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In India, cycling continues to be the main mode of transport in rural as well as urban areas, for those people who cannot afford a bike. But whats shocking is
by justforfunhere 8y ago
In India, cycling continues to be the main mode of transport in rural as well as urban areas, for those people who cannot afford a bike.
But whats shocking is that dedicated cycle lanes are rare and cyclists have to ply on the same roads that carry cars, trucks etc. I can't recall the last time I saw a dedicated cycle track in an Indian city which is a disgrace since most of the people belonging to lower classes still use cycles as a daily mode of transportation.
I guess, among the explosion of cars and bikes on the roads, people on cycles have either become invisible or they have just been forgotten by those in authorities.
I used to cycle to work a long time ago. After a few Nearly Near-Death-Experiences, I gave up and bought a bike instead. My cycle languished in a corner of my room, until one day the maid that worked at my house asked if she could borrow it so that her husband could drop her children to school and then go work at a nearby textile factory.
I guess, they are still using that cycle while I have graduated from a bike to a car now.
- ascar 8y agoI usually don't wanna be that guy, but this is super confusing to read. When you say bike, you mean a motorbike. Bicycle, cycle and bike are synonyms for the 2-wheeler without a motor. Bike is only used for motorbike, if the context is clear. I also assume in India most people would use scooters and not motorbikes.
- justforfunhere 8y agoHey, that's the common lexicon in India:- Bike -> Motorbike Cycle -> Bicycle Edit: Also scooters are super rare these days. Motorbikes provide more mileage and are easier to maintain and have longer life. The number of scooters on Indian roads declined starting around 12-15 years ago I recall.
- ascar 8y agoIt's confusing for me, because bike is used for both depending on context. But when you are talking about cycling, most people (outside of India) would interpret bike as bicycle. If bike is used without much context, I would also assume you mean bicycle, unless I know you own a motorbike.
- ido 8y agoAs someone who spent a couple of months in India (a long time ago) I sympathise with your confusion. But what can we do, Indians say it one way and Americans the other (I have a lot of friends from the UK and they tend to have their own terms for transportation-purposes as well, like Lorrie and Motorway - not to mention more exotic slang like "leccy" for electric vehicles). After you accept the OP is using Indian English it's not that hard to understand what they mean & I don't think we have to enforce everyone using American dialects on HN for these relatively minor inconveniences.
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- cimmanom 8y agoThe term “scooter” is also ambiguous, since it can refer to a class of low powered motorcycle or to the optionally motorized miniature skateboards with handlebars that Lime and Bird are trying to popularize.
- rorykoehler 8y agoI doubt a cycle lane would be obeyed in India based on my experience. We even drove the wrong way on the express way to take a "short cut".