Well, it can't be done. Too immense! But just to give some kind of idea...
Imagine that every single Canadian moved to Toronto (or maybe Vancouver, it's coastal), and invited an extra two million people to join them. That's a city the size of greater Tokyo. (We'll imagine that the infrastructure suddenly and magically adjusts to cope).
Now imagine that millions of people ride bicycles. Since naturally 35 million people can't all drive cars, public transit is used a lot, but bikes are a great option for getting TO the subway station or just getting around for short distances. Subway stops, schools, etc, have huge lots to leave bikes in, and they are also everywhere just hanging out on sidewalks.
The thing is, PEOPLE DON'T LOCK THEIR BIKES. Sure, a few do, but nearly all the bikes I have seen are just peacefully resting on their kickstands, waiting for their owners to reclaim them a few minutes or many hours later.
That to me says so much about Tokyo the city, and Japanese culture as well. Imagine doing that in Montreal - your bike would be gone in about 5 minutes, in a city less than a tenth of the size. Amazing.
Imagine that every single Canadian moved to Toronto (or maybe Vancouver, it's coastal), and invited an extra two million people to join them. That's a city the size of greater Tokyo. (We'll imagine that the infrastructure suddenly and magically adjusts to cope).
Now imagine that millions of people ride bicycles. Since naturally 35 million people can't all drive cars, public transit is used a lot, but bikes are a great option for getting TO the subway station or just getting around for short distances. Subway stops, schools, etc, have huge lots to leave bikes in, and they are also everywhere just hanging out on sidewalks.
The thing is, PEOPLE DON'T LOCK THEIR BIKES. Sure, a few do, but nearly all the bikes I have seen are just peacefully resting on their kickstands, waiting for their owners to reclaim them a few minutes or many hours later.
That to me says so much about Tokyo the city, and Japanese culture as well. Imagine doing that in Montreal - your bike would be gone in about 5 minutes, in a city less than a tenth of the size. Amazing.
1 comment:
What an appealing quality! I hate lugging around a bike lock...
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