In spite of almost no bike lanes, and lots of places without bike parking areas, bicycles are really everywhere. Now that I have my own (hand-me-down) bicycle, I see this in a whole new light. I have been working to understand the implicit "rules of the road."
Bicycles are usually ridden on the sidewalk, and there seems to be an overall "keep left" plan. There is frequently a moment where the eyes of two head-on riders are locked, and each is deciding who will veer left (or right). On some crosswalks there is a marked area for bicycles, but it is usually ignored. If the sidewalk gets busy with bikes and people, it seems to be OK to ride in the street for a while. It does not seem to matter if you are going with the cars or against the cars.
Having my own bike is freeing -- I see more, and can do errands and make stops easily. For example, I
found a glass shop quite near my office that is now cutting the acrylic panel for our prototype solar dryer.
"Mama chari" is the term for a "mother's" bicycle -- the front wheel of the bike is smaller than the back wheel so as to fit a carrier for a small child up front where Mom can keep an eye on the baby. I also see father's riding these bikes.
And another variation -- I saw a mother walking, wheeling her bicycle with one child (maybe age 7) sitting on the seat, another in the front carrier, and another in the back carrier. I have also seen a mother riding with 3 children -- one in a front pack, one in the front carrier, and the other in the back carrier!
No comments:
Post a Comment