NoIt’s not the first time my bicycle has been stolen. But the worst came later. The family council banned me from using it: too dangerous in this period, there are still few protected cycle paths, more and more out-of-control motorists, a lot of anger on the streets of Milan and unfortunately I am distracted by nature.
I bowed my head and I bought a public transport season ticketconverting your daily pedaling into the number of steps. But I miss the freedom to move fast when I have to fit in errands, the total control over travel times that depend only on my legs, the carefree agility of going up and down, the cowboy gesture of getting on it in the morning.
I miss the air on my face. I miss the idea of contributing to a better climate. But how can we make the city safer? As an increasingly scared cyclist, I had equipped myself: always with a helmet even if it crushes my hair, lights on the front and back turned on at sunset, large bags to distribute the weights and not unbalance me.
Danda Santini director of “iO Donna” (photo by Carlo Furgeri Gilbert).
I could do more: vest or reflective band at night. I would have nothing against a small license plate to identify me (cameras are everywhere, right?). I am ready to learn the new traffic rules in times of multi-vehicles with an online course and a license which follows, if they assure me that the practice is “boomer friendly”.
There is no point in asking to respect the rules if the instruction booklet is missing. For example: Who is authorized to use the cycle paths? Only those who move slowly with their own strength? Bicycles, gentlemen with dogs, mothers with prams, elderly people with walkers? Or those who move fast on two wheels, even motorized ones: bicycles, e-bikes, riders, scooters?
The world moves at different speeds and we all don’t fit together. Then, once the rules have been established and spread to everyone, someone is needed to enforce them. What if the police returned on bicycles, with a nice sports uniform? Wouldn’t they be a fine example of a sustainable city?
Let’s make cities bike friendly (illustration by Cinzia Zenocchini).
Ready to hand out the instruction booklet for the first month, turn a blind eye and remind her about the second, but from the third month onwards authorized to give fines? You don’t exceed the speed limits, off the pavements, woe betide anyone who goes the wrong waytraffic lights are respected even if no one passes.
But also cycle paths: fines for delivery vans that park in bike lanesto motorists who shout unrepeatable swear words at the ladies, convinced that they are all out shopping and that it is only them who are working.
And who knows, at that point the family council might also review the practice and give me the green light.
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