Early this year, a news item made my not only chuckle, but laugh out loud, while thinking: "Where are we heading with our laws?" And at the same time - literally the same time, multi-threaded - "How egoistical and self-centred people/we are! How can we ever live together without tons of laws?"
Slovakia 6km/h maximum Speed on Sidewalks
The news informed me that this new law sets the maximum speed for everybody, including pedestrians [source]. Knowing a fast walking person hit about 5 km/h, the 6 km/h doesn't seem too strange. But still, the concept of having an actual law for maximum speeds on sidewalks seems crazy to me. Someone who want to run, or need to run for whatever good reason, is not allowed anymore as of January 1st this year. At least, not in Slovakia. Totally ridiculous, if you ask me.
As we all know, news may not be (100%) accurate. I climbed into Presearch to figure out the exact situation. Turns out the maximum speed isn't for pedestrians, but for any other type of 'transportation', such like bikes, steps, scooters and whatnot [source]. Pfffffewww! A father or mother may run as fast as he/she can to e.g. protect their little kid from crossing a busy street when, for some reason, the kid gotten on the loose.
I suspect Slovakia is different to my country, where we have tons of bike lanes everywhere in conjunction with sidewalks. As I've experienced in almost all countries I've visited in the past decades (at least a quarter of all countries in the world), the concept of bike lanes is - almost - nonexistent. Not only outside, but also on the European continent. Apparently, in Slovakia all sorts of non-car vehicles are allowed on sidewalks. In my country, such isn't the case; Many non-car vehicles use the bike lanes and have to, by law. Sure, people are allowed to move their bikes, scooters and whatnot on sidewalks, but when walking only.
Netherlands 30 km/h max Speed for Cars
The uptake of the scooter in the Netherlands - my country of residence - and later the uptake of electric bikes, resulted in some ridiculous laws as well. While scooters had to use the bike lane, a few years ago these vehicles where forced to the main road.
By law scooters aren't allowed to go faster then 25 km/h, too many accidents happened involving scooters, many of them going max speed, while bikers may bike 10 km/h slower. Overtaking bikes at unimaginable spots, this resulted in quite an increase in accidents. Therefore the ban from the bike lanes.
But the new situation, scooters going 25 km/h and cars going 50 km/h, resulted - again - in an unwanted situation. For that reason - amongst others - yet a new law passed. Cars aren't allowed to go faster than 30 km/h anymore. At the same time, the lawmakers used other arguments for the new maximum speed for cars, including but not limited to, lowering number of accidents and casualties involving cars in combination with scooters, bikers and pedestrians.
You should know: in my country, a pedestrian is always right, even when doing something against the law and hit by a car. Next up are bikers; They are always right when cars are involved as well. When cycling through a red light, get hit by a car, the car driver is the one who is at fault and is held responsible for whatever the outcome is. Such laws aren't helping, honestly.
image: Any speed is possible on Xmas day; Usually a busy road in my neighbourhood
Call for action in NL: Electric Bikes (bicycle) onto Main Road
By now, bikers are calling out for the move of electric bikes to the main road as well. Most commonly heard complaint: "We can't bike alongside each other anymore due to those who want to bike faster, want to pass. Too many want to go faster. We want to continue to bike along side my companions otherwise biking becomes boring. And we have the right, we are doing this for as long as we have bike lanes in our cities."
Honestly, I am not sure what I think of this reasoning.
On the one hand I find this ridiculous, why the hell one wants to bike alongside each other? It is less safe to do so. It'll hold up other bikers who may just go 1 or 2 km/h faster. The bike bell has been ringing a lot for decades! This frustrates others quite a bit already. A problem I've seen since I started to bike back in the 70s.
On the other hand, I understand these people. Many electric bike drivers go maximum speed their bike can handle, which by law is 25 km/h, and others who illegally upgraded their 'engine' may go anywhere up to 80km/h. A tremendous difference in speed compared to the manual bikers.
Respect to combat Big Brother type of Societies
I know, not many like to hear this, but it is the disrespect humans have towards others that drives these - and many other - ridiculous laws! It is our increasingly self-centred behaviour - as we are the centre of the world and everything and everyone in it shall accommodate whatever we want - that leads to all sort of 'unwanted' and the - in this post discussed - 'dangerous' situations. When such situation happens, causing discomfort and casualties, the general public turns to our politicians for solutions. These politicians often tried this so called 'have respect for others' campaigns. But mostly, these aren't working in my country. They tried many times and failed many times. Therefore - more and more - laws are introduced. Stupid laws. In itself, Ridiculous laws.
Here at HIVE - as outside HIVE for that matter - many don't like governments trying to control everything. But at the same time, we shall realise we all have obligations when we want mucho less laws.
Our obligation is at least: Having respect for others!
These days we - many? - believe we have all sort of rights, but we don't have obligations. Such view is totally wrong. As long as we live with other people, we have obligations. If not, if we continue to do whatever we want, irrespective of the impact this may have on others, I predict the outcome will not be to our liking. If we continue this path, we will spiral down towards an unlivable world! Perhaps one of those dystopian worlds in which a big brother of some kind is controlling everything. Giving us plus and minus points for anything we do. With a system that determines what is to be done to us when some threshold is crossed to the negative side.
I can't believe any of us wants such a world. The only way to prevent this from happening is to start having respect for others again. Behave as if we are not the only ones on this planet. Understand what impact we may have on others. Not to do whatever we want, but take notice of others.
Path to 'Respect for Others'
Certainly, I know I have a long way to go. It isn't easy. It is different all the time. Having respect for others is very subjective and what this entails depends not only from topic to topic, but also from individual to individual. Some may be ok with something, while others are not. That is the difficult part of the 'having respect for others'.
I am 100% sure I don't master this 'social rule' into perfection. Perhaps quite the opposite. I may be - almost - at the start of the path towards this - perhaps a somewhat utopian - social rule. But nonetheless, I believe I shall walk this path as far as I can. And whenever I think I can not progress anymore, I shall continue anyway. When not by foot, I may need to get myself some form of transportation, like an electric bike or scooter. Mind me: Respect pedestrians! 😉
What are your thoughts on these topics?
Do you view 'respect for others' as a core social rule?
Where on the path do you think you are?
