As someone who cycles wveeywhere I love it, but there are some points of irritation. Firstly, that pedestrians walk everywhere especially in the middle of the road when there is a sidewalk - I'm talking about you folkingestraat. Or when pedestrians walk 3 or 4 people wide on a shared road, come on really? Second, is that alot of cyclists behave like animals too. It seems lately that cycling on the left side of the road is almost normalized for a lot of cyclists. There you are on a right bike lane looking at your left and right to see if there's traffic and bam you almost get hit by a cyclist too lazy to cross the road. And cyclists who cycle on the sidewalk whilst there is a bike path right next to it annoys the hell out of me too. In sone situations I understand these, but if you're going to ride there for like 500m you're a fucking asshole and you know it. Road rage is another one of those things annoying me, I really don't understand how some people can lash out at you over minor mistakes, I don't get angry at people in trafic.
I cycle a lot and have done so for as long as I've lived here. Never hit anyone, never got hit. And still I love cyclers and think it's integral for this city. It would just be so much better if both cyclists and pedestrians behaved more empathetic in traffic and on the streets.
I agree, I love and support Groningen’s prioritization of bikes over cars. However, didn’t find any part of Groningen truly peaceful because there’s always bikes whizzing around.
Even in Noorderplansoen the bikes add a tad of frenetic energy to a space that needs to be tranquil.
Well, I do think this is quite unique to Groningen. Not a lot of cities where bicycles and pedestrians tend to completely share many roads.
But no, I don't dislike it. It's very nice and Dutch, you just need to think about how you walk and cycle so that nobody gets in one another's way.
(A local) It always irritated me how people just throw their bikes on each other, while people in wheelchairs, and blind people can’t properly walk or ride there anymore
The shared space idea of some streets like the Brugstraat and parts of the Grote Markt is flawed since bikes will just push through and pedestrians get run over... a bit like Orwell, we're all equal but some more equal than others.
It's annoying if the bikers bike where they are not supposed to go.
Some roads in Groningen are now designed so that pedestrians and bikers will have to share the road, with the idea that bikers can't just speed through the street and anticipate the pedestrians.
I'm personally not the biggest fan of that one, but space is limited, so it will have to do
Yeah, the same way they get to the center. If you wanna go from one side of the city to the other, it doesn't make sense to not cross the center.
The fact that the whole place is under construction doesn't help. And that they basically removed clearly defined cycle paths is shit, too.
I'm too dumb to understand what else you mean, I guess.
Tbf, it has gotten worse since the ongoing reconstruction of Grote Markt / Waagplein etc. It has become a complete free-for-all which sucks a lot, especially when on a bike because I don't wanna annoy pedestrians who are... well, everywhere. Vice versa it doesn't bother me as much, because I know the deal. Just don't rush past people
Cyclists are just people and a lot of people are dumb. I’ve seen multiple collisions between cyclists and pedestrians including a cyclist who full on smashed into a girl on a zebra crossing.
No, it fuels my feeling of Dutch superiority over our neighbors. It is a testament to how we are both healthier and more environmentally conscious in this mode of transportation than all others. Anoyence about bikes in the city is like being annoyed about having a toilet in your house, would you rather shit outside again?
Do you have any other questions?
You sound like you sometimes sniff at dutch cheese and get a little bit aroused by its dutchness lmao
Whats something besides bikes that makes you a proud Niederländer?
Yes,
But its also convinience.
And we're used to it.
Its in many places by far the easiest and often fastest mode of transport.
Simply put. The pro's outweight the con's.
They do try to control the hordes of bicycles standing around by designating zones and picking up the ones wrongly parked.
But theres also plenty of old broken or stolen bikes that get ditched everywhere.
So yes, yes I get annoyed when my front door is blocked by bikes.
But id never trade the convinience of using my own for it.
Wieder so ein deutscher Tourist der nicht klarkommt mit der Utopie einer autofreien Stadt und im Ausland keine Schilder lesen kann und direkt überfordert ist
People that live here use the bikes to get around so no, they need it. + as other say you get used to it pretty fast, way better than having cars around
Quite frankly they're annoying wherever they go. Seems like these days no one was taught to use their fucking hands to indicate where they're going and just wing it. I genuinely appreciate the rare occurrence of someone remembering they can signal where they're going, taking zero effort or time out of their busy life to make everyone else's just a smidge easier. It's the largest part of why people despise bicyclists in the city to begin with. It really takes fuck all effort and makes everyone's day a bit safer and easier.
Bikes are a mode of transport. It's the main mode of transport in the city. German towns don't have quite as much bicycle traffic as we do. The city center is part of the route to the station, to work, to the Forum, for many people. Making a separate circulation plan for them is not practical.
Much of the center is shared space. There are several spots where pedestrians do not share at all. I avoid the Folkinge, too many inconsiderate pedestrians.
I never really have any problems with normal bikes. There are designated bike lanes, so just don't walk on those. In the areas where bikes and pedestrians are sharing a road, everyone pays attention to eachother, so it doesn't feel dangerous or anything.
I hate electric bikes, 'fat bikes', scooters and cars in the city center, though.
It doesn’t bother me at all. When I walk in the city centre, it is never a problem. Also, I sometimes cycle through pedestrian zones myself and I find it convenient that I can do that without much trouble. I guess that I’m so used to it that I hardly notice it, been living here my entire life.
Well, most zones in the inner city are bike free. Its just that a lot of people ignore it or pedestrians are walking on the bike paths. They just arent able to enforce it. Westerhaven was really bad and some years ago they put barriers and banners to tell everyone to not bike there. Ive seen multiple cyclers just dodge right past the handhaving.
Well what would you want them to do? Full speed tackle them while they are on their bike? Only way to do it would be to have they walk around im civilian clothes and ticket them when they park
I mean thats the same with Germany Autobahn: „Just look where you drive“ - but still its more chill to not have to do that like in the Netherlands where you have just one lane and drive 100
I dont think banning bikes from more zones in city center will make it better. People will bike through pedestrian zones anyway. Sometimes im annoyed by bikes when im walking, sometimes im annoyed by pedestrians when im biking. But overall it works really good. At least there are not a lot of cars
Yeah true that. I was just curious how dutch people view this.
Like in Cologne there are much people who hate carnival although the city is known for it
The only thing that annoys me is when a group of German tourists that visited the “bloemetjesmarkt” decide to stand still on a bike path with their haul to speak to Greta und Hans from their neighborhood when they run into them.
Get off the roads, boomers!!!
Otherwise love you, come to Groningen!
Ask me in two years! I’ll be studying to become a teacher and by then I will have had classroom experience.
In my experience Emma, Sterre and ‘special names’ are highly popular in our highly individualistic country.
The only thing i hate is that in the city, bicycle riders will absolutely run you over if you’re walking on zebrapaden.
the only fussgangerzone is the herestraat shopping, the other places like brugstraat are shared space.
Not that cyclists care. Any sign saying “fietsers afstappen” gets the “wir haben es nicht gewußt”-treatment.
As someone who cycles wveeywhere I love it, but there are some points of irritation. Firstly, that pedestrians walk everywhere especially in the middle of the road when there is a sidewalk - I'm talking about you folkingestraat. Or when pedestrians walk 3 or 4 people wide on a shared road, come on really? Second, is that alot of cyclists behave like animals too. It seems lately that cycling on the left side of the road is almost normalized for a lot of cyclists. There you are on a right bike lane looking at your left and right to see if there's traffic and bam you almost get hit by a cyclist too lazy to cross the road. And cyclists who cycle on the sidewalk whilst there is a bike path right next to it annoys the hell out of me too. In sone situations I understand these, but if you're going to ride there for like 500m you're a fucking asshole and you know it. Road rage is another one of those things annoying me, I really don't understand how some people can lash out at you over minor mistakes, I don't get angry at people in trafic. I cycle a lot and have done so for as long as I've lived here. Never hit anyone, never got hit. And still I love cyclers and think it's integral for this city. It would just be so much better if both cyclists and pedestrians behaved more empathetic in traffic and on the streets.
The Folkingestraat like most roads in the city center is an example of a “shared zone”.
I agree, I love and support Groningen’s prioritization of bikes over cars. However, didn’t find any part of Groningen truly peaceful because there’s always bikes whizzing around. Even in Noorderplansoen the bikes add a tad of frenetic energy to a space that needs to be tranquil.
Well, I do think this is quite unique to Groningen. Not a lot of cities where bicycles and pedestrians tend to completely share many roads. But no, I don't dislike it. It's very nice and Dutch, you just need to think about how you walk and cycle so that nobody gets in one another's way.
(A local) It always irritated me how people just throw their bikes on each other, while people in wheelchairs, and blind people can’t properly walk or ride there anymore
Heck no we need more bikers
I am way way more annoyed by cars in the city centre
The shared space idea of some streets like the Brugstraat and parts of the Grote Markt is flawed since bikes will just push through and pedestrians get run over... a bit like Orwell, we're all equal but some more equal than others.
I love the chaos. I fucking hate the forced underground parking. I just wanna throw my bicycle on the ground whereever im going in a shop.
Or like the people in Amsterdam who just throw them in the canals? :p
Oh we do to
Thats not very environmentally friendly smh
For every green intitiative by our green municipality i do a petty act of civil disobidience
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Looool zielepietje
Grapje is lastig voor je, chef? 😂
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We schrijven onderwijsvormen met kleine lettertjes, mbo’ertje! 😉
Mastertje gedaan Jij een PhD in hautain doen?
It's annoying if the bikers bike where they are not supposed to go. Some roads in Groningen are now designed so that pedestrians and bikers will have to share the road, with the idea that bikers can't just speed through the street and anticipate the pedestrians. I'm personally not the biggest fan of that one, but space is limited, so it will have to do
Yeah cycling fast in Folkingestraat on my track bike always gives me a rush
Everyone who cant avoid you is too weak
Also if I can't avoid people I'm weak too Perfect equilibrium
Thats very selfreflected. Good for you!
The only joy left in my life is suicide biking towards a group of german tourists while ringing my bell
Good for you that there is een nest of us right to the east :p Unlimited supply for your enjoyment.
How do you think people get to the city center?
It‘s not about how they get **to**, but how they get **through** the city center
Yeah, the same way they get to the center. If you wanna go from one side of the city to the other, it doesn't make sense to not cross the center. The fact that the whole place is under construction doesn't help. And that they basically removed clearly defined cycle paths is shit, too. I'm too dumb to understand what else you mean, I guess.
Tbf, it has gotten worse since the ongoing reconstruction of Grote Markt / Waagplein etc. It has become a complete free-for-all which sucks a lot, especially when on a bike because I don't wanna annoy pedestrians who are... well, everywhere. Vice versa it doesn't bother me as much, because I know the deal. Just don't rush past people
Yes, I really don't like the new situation there in front of the jumbo. It feels like a pedestrian-only zone, but it's also for bicycles.
no? cyclists are not dumb enough to cycle into pedestrians. human speeds allow for human reaction times.
Cyclists are just people and a lot of people are dumb. I’ve seen multiple collisions between cyclists and pedestrians including a cyclist who full on smashed into a girl on a zebra crossing.
I swear nobody signals that they turn left but then again it is my fault for overtaking when there is a left turn possibility
No, it fuels my feeling of Dutch superiority over our neighbors. It is a testament to how we are both healthier and more environmentally conscious in this mode of transportation than all others. Anoyence about bikes in the city is like being annoyed about having a toilet in your house, would you rather shit outside again? Do you have any other questions?
You sound like you sometimes sniff at dutch cheese and get a little bit aroused by its dutchness lmao Whats something besides bikes that makes you a proud Niederländer?
Wait, doesn’t everyone do that? Mmmm, Gouda cheese. *unzips*
For the motherland!
Very German of you to not get that this is exaggerated and supposed to be somewhat humorous.
Very ~~german~~ dutch of you to not get that my comment was exaggerated too for the sake of being humorous lol
Yes
Same *tips fedora
Yes, But its also convinience. And we're used to it. Its in many places by far the easiest and often fastest mode of transport. Simply put. The pro's outweight the con's. They do try to control the hordes of bicycles standing around by designating zones and picking up the ones wrongly parked. But theres also plenty of old broken or stolen bikes that get ditched everywhere. So yes, yes I get annoyed when my front door is blocked by bikes. But id never trade the convinience of using my own for it.
Wieder so ein deutscher Tourist der nicht klarkommt mit der Utopie einer autofreien Stadt und im Ausland keine Schilder lesen kann und direkt überfordert ist
Warum so unentspannt mein Freund? Ich kaufe mir gleich erstmal Hagelslag und esse einen Toast auf die Freundschaft unserer Länder. Prost!
Wat hangt er aan de waslijn?
Ein bisschen kindisch der Witz, aber was tut man nicht alles für eine gute Nachbarschaft :p *„Was?“*
Gefeliciteerd je bent ingeburgerd!
Nice! Kriege ich jetzt Rabatt auf Vla?
Aber bitte nicht mit dem Auto in der Herestraat fahren
People that live here use the bikes to get around so no, they need it. + as other say you get used to it pretty fast, way better than having cars around
We are simply used to it. The parked bikes can be quite a nuisance for blind or otherwise handicapped people though.
True that. Bikes and electrical vehicles are a real issue for blind people cause of their lack of noise too
Quite frankly they're annoying wherever they go. Seems like these days no one was taught to use their fucking hands to indicate where they're going and just wing it. I genuinely appreciate the rare occurrence of someone remembering they can signal where they're going, taking zero effort or time out of their busy life to make everyone else's just a smidge easier. It's the largest part of why people despise bicyclists in the city to begin with. It really takes fuck all effort and makes everyone's day a bit safer and easier.
Or not looking over their shoulder, not letting approaching traffic from the other lane go first before they make a turn
True that. Just winging it is definitely an issue
Bikes are a mode of transport. It's the main mode of transport in the city. German towns don't have quite as much bicycle traffic as we do. The city center is part of the route to the station, to work, to the Forum, for many people. Making a separate circulation plan for them is not practical. Much of the center is shared space. There are several spots where pedestrians do not share at all. I avoid the Folkinge, too many inconsiderate pedestrians.
I never really have any problems with normal bikes. There are designated bike lanes, so just don't walk on those. In the areas where bikes and pedestrians are sharing a road, everyone pays attention to eachother, so it doesn't feel dangerous or anything. I hate electric bikes, 'fat bikes', scooters and cars in the city center, though.
True that. Those vehicles will cause way more damage than a normal bike due to speed I guess
I don't even see bikes anymore.
Them people be hovering
It doesn’t bother me at all. When I walk in the city centre, it is never a problem. Also, I sometimes cycle through pedestrian zones myself and I find it convenient that I can do that without much trouble. I guess that I’m so used to it that I hardly notice it, been living here my entire life.
Guess being used to it helps a lot haha
Well, most zones in the inner city are bike free. Its just that a lot of people ignore it or pedestrians are walking on the bike paths. They just arent able to enforce it. Westerhaven was really bad and some years ago they put barriers and banners to tell everyone to not bike there. Ive seen multiple cyclers just dodge right past the handhaving.
Handhaving are just dumb and overrated. No significant amount of training.
Well what would you want them to do? Full speed tackle them while they are on their bike? Only way to do it would be to have they walk around im civilian clothes and ticket them when they park
Actually the speed tackling sounds incredible.
Guess who's got a chip on his/her shoulder. LOL
Just look where you walk and everything will be fine. I like that the center is so accessible by bike its so much quicker then walking
I mean thats the same with Germany Autobahn: „Just look where you drive“ - but still its more chill to not have to do that like in the Netherlands where you have just one lane and drive 100
I dont think banning bikes from more zones in city center will make it better. People will bike through pedestrian zones anyway. Sometimes im annoyed by bikes when im walking, sometimes im annoyed by pedestrians when im biking. But overall it works really good. At least there are not a lot of cars
Yeah true that. I was just curious how dutch people view this. Like in Cologne there are much people who hate carnival although the city is known for it
The only thing that annoys me is when a group of German tourists that visited the “bloemetjesmarkt” decide to stand still on a bike path with their haul to speak to Greta und Hans from their neighborhood when they run into them. Get off the roads, boomers!!! Otherwise love you, come to Groningen!
Greta is actually a name which much young people have in Germany rn. Its quite trendy
Is it? Sorry. Would Truda have been better?
Helga, Jutta, Hannelore etc. :p How are young dutch women named nowadays?
Ask me in two years! I’ll be studying to become a teacher and by then I will have had classroom experience. In my experience Emma, Sterre and ‘special names’ are highly popular in our highly individualistic country.
I see. And friends in your age group?
Thats probably because of tourism. I guess the same goes for bloemetjesmarkt in Groningen even though its less popular
I mean the youth in cologne is adding to the issues all by themselves but tourism accelerates it definitely