If these people spent a week living in Amsterdam and experienced the absolute bliss that is good public infrastructure they’d be ashamed
No they wouldn’t
They’re paid well not to feel shame
They would see cities designed for pedestrian and bicycle traffic. My city here in America is proud of the hundreds of miles of bike lanes but all they did was paint a bike stencil on the shoulder of the road and put up a sign telling cyclists to stay to the right.
Philly wouldn’t know what to do without their one way street addiction.
Amsterdam has plenty of one way streets
One way streets are great with bikes.
There aren’t enough disability scooters
I know you’re making a joke but actually all the protected bike lanes makes it really easy and nice for mobility scooters to get around here
My wife uses a power chair (cerebral palsy) and we love going to Amsterdam as it’s so easy to ride around.
Paris is also very good for disabled visitors but for a different reason: a great bus network that supports chairs (but the metro is gated by stairs)
Lived in Paris for 40 years: buses, sure, but sidewalks? buildings? Always thought it must be hell for chair users.
I found Amsterdam terrible. People on bikes shouting at pedestrians. Not because of tge infrastructure but my goodness, that place is overcrowded.
You’re probably talking about central Amsterdam by the train station.
Yea that place is an absolute mess because ~20 million tourists come through there each year.
If you cycle 10min in any direction away from there it’s really nice and relaxed.
Just need to get away from the tourists
Just need to get away from the tourists
Solid advice. We stayed near the Noorderpark and that part was refreshing.
We took a flight to Amsterdam for a lengthened weekend once and had a hostel in the Red Lights district, or very close by at least if not on it. Yeah the central was utterly packed with bikers and tourists and boy, you better not wander into the bike lane. as a pedestrian. (Yes I know short depicts Germany instead but couldn’t find the guy just yelling “bike lane, this is a bike lane” and now I don’t know whether it’s a short I’ve seen or an anecdote I’ve heard.) Anyway, my friend had a friend living in Amsterdam Noord, so we took the ferry over. The entire walk+ferry ride from our hostel to the apartment in Amsterdam Noord was at most 15-30 min, with the ferry. (I might be misrembering the crossing time but.)
And Amsterdam-Noord was super chill, no tourists, not really that many people either. (Although it was a Thursday night iirc so…) And not like apartment buildings but like terraced houses etc.
It’s a favourite pastime of some Amsterdammers to scare tourists who aren’t paying any attention and wonder into the bike lane by ringing our bell as we pass within a centimeter of them.
If it wasn’t obvious I’d be forgiving but it’s painted bright red with bicycle symbols on it.
We like to joke the bike lanes are stained red by the blood of tourists
They will go to Amsterdam and drive for a week, go back to US, and praise their driving infrastructure while blaming cyclist for making them drive slow.
I genuinely understand why Jason from NJB said that controversial statement, carbrain is an indoctrination that cannot be cured by being nice, you have to really force a good infrastructure on them and make them taste it, like the bird eating cracker meme.
Though i would argue a lot of bikelane is hastily made without any proper planning, making the result worst for both group.
Don’t send them to NL, send them to Vietnam where driving a car as bikes weave around all sides of you is hellishly stressful, but bikes supply the experience cars promised but failed ti deliver, of being able to go wherever you like at a whim and free to park mere feet from mist businesses.
It will also teach them to loath cars, since 1 can fuck up traffic for hundreds if bikes.
As if they have ever left the US, except for that cruise that one time.
So they want them in the other lanes? Fucking hell…
