Bicycles

I haven't ridden a bicycle for decades.  I was about ten when I learned, and it wasn't so easy for me.  Today some people have recumbent three-wheelers where you don't have to keep balanced.  I wish I'd had one of those!  Back then I didn't notice anyone wearing bicycle helmets like today. (They still don't wear them in places like Holland.)

Does it bother me when a cyclist brushes past me on the sidewalk? On the scale of annoyances, to me it's pretty minor.  I can understand them wanting to stay off the dangerous city streets.  North American cities aren't as bike-friendly as in Europe, though Toronto has improved a bit. (In Holland, bike paths have their own traffic lights!) I guess that in North American culture there's a popular view that bikes are for kids and cars are for grownups.

There are lots of bicycles in places like China.  Some third-world planners associate them with underdevelopment (like rickshaws), which is a shame.  India has a lot taxis powered by pedals.  In some places they're banning bikes to make more room for cars, and it's sad to see other countries repeating our mistakes.

Someday they ought to design a recumbent three-wheel bicycle with a mast and sail!