Berlin envy - part 1
It's hard to soldier on finding the positives about living in London after coming back from any holiday but two weeks in Berlin makes it impossible. So, in the interest of staying positive, I have to talk about Berlin. Part one of my Berlin envy series is about cycling.
I rode a bike everywhere in Berlin - except to and from the airport - and I can't stress how great it is to cycle around there. First off, there are cycle paths that are separated from the street in most place and separate traffic lights for bikes. Even so, cars actually pay attention for bikes and when they are making a right turn, they sit there and wait for all the cyclists who are going straight to go by before they turn. Even more amazing, pedestrians actually look our for bikes too.
To make a left turn, you go straight across the road and there is a separate little stop next to the cycle lane and lights telling you when you can cross the road in the other direction to finish your turn. So you are never waiting in the middle of a junction with cars coming at you or impatiently from behind or even cutting across any lanes of oncoming traffic. This makes perfect sense but just seems so revolutionary when you are used to risking your life at every turn in London.
Nearly everyone rides a piece of shit and nobody rides around in expensive spandex gear. One day when my partner and I were setting out, a woman rode past with a helmet and I said "that's the first person I've seen with a helmet." Immediately following her was a guy who went speeding down the road, sitting upright and using both hands to eat a sandwich.
It's really refreshing to be around lots of people who just ride bikes to get around, instead of buying into an entire lifestyle that means laying out tons of cash if you are to be taken seriously. I find it alarming that an activity that should be liberating (don't need a car, don't rely on public transport, etc.) can become one that saddles (pun intended) some people into spending as much on their bike and it's accessories as buying and driving a car would cost. But the point is to not be negative here.
Locking up a bike in Berlin? Go ahead if you really, really don't want it to get stolen. First off, there is ample bike parking in most places. Also, it's perfectly fine to just lock up your front wheel to the frame and lean it up against a wall without even bothering to lock the bike to anything. And most apartment blocks have a big courtyard where people can keep their bikes without having to drag them inside and up the stairs and then find room for them inside.
Finally, if you're too tired or too drunk to ride home, you can bring your bike on both the S-Bahn and U-Bahn, although you do have to pay for it. But people find a way around this. My friend told me, "just don't sit by your bike when you are on the train and nobody can proove it's yours."
I rode a bike everywhere in Berlin - except to and from the airport - and I can't stress how great it is to cycle around there. First off, there are cycle paths that are separated from the street in most place and separate traffic lights for bikes. Even so, cars actually pay attention for bikes and when they are making a right turn, they sit there and wait for all the cyclists who are going straight to go by before they turn. Even more amazing, pedestrians actually look our for bikes too.
To make a left turn, you go straight across the road and there is a separate little stop next to the cycle lane and lights telling you when you can cross the road in the other direction to finish your turn. So you are never waiting in the middle of a junction with cars coming at you or impatiently from behind or even cutting across any lanes of oncoming traffic. This makes perfect sense but just seems so revolutionary when you are used to risking your life at every turn in London.
Nearly everyone rides a piece of shit and nobody rides around in expensive spandex gear. One day when my partner and I were setting out, a woman rode past with a helmet and I said "that's the first person I've seen with a helmet." Immediately following her was a guy who went speeding down the road, sitting upright and using both hands to eat a sandwich.
It's really refreshing to be around lots of people who just ride bikes to get around, instead of buying into an entire lifestyle that means laying out tons of cash if you are to be taken seriously. I find it alarming that an activity that should be liberating (don't need a car, don't rely on public transport, etc.) can become one that saddles (pun intended) some people into spending as much on their bike and it's accessories as buying and driving a car would cost. But the point is to not be negative here.
Locking up a bike in Berlin? Go ahead if you really, really don't want it to get stolen. First off, there is ample bike parking in most places. Also, it's perfectly fine to just lock up your front wheel to the frame and lean it up against a wall without even bothering to lock the bike to anything. And most apartment blocks have a big courtyard where people can keep their bikes without having to drag them inside and up the stairs and then find room for them inside.
Finally, if you're too tired or too drunk to ride home, you can bring your bike on both the S-Bahn and U-Bahn, although you do have to pay for it. But people find a way around this. My friend told me, "just don't sit by your bike when you are on the train and nobody can proove it's yours."