Pic: Street Scenes in Chippendale, Sydney
By car, by bike or on foot, a question of perspective and culture –
In our time in ⏭️ Amsterdam, we learned one thing. The cyclist is the king or queen on the roads. It was only a six-minute bike ride to the office, if I hadn’t sometimes needed two traffic light phases in the bike queue at rush hour or if it hadn’t been looking for a free bicycle parking space.
Or, for example, the following situation: In a side street without a cycle path, I have to avoid a car on my bike when the car left a parking space. Not dramatic and not really dangerous.
Nevertheless, the driver pulls over to the right, stops, rolls down his window and says to me: “I’m sorry I didn’t see you earlier.”
Imagine what I would have heard in car country Germany.
In ⏭️ Frankfurt, the bicycle city map contains 836 kilometres of cycle connections, which are highlighted with green and white signposts. However, lanes are often only marked in such a way that they do little to change the actual flow of car traffic, but rather increase the danger if one would rely on it.
And ⏭️ Sydney? It’s a car city. There are already a few cycle paths, but a comprehensive network is still in the works. As a rule, pedestrians and cyclists share the sidewalk at the roadside or the footpaths in the numerous parks.
Bicycle traffic has gained in importance here, especially due to the many delivery services such as Uber Eats and others. The impressive thing about it: At the narrow bottlenecks, the cyclist is reducing his speed accordingly and even sometimes stops. I find that remarkably considerate.
Would I buy a bike for everyday life here? Probably more likely to be on foot and by public transport. That works great here.
There are many ways to perceive and immerse yourself in a new culture. One of them is getting to know everyday life while traveling. Interested, curious, with open eyes and with all other senses.
➡️ And with you? Who has the first right of way in your city: the car, the bicycle or the pedestrian?
I am Bernd Scharbert with 30+ years of leadership experience in the Corporate Business World. Check out my Guiding Principles below, if you like, to facilitate intercultural interactions 1on1 or within globally composed teams. And feel free to follow me at LinkedIn, #Prepare4Landing or contact me directly.
