21 June 2012

Where bikes go

Don't go look for the bicycle racks at a big English public building. They're probably simply not there. Approaching Plymouth railway station (one of the least welcoming in the country) you can't help but notice, if you're Dutch, that there is no sea of bicycles greeting you.

When I had to travel by train I biked to the station, found the most unassuming and out of everyone's way place to park there is, and chained my bike to a fence. When I came back I saw it was still there. But what was more: it had  note attached to it. It had been illegally parked! I was a bit confused. Where are you supposed to park it then, if there are no racks? But the note provided the answer: these are inside the station! On one of the platforms... and indeed. Next time I parked it there. But can you imagine if in a Dutch town of ~250.000 people you would try to fit all the bikes on a platform!


So this is it: all the bike racks for Plymouth railway station!
at

2 comments:

  1. Henco22 June 2012 at 08:58

    So civilized compared to the netherlands; a useful en friendly note instead of just taking the bikes away.
    And, having seen the picture op the official racks, I understand why the tourists regard the seas of bicycles near Dutch railwaystations as a tourist attraction.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Margot25 June 2012 at 17:34

    So civilised? I don't agree; it's only this tidy because Brits hardly recognise the bicycle as a means of transport. And yes that's less messy, but it is also related to the obesity epidemic and a general lack of fitness! I prefer the seas of bicycles...

    ReplyDelete