Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Things carried on bicycles

We've been amazed at the way people carry things on the back of their bicycles (picture piled-high bicycles dodging traffic 4 "lanes" wide, potholes 3 feet deep, pedestrians carrying things on their heads ...). So we started a list, which I'm sure we'll add to.

When Bill mentioned this to his driver yesterday the driver was perplexed about why it was unusual. He just couldn't believe it: "You mean people don't do this where you come from?"

Things carried on bikes:

- Pineapples in bunches on the handlebars

- Pineapples in huge crates piled behind the seat

- Long (6-8 feet) poles

- Huge stuffed sacks (6-feet wide) of wood shavings

- Truck-sized tires (4 per bike)

- Sacks of charcoal

- Large wooden crates (one, we were told, carried by a meat vendor)

- A huge collection of large yellow jerry cans (used to carry water) roped together, presumably empty

- Sugar cane

- Sacks of cabbages

- A collection of brooms, mops, sponges and welcome mats, all piled high in a sort of mobile store
- Huge burlap sacks wrapped around giant bunches of banana leaves

Many of these things are so heavy that you regularly see several men pushing a single bicycle up one of the steep hills.

6 comments:

Laura Vecsey said...

A pool? Jeez, why haven't you invited us over yet?

Laura Vecsey said...

Whoops ... This is Laura. Walked by your house the other day on loop around Queen Anne. All is well. You aren't missing anything. Do it up BIG over there!

seagrrl said...

Great site but I am more than a little concerned. I almost fainted when I saw the Zestimate for our home. It is about a third of what I would assume to be the market value for our home.

I recognize that we live in North Dakota in one of those counties where you apparently don't have access to all of the data you need to make a more accurate Zestimate. But one-third of the assumed market value????

Oops, sorry! I thought I was on that crazy AVM site. In the words of Roseanne Roseannadanna, "Never mind!"

Alixito said...

I think this must be a 3rd world country thing. Growing up in Taiwan (when it was still 3rd world), we used to carry a lot of stuff with us, especially while riding a scooter. I remember one time my uncle was steering the scooter and he was carrying my aunt, my two cousins, myself, and my two brothers. Granted all the kids were 12 and under but still! That takes skillz, yo.

Anonymous said...

Ha ha -- what a great post. On this theme, check out this picture I took in Delhi.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/poductivity/55636726/
I'm glad you're doing well. Your blog's awesome.

Best Regards,
David G

K said...

You know what's so funny? Pretty much every blog I've ever read from someplace where cars are expensive has a feature on crazy things carried on bicycles! I'm disappointed I didn't get to see such feats of human strength and balance on my trip to Japan! Fun blog :) Karen G.