Dutch cyclist's conclusion is inescapably accurate: America doesn't take bicycles seriously [View all]

[CreekDog]

A Dutch Guy Is Disgusted By America, But He Has A Hell Of A Point

Rollie Williams Curator: Rollie Williams

(excerpts from video transcript):

Cycling in the U.S. is very different from the Netherlands. Not only the way people dress and behave, the type of bikes, but also the traffic in which they have to move around, the cause of all these differences. It takes courage to ride between motorized traffic like this. And you cannot trust drivers to play by the rules.

...It almost looks like these people are riding a race rather than going home after work. They're trying to outrun other traffic. It really seems like a chase. No wonder some choose to ride on the pavements or crosswalks...

Colored bike lanes might be better respected. It sure seems to be more relaxed to ride here. It is even better without parked cars. Some physical protection, even though they're just plastic posts, is a further improvement.

Chicago goes yet a step further with a line of parked cars between track and roadway, but it is still not much more than paint. Curbs would make it prettier and less easy to reverse. I am no big fan of left-turn boxes, especially not when they're in the wrong location. It should have been positioned here.


http://www.upworthy.com/a-dutch-guy-is-disgusted-by-america-but-he-has-a-hell-of-a-point?c=reccon1