Comment: A merry biking Christmas to you too

It’s not a bad thing to have a bike, I guess. You can go from A to B, without worrying about what time the bus arrives. You can even go biking without worrying about the monthly payment.

It is quicker. You do not need to stand in a fixed location, to get to another location. If there is a lot of traffic, you can simply keep going without a lot of stops. Because as we all know, bikes don’t take up a lot of space.

It is easy to maneuver around with a bike. It is easy to lock it, and it is easy to put oil on the chain. If you get a puncture, it doesn’t take long to fix it.

Earplugs, always the earplugs

But allow me to make a couple of suggestions.

First: Too many people who bike look dull. Is it because the weather in Denmark is so cold? Well, I’ve been told that there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing. Yet, I don’t know if I quite agree on that.

And then there is the music. Bikers, all bikers, have started to listen to music, via some earplugs. That is an excellent way to isolate yourself from the rest of the world. So what is the purpose of all this? Why act as this great biking philosopher?

Doesn’t bear thinking about it

Well I have also been thinking about safety.

I’ve been driving. And every time I have to make a turn, I have to look at some person riding his or her bike, and instead of following the rules, the person just makes up some random rule, for personal gain. That is annoying. And yes, you can turn this around, and say people who ride, should be more careful.

Well, here is the thing. If a person who rides a bike, so careless, and simply trusts in the cars’ ability to steer around bikers random moves, well, guess what can happen.

Keep biking, stay happy

And if you listen to music too loudly, or even write an sms, or just talk on the phone, guess what can happen. And if you are in a hurry, don’t break the law by crossing over red lights.

I think people forget that rules are made, not to be broken, but to assure your safety. Oh well, keep biking, and be happy, cause biking is good, neat and healthy. Life is good, if you believe it to be so.

Have a nice Christmas!

Read the University Post guide to cycling etiquette here.

universitypost@adm.ku.dk

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