One thing you hear a lot of in the news these days is how much Auckland car drivers hate cyclists, to the extent of suggesting banning them from the roads and cheering on drivers who run them down. But when stopped at the lights the other day, one car driver asked me friendly questions about the Silver Machine. Perhaps that's a clue - unlike many other cyclists, sadly, I take my responsibilities of driving a vehicle seriously, and I stop for red lights (and at least slow down and give way at stop signs). Also, they do say that it's only male cyclists who get the massive hatred from car drivers - apparently if you wear a blond wig, cars no longer intentionally ram you.
But yeah. Cyclists love it, scooter drivers love it, and even car drivers seem to be getting the point. Nothing's fallen off it recently - although the handlebars seem to be coming a bit loose and the Allen keys need to be dragged out recently.
The big test comes up very soon. I have been using my flatmate's car on and off for three years, but I am now moving out on my own. I will be living in Auckland with no car, just the Silver Machine. And that may well be the real test. For example, I will have a very limited mobility while the trains are not running over Christmas.
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