Chat is not for Dummies

How to Avoid Bike Theft in Amsterdam

mizdi — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 11:08:30 +0000

In the Netherlands, they produce bicycles like they are breeding rabbits.

In 2009 the Dutch population was recorded at 16 million … the bicycles.. 18 million.

In Amsterdam alone, the population is at 750,000… bicycles….600,000.

There are about 150,000 bikes stolen every year in Amsterdam. That explains the difference.

More than half of these bicycles are stolen right in front of the owners’ houses.

The rest are stolen from the streets or parking stands on train stations….

sports and entertainment centers, shopping areas and the like.

Bike theft in Amsterdam is a common occurrence, but it could be avoided.

Just bear in mind the dictum : “If you’ll leave it, lock it.”

Be that as it may, the kind of lock also spells the difference. Opt for the big chains.

Have a “wheel lock” installed also at the back….that doubles the security. Most bike shops have it for sale and they could install it too, for a minimum charge.

However, the major mistake committed by unknowing victims is leaving their bikes
in public parking stands for more than a day. Locked or unlocked, it doesn’t make much of
a difference.

Bike thieves are on the lookout for these uncollected bikes.

You are very lucky if you find your bike still standing there the next day.

“Oh, there you are bike! …now if only I could find my keys…”

You are still lucky if you find most of your bike standing there on the second day.

“Damn! What happened here? Who the hell did this to you?”

You are half lucky if you find at least half of your bike kneeling there on the 3rd day.

“WTF !?!…sun of a beach! …arrrrrrrrrgh!”

You doubt if you are still lucky to find what was left of your bike on the 4th day.

“I can’t believe this… this is not happening!”

On the fifth day, you would have learned that you should have not left your bike there at all… for five days.

“OMG…Oh, no!… I’m so freaking stupid!”

There are about 150,000 bikes stolen every year in Amsterdam… 25% percent are caused by carelessness…75% are caused by stupidity.

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Of Bikes and Snow

mizdi — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 22:44:02 +0000

This winter has been the harshest so far in the Netherlands and the bikers were the ones hit the hardest.

They were caught off guard by the unexpected early snowfall in December (snow in Holland usually comes in late January or February). Some bikes left on the streets for an overnight stay were left for longer periods.

Not that the owners don’t care. They just weren’t prepared for the sudden snowfall. Instead of retrieving their bikes in the morning to be used for the day ahead…. most took the buses, the metro or the tram… Better the bikes than the limbs.

So most of the bikes that were left outside were…..left out in the cold….. poor bikes.

But it took only a few days of abandonment of the bikes. After the realization that the snow would be here longer than the usual, the bikers after preparing their gears and armours were once again on the streets.

Well….once a biker… always a biker.

* * *

Hitler’s Angry Reaction on the iPad

mizdi — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 17:27:59 +0000

iPad (n.) def. 1. An over sized iPod Touch

Hitler may not be much of a military strategist but he gives one hell of a product review!

This is from the movie “Der Untergang” English Title: “Downfall” released in 2004. Its a German movie about the last days of Hitler, from the perspective of his personal secretary Traudl Junge .

The Swiss actor Bruno Ganzs played Hitler and his convincing performance was hailed as the best of all Hitler-actors and the movie was nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Foreign Language Film category.

This scene is at the bunker in Berlin where Hitler has confined himself during the last days before his downfall…. as he was berating his generals for failing to stop the Russian troops who were closing in on the city.

Come to think of it.. would iPad suffer the same “downfall” as Hitler?

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Avatar and Mr. Bean

mizdi — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 04:09:28 +0000

What if Mr. Bean Starred in “Avatar”?

I don’t know for sure… there are many possibilities.

1. It may resurrect Mr. Bean’s career.
2. The film would win the coveted “Clumsiest Movie” award.
3. The movie would crash instead at the box office.
4. Mr. Bean would be haunted by the Navi’s.
5. Rowan Atkinson would be hanged.

But I know for sure this one thing would happen…

What about you? What do you think would happen?

* * *

Winter in Holland

mizdi — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 11:13:04 +0000

Dutch winter pictures

Amsterdam Tourist Information and Smits Koffiehuis

The Netherlands is still covered with snow, after a month, since the first snowfall last December. And it is still snowing. This is a rarity. In the recent past the Dutch had been accustomed to a few hours of snowfall that would be lucky to last even for a day. Sometimes a whole winter passed without having snow at all.

But this time… its different. Have a glimpse of these random winter scenes in Holland.

Amsterdam

Amsterdam Centrum

Ganzenhoef Metro Station, Amsterdam

to the batcave…errr… metro platform

Diemen

( A suburb of Amsterdam)

Children playing in the frozen river after school

On the train to Hoorn, North Holland

Amsterdam Central Train Station

Zaandam

Zaandam Kogerfeld

The killing fields…errr tulip fields …covered with snow.

Hoorn

Berkhout

(A suburb of Hoorn)

Ice Club Berkhout – with the frozen waterways enclosed by fences, behind the fences are also tulip fields

This house stands by itself in the middle of a frozen pond.

bridge overlooking frozen tulip fields

sheep grazing in the snow?

Ice Club Berkhout coming to life in the evening

Wognum

(Another suburb of Hoorn)

These would have been deserted bike paths….

except… i was there….taking these pictures….brrrrrrrr.

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