Cycling anxiety
‘Why does a Dutch girl, born and raised in Europe’s bicycle heaven, take cycling lessons in London? A question Iain Clark, my instructor from cycle2job asks me when he picks me up for my lesson.
Well, each time I get on my bike in London I see an image of myself with my face crushed between the wheels of a bendy bus and the pavement. And a fear inside me makes me want to scream ‘I don’t want to die on the streets of London!’ and I put my bike away and just give up.
When I was four years old I got my first real bike, a red one. Cycling on it felt cool, grown-up and amazingly free. Even though my older brother supported me with his hand on my back. One day he let me go and there I went into the big world of Dutch suburbia all by myself. And I kept on cycling ever since.
As a grown up I cycled in many cities but nowhere I have enjoyed cycling so much as in Amsterdam, bike-capital of the world. Just cycle once along the canals and you’ll get hooked yourself! So when I moved from Amsterdam to London three years ago, cycling was the one thing I missed most from home. Because while bikes rule the city in Amsterdam in London cars do.
In Amsterdam there are bike lanes everywhere. And everybody cycles, old and young, immigrants and locals, the Mayor and the garbage man. We use bikes as an accessory or as an extension of ourselves. I have moved houses on my bike, transported Christmas trees, cupboards, drunken friends, you name it. And all this is possible because of the safety on the streets. Of course accidents happen but not that often. Not something you can say of London. In the busy streets of the city there is hardly any space for cyclists. Most bike lanes are a joke. They are so narrow or so short that you can’t really use them. Cyclists’ risk there lives in London everyday and I am just not willing to do that.
But last week I bumped into Iain from cycle2job. An optimistic and dedicated cyclist who convinced me that he could get me on my bike and show me ‘safe routes’ through London. I told him that I would like to cycle from Notting Hill to the city centre. A real challenge regarding safe cycling routes. Paddington, Edgware Road and Marble Arch are just not places you want to be with a bike.
Iain showed me a route through back streets and quiet roads and we managed to get behind the John Lewis in less then 30 minutes. And guess what, I really enjoyed it and never felt unsafe. So as long as Boris Johnson has not finished building all the bike lines we need in the city, count on Iain. He will deal with your cycling fears and phobias.
And you will feel free, just like me!
When I got up this morning I walked for three hours to collect water. The heavy bucket on my head made my back hurt but when I got back home I was happy to give my husband some water. We have to be careful with the water because I am too tired to walk back for more. I hope he will be fine because the water was brown and dirty. Our neighbour’s daughter has fallen ill last week. They say it is cholera. Let’s hope everything will be fine with us…
The Dutch radio host 
I am sitting in my local cafe drinking my coffee and enjoying the view. Next to me an actress is reading her script. Her delicate skin, long red hair and perfectly shaped face make that she stands out from the usual crowd. She is still very young but she will definitely turn into a striking beauty when she grows up. I observe her from the corner of my eye. While she rehearses her lines she plays with her salad and sips on her herbal tea. 
I never had a thing with birds. I suppose I just didn’t notice them. I must have stared too much at the pavement thinking deep thoughts while I wandered through the streets. When I did see a bird it was usually a pigeon getting fed by old ladies on a desolate square. And after watching The Birds I almost disliked them. 
Rubbish is something I just can’t stand. Not so much in my house (it is a real mess in there) but I hate garbage on the streets. I always get really angry when I get home and find cigarette buds, sandwich bags, paper cups and a lot more in front of my door. My husband calls me jokingly ‘the garbage nazi’ but so far I haven’t given up anyone to the garbage police yet. But sometimes I wish I had the guts to go over to people who dump litter and arrest them myself!!
Beatpolitics is created by me, Beatrijs Overdijkink. I am a writer, originally from Amsterdam, lived in London for a while and just moved to Prague. I write about political subjects big and small. Feel free to comment on anything I say. I love a good debate!