Right here in America of America, USA, we discover the remainder of the world’s habits deeply complicated. Whether or not it’s consuming meals that isn’t Cheetos, consuming espresso that isn’t Starbucks, or just talking a language that isn’t English, all of it strikes us as fully weird. However there’s nothing that confounds us greater than the Dutch propensity for using bicycles to get locations, and their steadfast refusal to put on helmets whereas doing so:
Nevertheless, within the wake of some [dripping blood letters] SCARY STATISTICS [/dripping blood letters], evidently even the Dutch themselves at the moment are pushing for helmets:
That is very a lot within the American custom of not addressing the actual downside in relation to drivers hitting folks, which is…effectively, drivers hitting folks, as some Dutchies are mentioning:
Although strive telling that to the sufferer of a “traditional Dutch accident,” who now wears a helmet:
So what occurred? Properly, he acquired drunk and he crashed his bike:
This actually sums all of it up completely. Was it’s failure to put on a helmet that brought on the crash? Or was it, you realize, THE FACT THAT HE WAS DRUNK? However ultimately it doesn’t matter. Whether or not it’s reining in our careless driving or reining in our extreme consuming, none of us need to do the troublesome factor that may really make a distinction. As a substitute, we favor to do the straightforward factor, which is to proceed behaving as stupidly as all the time whereas carrying fortunate foam hats as if that alone will make any destructive penalties go away. It additionally has the good thing about mollifying your 8-year-old son, who lacks the sophistication to ask you why you drink a lot. (Or perhaps he’s discovered the exhausting technique to keep away from the topic.)
By the way in which, we’ve identified that there’s a relationship between consuming and bicycle deaths for fairly a while:
And but we hold drawing the identical conclusion:
Why? As a result of it’s simple, that’s why.
However may there be one thing else at work within the Netherlands apart from folks using after too many Heinekens? You already know, perhaps one thing that begins with the letter “E?”
Sure, go away it to e-bikes to destroy the one place on Earth we may as soon as level to after we needed to show that bicycles as a mode of transportation really work:
Apparently it’s gotten so dangerous over there the police need to examine e-bikes on dynamos:
Look, I’m not saying e-bikes are answerable for all of the ills of society, I’m simply saying it’s getting actually, actually exhausting to not consider that e-bikes are answerable for all of the ills of society.
Nonetheless, whether or not it’s e-bikes or common bikes, it’s vital to do not forget that it’s the people who find themselves most vital:
It sounds good, however sadly that is fully unfaithful. As a friendless member of the Folks Who Journey Alone Membership*, my bikes are actually all I’ve. Belief me, I don’t want folks and relationships to take pleasure in using my bikes. However you realize what I do want? My bikes! The persons are incidental. The truth is, have you learnt what they name a bunch of pals with out bikes who take pleasure in using collectively? They name them runners:
*[Yes, I realize the idea of a club made up entirely of people who ride alone makes no sense, but don’t overthink it.]
Possibly it was simply such a big group of bikeless pals who stole a whole semi truck filled with bikes:
I’d by no means even heard of Ari Bikes earlier than, but it surely feels like they make just about each form of bike you possibly can presumably consider:
I completely learn “Timp Peak” as “Pimp Steak.”
