A typical Amsterdam accident

[gusl]

Summarized: stoned tourists are immune to bicycle bells.

Full story: I rang my bell about 3 times. I can't tell whether I simply ran into him, but it seems likely that I would have avoided him and he simple turned in the wrong direction. I don't know if he really was stoned, but he was slow and repetitively apologetic.

Outcome: I took advantage of the situation to yell "Godverdomme!" in a public place. 5 minutes lost repairing my brake. Mud-guards are rubbing against the tire and annoying me again. This happened 40 minutes ago and I'm still recovering.



In other unusual bicycle-related news: yesterday, I was walking my flat-tired bike to Waterlooplein, when a woman comes out of a large van and asks me where the [zO] was. I point towards the East, and keep going my way. Then I suddenly run back and volunteer to show them the way if they take my bike in the van. The way was hard to find, since car routes in Amsterdam are very different from bike routes (which are everywhere).

Outcome: Learned Ukrainian words for "right", "left" and "straight ahead". Took home a brochure of the Yalta zoo. Practiced my Cyrillic.

Comments

[peamasii.livejournal.com]

I always expect to run into stoned tourists on Damstraat, that street just asks for cycling accidents to happen. Strangely enough the only accident I've had so far is to scrape my left hand against a lonely cyclist's handlebars on Middenweg at 2am on an otherwise deserted lane. It was raining and I was too tired to slow down before trying to overtake her on the right hand while she turned right. I know now that early bell-ringing and quick reflexes can save lives (pedestrians' since I would ride over them no problem on my italian Shimano Grimper :).