Sometimes we do need a bit of reassurance, an obvious sign to indicate we have taken the right path. Choosing the right path, at night, in The Netherlands, is without doubt a risky business. Bike has right, then some. Making an assumption that bikes and runners can mix in peaceful harmony in the same lanes is a significant error of judgement here. And like when crossing the road, your conscious thought can't ignore those childhood words of the green cross code man. Against all your instincts, you force yourself to look the other way.
You make it across the road to the safety of the path. A paved sanctuary, free from the terrors of alien cars and drivers on the wrong side. Except it's not a footpath, it's a cycle lane and now I'm the rabbit in the headlights! And it's not just bicycles, these are a multitude of two wheeled self propelled transport, with one, two and often three people on board. Then there's the trikes, recumbents, and finally the scooters. And me...a lone pedestrian and apparently in the way.
None of this was helped by the fact it was dark. Early morning runs before our work sessions. At a nearby airport hotel. And that's the thing. You come to these events and often never see the light of day. In some respects I didn't, but there was a determination to get out and explore. Unquestionably the scene was Dutch. Canals, the bikes, windmills...a bit of a cliche maybe, but you knew where you were. There was a general reassurance with the familiarity, but a latent uncertainty over some of the finer details.
And that was the nub of this work trip. Somehow, I was involved in a course that appeared to be about website design. Don't ask why! It was about the clarity of the message. The instructor painted a scene, his regular train, the same time, the same platform, everyday. But one day, time was tight, there was the train, on the same platform, at the right time, the whistle blowing, the doors closing...but the display was blank. Although really he knew, he needed a sign...to be sure! I found my sign, eventually. Apparently, it translates to "poor footpath".
