Me and my bike

Back from a long vacation and committed to a (yet another) healthier autumn, I’ve started to ride my bike to work again. I’ll tell you biking through Stockholmin the morning or late afternoon is not a sinecure. Having read the morning paper yesterday (SvD Aug 21.) I got the final confirmation that my notion is correct: the bicycle accidents in central Stockholm has increases to alarmingly high figures. 

First of all, the scarcely scattered bicycle lanes are dead dangerous. It’s more of a rule than of an exception that the seemingly safe biking paths either directs you into infernal cross roads or ends abruptly in the street without any warning what so ever. I’m more and more leaning to the standpoint that we would be better off without the bicycle lanes.

Then, I admit I may sound like a grumpy old man, but all these bikers that totally ignore the traffic lights really annoy me. Sure, it may put them more in danger than me, I agree to that, but stopping at a red light is always a risk since you can be sure of having a fellow biker behind you who has no intention of stopping and therefore, loudly sighing, overtakes you with a resentful face. Only once have I ever seen a police fining a biker for driving against red, and I may agree the law enforcement should focus on more serious crimes. However, I do think it’s time for a campaign of some sort to enforce bikers to comply to at least the most basic traffic rules.

Having had all that out of my system, I must say I find the issue on future traffic solutions in Stockholm a most delicate business. The weary summer initiatives from both local and national politicians, on increasing the road tolls to finance an expansion of the underground line towards south and making it more expensive and troublesome to park your car etc, just feel so predictable. There must be ways of creating a sustainable modern city that allows for swift and safe public transportations as well as individual choices like riding a bike or, if you rely need it, taking your car.

OK, I need to think more about this. In the mean time, I put my helmet on and climb my bike for another death wish ride through the asphalt jungle.