> How do you get the groceries? Just buy a day or two's worth at a time? In Holland (and in fact much of Europe) huge malls are rare, cities a structured as sh

> How do you get the groceries? Just buy a day or two's worth at a time? In Holland (and in fact much of Europe) huge malls are rare, cities a structured as shops intermingled with housing. In fact it's often shops on the ground floor, housing above them. So buying a day or two's groceries one the trip home is a matter of turning into a door on the way home. Also they have "cargo bikes", which is a push bike designed like a kangaroo (google it). The cargo space in the front is mum's taxi, used for groceries and kid transportation. > How do you keep from stinking all the time? Holland and many of these places are cool and flat. But if you go to Asia it's the same deal. I don't recall anyone stinking there. > I used to ride a motorcycle in the US and other drivers were dangerous as hell. It's even worse for bicyclists. How do you deal with that? No one travels far (because of the city design described in 1st para), so no one has to travel fast. Literally. In places like the USA and Australia even the push bikes move at 20..30km/hr. Not in these places. It's one of the things that stick out when you visit, actually. In non-bike countries the bikes you do see are fancy, the riders dress in Lycra to suit the sporty image, and they ride fast. But in bike countries the bikes are boring, people ride them sedately, and women in evening dress on a push bike is a common sight [0]. Push bike accidents do happen all the time, but aren't serious because of the low speeds. Another way to explain your puzzlement: Cities in Australia, Canada and USA are designed for cars. Cities in other places are designed for bikes and walking. These are two Nash equilibrium's to the transport problem. Once a system has settled into a Nash equilibrium it's very hard to change. So in a place designed for cars, riding a push bike is taking ones life into your own hands so everyone buys a car. In a place designed for push bikes, trying to drive a car is an exercise in frustration: you drive as slow as a push bike, and there is nowhere to park when you get there. You are living in one Nash equilibrium, but there is another. Try travelling for a bit. Try googling "airbag bicycle helmet". They are a thing. Why are they a thing? Initially it was because a traditional bicycle helmet mess with a woman's hair do, and these things are worn around the neck. When you are dressed to the nine's riding your bike to the opera, you don't want your hair messed up after all. But it turns out they are safer than regular helmets.