Pretend Your Bike Is a Human

Do you have a bike in Jyv�skyl�?
Well, if not - and you are able to ride one - you should probably get one!  There's lots of advantages of riding a bike!
Let me, a terrible and not so experienced cyclist tell you the awesome benefits of biking around Jyv�skyl�:

• It's exercise and with all the hills in JKL - it'll BURN at first (unless you have a super awesome bike with gears - which I do not) but you'll feel empowered and perhaps terrified as you zoom down the hill...
• There are lots of FREE parking places for bikes - just make sure you don't park your bike where you're not supposed to (look for a sign).
• You don't need insurance to ride a bike - unless you're a terrible cyclist...or just learning...then it might be recommended!
• No drivers license required - although one should know the hand signals...and actually use them.
• You don't have to wait for your bike to warm up in the winter, like you would with a car...and yes - people DO bike in the winter!
• You have a perfect excuse for NOT giving your friends a lift as you only have 1 bike seat...nobody enjoys sitting on hard, cold metal while you hit every rock, snail, stick and curb possible on your way to school or home.  Only crazy teens do that...
• No speed limit - as far as I know....
• You can store a bike inside your apartment building - can't do that with a car, unless you have a garage spot....which usually costs more.
• You don't wait for your bike like you do a bus, a cab or for a friend...
• It's often faster to travel because you can ride in the bike lanes or on the street beside cars, or in front of cars with the traffic or on the sidewalk.
• You can buy them easily and more cheaply than a car brand new or second-hand!
• Bicycles are eco-friendly because they just need some air in their tires every now and again...and some light maintenance regularly...they do not take gas or oil...Nobody gags over your bike fumes - because there are none! 

WOW - what a bunch of great reasons to get a bike!!!

Now you should probably give your bicycle a name...something more human-like...not "THE BEAST", "THE SPECS SMASHER", "Speedy" - you know..something like:

• "Tuomas" - Thomas
• "Juhana" - Johnathan
• "Petrus" - Peter
• "Olli" - Oliver
• "Pauliina" - Paulina
• "Helmi" - Pearl (or beads when referring to crafts)
• "Sohvi" - Sophie
• "Marita" - a form of Mary

And don't forget you should feed your bike, care for your bike and blah blah blah...

WHY am I writing such nonsense?!

Because in Jyv�skyl�, if you want to bring your bike onto the bus - you're now PAYING an extra 1,60�.
If you have a bus pass/card - then that is paying for you...then you have to pay 1,60� so your bike can take a ride with you.

Why the fee?
I don't actually know the official reason but I can think of some that make sense to me (and hopefully to others):

• Bikes are a form of transportation themselves.
• Bikes take up A LOT of space that people with strollers, walkers or large bags/luggage need to ride the bus safely.

But then there is the argument that if a bike is broken and in need of repair - the best way to transport it (without a car or bike rack to properly install it to the car) would be via bus.

OR if the route is quite far - then the fastest way to bring your bike somewhere by bus...

Or if the weather totally sucks and your bike isn't great in the rain, snow or on the ice...then bus it is!

I think charging to bring a bike onto the bus is a little much and the fee is quite expensive as well.  I think a better solution would be to install racks to the front of the bike like in Halifax and the cyclist takes full responsibility if the bus happens to damage the bike by getting rear-ended for example.

This way the bus has more space and the broken bike can get to a repair shop!!

What do you think of all this??
Do you get charged to bring your bike onto a city bus and if so, how much is it?

*Feel free to leave a comment if you know or have more information about this newest change!*