Over the past week or two banners have gone up all over the city declaring Bucharest a greener and happier place. Capitala creste verde is the slogan, or such like. Romanian-speakers can read more about it here.
So it’s all the more confusing that the city council last week decided to banish bikes and roller-skaters from its parks.
This is further confirmation that Romania’s authorities really have yet to grasp exactly what parks are actually for. (Relaxing, playing, having fun etc.)
Already, getting out a picnic hamper on the grass in Cismigiu is enough to get you arrested (as well as much unwanted attention from stray dogs – how about banning them too?), while playing football is virtually a capital offence. Even in those parks where you can walk on the grass (Herastrau, Tineretului) trees are usually planted in awkward places to discourage people from actually doing so.
Given that cycling on Bucharest’s roads is an invitation to die (although this post would disagree), and that its cycle lanes are in-the-main unusable due to the number of cars parked on them, you do have to ask where exactly can you now take your bike for ride in Bucharest?
Where can Dads teach kids how to ride a bike? Indeed, given that children under the age of 14 are by law not allowed to ride a bike on the public highway (even on cycle lanes), it looks as though kids should give up on the idea of having a bike until they are 14.
And above all we wonder what’s next on the council’s ‘forbidden in parks‘ list. Prams? Children?
And then again… we are aware that stupid, pointless, arbitrary decisions have been made by local councils all over the world for decades. It’s kind of what they are for. Perhaps we should simply welcome the fact that Bucharest has started taking equally stupid decisions as a sign of real progress?
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Typical Romanian thought process. Let’s ban things that aren’t really a problem, but not do anything about the problems that really exist.
Case in point, kids biking in parks is prohibited, but nothing is done about getting stray dogs (which have been known to attack people) off the streets.
What about getting the gypsy beggars off the streets? I’ve had two buddies mugged by them. What about establishing some sort of zoning board, so that when a road is dug up to lay cable, its not dug up again a month later to lay sewer pipe.
Why not ban cell phone use while driving????? That would save many people’s lives.
Why not develop a national highway system?
Why not fight internal corruption instead of hiring local “security” groups to patrol parks. By the way, the Romanian securitate is not gone, its just been renamed. And slowly, private “security” firms are taking over security for everything, while local cops become more corrupt. Maybe, just maybe, Bucharest should fix THOSE problems first.
@Rupert: good point!
Let’s not forget the city council adopted this law as a request that came from regular walkers because the alleys became skating rings and nobody else could use them.
And the next law that (I hope) the city council will adopt – must be the law that bans the use of motorbikes on public roads! Things have gone too far here too, motorbikes are making too much noise and are resposible for many accidents.
And they are allowed on the highway so they should ride on the highway not within the city limits.
As an avid cycler-through-parks I agree that this decision is mad, but I can see why they did it: too many cyclists and skaters are macho speed freaks who ride as fast as they can through the parks, scaring everyone on foot. Cyclists, skaters and bikers (another gang who misuse parks and bike lanes) seem to look down on everyone else as lower forms of life. But why don’t these mountain bikers use Bucharest’s abandoned areas (or, God forbid, the mountains) to show off their prowess and nerve? The answer is obvious: nobody would be watching; nobody would be impressed. I cycle to a lot of interesting abandoned areas in Bucharest and the only cyclist I remember seeing is an Englishman called Sam Onn. But don’t worry, Romania adopts laws like a drunk drinks beer; quick satisfaction that is immediately forgotten. If it is like 99% of most laws there will be a flurry of interest (and punishments) for a week and then everyone will forget about it.
Madness! Still not sure if we are moving to Bucharest, but this doesn’t bode well. In Belgium where we live today, everyone lives in harmony in the numerous parks. Dogs have their area, families enjoy picnics, young people have their games and enjoy a few beers or wine… Hell, why don’t the authorities just put up posters around the city with picture of nature and be done with it?
This is not unlike CE4 behavior during communism, an NGO would donate books to a school but students weren’t actually allowed to use them for fear they would become tatters and well, used looking.