This bicycle is a project created by the students and the teachers of an elementary school in a small town that is located 70 kilometers norther from Volos.
As you can see in the picture, it's really obvious how big this sculpture is! Especially if you compare it with the regular bicycle that is shown in the photograph.
The purpose of this project is to promote cycling as an alternative way of transportation. The frame of the iron bicycle is made from steel tubes, the tires and the bottom bracket are made from old cars' wheels and the saddle is a car's tire pinned in the seat tube.
The first time that I saw it I wondered why did they use car parts for building a bicycle sculpture that promotes cycling? But after some thought I realised that it must be a metaphor. In my mind it is something like: "where cars die, bicycles rise", which means bicycles are the future, either we like it or not and either we understand it or not.
The sign says "I ride a bicycle: for better health and cleaner environment". It's nice to see efforts like this, especially if they are made from such a young audience, because these kids are the future's citizens. They're the ones that will not depend on their cars when they will want to go from one location to another, but hopefully they will just jump on their bikes and ride. As simple as that!
.jpg)
It is known among it's users, that the bicycle is indeed a very convenient mode of transport when someone wants to move around into the city. You don't have to worry about parking, red lights, traffic and gas.
Furthermore bicycles are quiet and take up little space. Why am I saying this? Imagine that there are two streets. Each one has 100 people who pass through there every day and multiple times per day. In the first street people are using cars. In the second street people are using bicycles. The result? In street number one there is chaos from 100 passing cars with their honks, fumes, pollution and noise. In street number two there is nothing but peace and quiet, as 100 bicycles won't even be noticed and the only noise you will hear is an occasional cling-cling from a bell, which to me is so pleasant to hear!
Where would you rather your house to be? In street number one or in street number two? The answer is right in front of us. Cities weren't built for cars, they were built for citizens.
You want to live in a modern, livable city, that is safe, user-friendly and clean? Ride a bicycle!
It's the most simple, easy to use, autonomous and flexible mode of transportation ever made!
I don't have to "worry" about red lights or traffic, but I certainly can't ignore them. Are bicyclists required to stop at red lights in Greece? In America they are, but this is widely ignored, leading to the awful attitudes some motorists show toward bicyclists here.
ReplyDeleteActually bicycles here in Greece aren't exactly required to stop at red lights.. Sometimes we do, others we don't! At busy roads and juctions we mostly obey traffic rules, not because we have to, but because it is the smart thing to do for our safety! On small roads or on these certain traffic lights that simply don't make any sense being there, naaah, we ingore them! Don't forget that traffic lights were invented for taming the cars, not bicycles or pedestrians...
DeleteBut in general we do not have many traffic lights in Volos. We mostly move around the city by knowing and keeping priority, and this is something that all do! Either cars or bicycles.. There is courtesy in the roads. In theory all of us have heard the "rumor" that car drivers are rude towards cyclists etc, but in reality something like this does not happen! At least here in Greece..