
I got hit by a driver running the red light on a left turn at a junction: they guy knocked me down, drove right over me and the bike and sped off. Only bruises resulted, thanks to my sturdy Gazelle… but I’m understandably wary of Amsterdam traffic now, especially with all those gigantic 4×4’s muscling their way around the grachten these days.
I do try and avoid the main drags where the bike lane isn’t separate from the car and tram lanes, except when absolutely necessary – I take the side streets and zigzag instead. Much safer. Prettier too, plus I get to be nosy at people’s curtains and gardens and cats. Zigzagging is good for the serendipitous discovery of new places and things.
But then I’m not usually on a deadline. Which is nice.