𝚃𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚜 𝙶𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚌𝚘𝚎 🚇Mar 23

The new mayor of #Paris, Emmanuel Grégoire, celebrated his victory last night by riding to city hall on a Vélib' bikeshare bicycle.

He's promised 60,000 new social housing units 15 express bus routes, 1000 new pedestrian streets, completion of bike path network...

🧵

Show threadvxo

@straphanger I like the cut of his jib....

Is helmet use while riding bicycles not common there? It always seems strange to me when it isn't. Luckily, I've never had any sort of crash where one has met the road, but I used to use mine as a battering ram while riding through overhanging vines and crap on roads in Florida. :D

Thing I learned the hard way: do not attempt this with bougainvillea. Damn if that didn't look like I'd just come out of an anime battle.

Mar 23 at 1:51pmWeb
Show threadChtixof 🦊🚲🌻🐝Mar 23
@vxo @straphanger
Hello. Here, the helmet is mandatory only before 12 YO, and recommended after. Agree that it's easier to identify Emmanuel Grégoire with no helmet 😄
Show threadvxoMar 23
@Chtixof @straphanger Yeah, point absolutely taken there. That borders on "recognizeable on tight TV shot only" territory.
Show threadChristiaan JacobsMar 23
@vxo Dutchman here, not surprised at all at this image. In the Netherlands, you will see more helmets every year, but usage is mostly confined to “fast bikes” (racing bike, bikes with an electric motor), “dangerous biking” (offroad, ATB) and special groups (kids, elderly). Upright biking (like he is doing) in urban areas and on rented bikes is normally without a helmet. It leads to combinations like a parent (without) and kids (with) on the same bike @straphanger
Show threadChristiaan JacobsMar 23

@vxo in fact, many people will argue that a mandatory helmet for all cyclists will make cycling less attractive. In that way, it may make cycling even more dangerous as car traffic will increase, leaving less space for cyclists.

The “Paris approach” had been to reserve more and more “road space” for cyclists. A dedicated place for cyclists keeps them out of the way of the dangerous car drivers (and makes car driving and parking (!) less attractive) @straphanger

Show threadvxoMar 23
@cejjacobs @straphanger ooooh very good point, a lot of the crashes that occur happen when cyclists get squeezed into dangerous spaces. I keep thinking of the bullet hell game that is cycling in a US suburb
Show threadAuntie MameMar 23
@vxo @straphanger One isn’t usually carrying their own helmet when jumping on a rental bike.
Show threadvxoMar 23
@ymasumac @straphanger yeah--- that would be awkward if you're not starting your day's commute right at the bike rental station, like it's on your block or whatever
Show threadDrYakMar 23

@vxo @ymasumac @straphanger here in Basel, Switzerland: helmets are strongly recommended.
The local "floating" (station-less) bike rental - Pick-e-bike - provides helmets in back baskets of their bicycles.

People seem civilized enough that these are not stolen.

The helmets are "one-size-fit-all"s, so one might still need to bring their own in case of outlier head-size.