Normally Friday would be my day for quotable links, but this one is just so infuriating, I couldn't wait. Yet again we have a story highlighting the great disparity of attitudes toward cycling in general, and cycling as a form of transportation, in particular. It is a familiar story in motor-dependent North America, and I suppose the reason I was shocked by it, is due to its location - Spain. I always thought continental Europe to be a little more ahead of the curve in terms of bicycle transportation. In larger Spanish cities we see civic efforts to encourage the mode of mobility; I guess in the more suburban areas there is still a way to go. Sounds all too familiar. In anthropology, when I was in school, students would become familiar with the idea of universals - similar beliefs and practices which could be seen in cultures around the world, such as the belief in a creator. Perhaps the disparity in the belief of the bicycle as a viable means of transportation is a universal. Anyway, the quote:
"Oliver... has been taking his kids to school... by bicycle since they could sit upright... The story ends - well not really ends - with the police taking his personal data and telling him that they would prepare a report for the City Council and another for Social Services - claiming him to be an irresponsible father."
You can read the whole thing here. Be sure to check out the additional links at the jump, especially the one to the city council of the municipality in question, where you can express your own displeasure.
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