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Bicycles

Here's a shot of part of the parking garage near the central station.  And you've got it - those are all bikes. There are also other parking areas nearby and there isn't an inch of space on any of the railings. We were told there are 850,00 inhabitants of Amsterdam proper and one million bikes. And then there are the students, commuters and tourists on bike tours. Everyone has a bike that causes them to sit up very straight, so you see all these people of all ages, shapes and sizes, all with perfect posture. Great to see until they almost run you over. 

 With so many bikes you have to be creative about bike parking. On our walking tour, we saw this bike parking lot floating in the canal. 


There are truly bicycles everywhere, and they all feel they have the right of way, even when they're reading their phones or texting as they roll along. You have to be very careful crossing streets, because there are so many lanes, for bikes, cars, and public transit. And these are narrow streets. And the lanes aren't always clearly marked.  It'll be a bit exciting tomorrow getting out of the city in our rental car. 
 

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