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Ridiculous to continue peddling bikes as replacement for cars. Im Dutch and I grew up in a family with all of the environmentalist nonsense surrounding bikes. S

Ridiculous to continue peddling bikes as replacement for cars. Im Dutch and I grew up in a family with all of the environmentalist nonsense surrounding bikes. So I never wanted one. They stink after all and I had some trauma from biking through a cloud of exhaust in Rotterdam. I started following car lessons three years ago because of work reasons. It wasn't easy because I was so extremely late to the party at 32. Turns out cars are the bikes I always wanted. They are fast, you can take someone along. They carry a bunch. I can't believe the amount of times I walked through the city with say a bunch of wood making a fool of myself. I totally put myself at a social disadvantage to the point where I think I would have been held in much higher regard if I had had one before. An extreme waste of time. That's not to say I hate bikes now. They are great for getting around the city when the weather is nice. They are also great for sport. But really get a license and a car the day you turn 18 if you can afford it. There are better hopes for the environment too (ie electric scooters + public transport and electric cars/motorcycles, synthetic diesel fuel).

ralfn 4y ago
>. I totally put myself at a social disadvantage to the point where I think I would have been held in much higher regard if I had had one before. From another Dutchie: get better friends >some trauma from biking through a cloud of exhaust in Rotterdam Now you are providing that trauma to others. At least drive something electric if you live in the city. It will be mandatory within cities soon anyway. >Turns out cars are the bikes I always wanted. Even in Rotterdam, if everyone switches to a car, it wouldn't fit. The only reason you find it pleasant to drive is because others aren't. >There are better hopes for the environment too (ie electric scooters + public transport and electric cars/motorcycles, synthetic diesel fuel). Yes to the first, but cars are too big by default. People should not own a car when living in a city. They should rent one on the days they need it. It's not just the space the car takes when you drive it. It's the space it takes when you park it. Go visit places where everyone takes the car. Everything is far apart because it's separated by oceans of parking. The average US city ends up dedicating more space to parking than to everything else combined. And yes, public transit is a great alternative, but only works with a minimum amount of population density, which cities indeed do have. But even in villages people should go at least electric, and the center should be car free, so it becomes a destination for people. No one wants to eat out next to a parking lot.
- DoingIsLearning 4y ago
  You can always trust that there is a Dutch ready to lay down some truth on another Dutch. :) I love how you guys are just crazy honest with each other.
Freak_NL 4y ago
Why bother to move loads of wood around like that? I just let the local lumber yard deliver it. For almost anything I might need a car, I can just arrange transportation via other means (delivery, courier, etc.), or just use my (non-bakfiets) bicycle, and still spend only a fraction of what a car costs yearly. > I totally put myself at a social disadvantage to the point where I think I would have been held in much higher regard if I had had one before. Get better friends and colleagues. Nobody bats an eyelash at my not owning a car, despite having a toddler and being a homeowner. It's completely normal in the Netherlands for city dwellers. (I got my Dutch drivers licence at 18, drove a car for a few years, but haven't had a car for over two decades now. There's no point in it.)
- jacquesm 4y ago
  The right tool for the job is my motto. I have a car and bikes. Whichever is the most appropriate is what I'll use. Short distances on regular bikes, much longer ones on the e-bike, longer still or (really) bad weather: car.
- ragebol 4y ago
  Jup. We drive a small Toyota Aygo. If I extend the seatbelts, I could almost use it as a backpack. If I occasionally need some wood from Hornbach, even if the delivery cost is €100, which it is for large pieces of wood, that's still way cheaper than owning a bigger car for the rest of the time.
- timwaagh 4y ago
  It takes time to get your stuff delivered. And quite a bit of money for heavier loads.
tjansen 4y ago
Completely agree about making the drivers license (except the 'social disadvantage' part, never really felt that). Made my drivers license at age 37, and regretted missing so much life in the years before. Found out that I actually like to travel and visit other cities, or even doing things after work. The reason why I hated it and preferred to stay at home was public transport, which was a constant source of stress for me. Also, I have used my bike a lot in my teens and liked it in a suburban/small town environment, but hate using it in cities. While there are bike lanes everywhere, they are full of bikes with sometimes insane speed (for a vehicle without air bags) and ignoring both common sense and traffic laws. I don't like the risks associated with it. Once you've reached middle age, every bike accident has a good chance of ruining your life forever...

ralfn 4y ago

>. I totally put myself at a social disadvantage to the point where I think I would have been held in much higher regard if I had had one before. From another Dutchie: get better friends >some trauma from biking through a cloud of exhaust in Rotterdam Now you are providing that trauma to others. At least drive something electric if you live in the city. It will be mandatory within cities soon anyway. >Turns out cars are the bikes I always wanted. Even in Rotterdam, if everyone switches to a car, it wouldn't fit. The only reason you find it pleasant to drive is because others aren't. >There are better hopes for the environment too (ie electric scooters + public transport and electric cars/motorcycles, synthetic diesel fuel). Yes to the first, but cars are too big by default. People should not own a car when living in a city. They should rent one on the days they need it. It's not just the space the car takes when you drive it. It's the space it takes when you park it. Go visit places where everyone takes the car. Everything is far apart because it's separated by oceans of parking. The average US city ends up dedicating more space to parking than to everything else combined. And yes, public transit is a great alternative, but only works with a minimum amount of population density, which cities indeed do have. But even in villages people should go at least electric, and the center should be car free, so it becomes a destination for people. No one wants to eat out next to a parking lot.

DoingIsLearning 4y ago
You can always trust that there is a Dutch ready to lay down some truth on another Dutch. :) I love how you guys are just crazy honest with each other.

Freak_NL 4y ago

Why bother to move loads of wood around like that? I just let the local lumber yard deliver it. For almost anything I might need a car, I can just arrange transportation via other means (delivery, courier, etc.), or just use my (non-bakfiets) bicycle, and still spend only a fraction of what a car costs yearly. > I totally put myself at a social disadvantage to the point where I think I would have been held in much higher regard if I had had one before. Get better friends and colleagues. Nobody bats an eyelash at my not owning a car, despite having a toddler and being a homeowner. It's completely normal in the Netherlands for city dwellers. (I got my Dutch drivers licence at 18, drove a car for a few years, but haven't had a car for over two decades now. There's no point in it.)

jacquesm 4y ago
The right tool for the job is my motto. I have a car and bikes. Whichever is the most appropriate is what I'll use. Short distances on regular bikes, much longer ones on the e-bike, longer still or (really) bad weather: car.
ragebol 4y ago
Jup. We drive a small Toyota Aygo. If I extend the seatbelts, I could almost use it as a backpack. If I occasionally need some wood from Hornbach, even if the delivery cost is €100, which it is for large pieces of wood, that's still way cheaper than owning a bigger car for the rest of the time.
timwaagh 4y ago
It takes time to get your stuff delivered. And quite a bit of money for heavier loads.

tjansen 4y ago

Completely agree about making the drivers license (except the 'social disadvantage' part, never really felt that). Made my drivers license at age 37, and regretted missing so much life in the years before. Found out that I actually like to travel and visit other cities, or even doing things after work. The reason why I hated it and preferred to stay at home was public transport, which was a constant source of stress for me. Also, I have used my bike a lot in my teens and liked it in a suburban/small town environment, but hate using it in cities. While there are bike lanes everywhere, they are full of bikes with sometimes insane speed (for a vehicle without air bags) and ignoring both common sense and traffic laws. I don't like the risks associated with it. Once you've reached middle age, every bike accident has a good chance of ruining your life forever...