[Script Info]
Title: 
[Events]
Format: Layer, Start, End, Style, Name, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Effect, Text
Dialogue: 0,0:00:08.35,0:00:12.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,When I first moved to Amsterdam, I was told\Nin order to cycle like an Amsterdammer I would
Dialogue: 0,0:00:12.32,0:00:14.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,need to pass several tests.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:14.52,0:00:16.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Number 1.\NCycle home drunk
Dialogue: 0,0:00:16.18,0:00:19.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Number 2.\NSend a text message while cycling home drunk
Dialogue: 0,0:00:19.07,0:00:21.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And if I was feeling truly ambitious
Dialogue: 0,0:00:21.32,0:00:23.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Number 3.\NCycle home drunk
Dialogue: 0,0:00:23.30,0:00:26.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,at night without working lights\Nin a rainstorm on the wrong side of the street
Dialogue: 0,0:00:26.76,0:00:29.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,with a passenger sitting on the back.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:29.58,0:00:32.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Of course, cycling in these conditions\Nincreases your chances of injury,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:32.89,0:00:37.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and most of what I listed is technically illegal,\Nbut few police actually enforce traffic laws
Dialogue: 0,0:00:37.54,0:00:41.73,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,for cyclists.\NDisobedience of traffic systems seems incredibly
Dialogue: 0,0:00:41.73,0:00:44.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,commonplace.\NAs a result, public opinion on this topic
Dialogue: 0,0:00:44.89,0:00:48.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is divided,\Nsome appreciating the current relaxed legal
Dialogue: 0,0:00:48.22,0:00:50.65,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,structure,\Nwhile others feeling the rules of the road
Dialogue: 0,0:00:50.65,0:00:53.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,should be enforced to the same degree for\Neach road users,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:53.50,0:00:57.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,be it cyclists, motorists or scooter driver.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:57.04,0:01:00.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,There was a popular study performed\Nby the University of Groningen
Dialogue: 0,0:01:00.99,0:01:06.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that received a lot of attention in the media.\N7510 cyclists were given breathalyzer tests
Dialogue: 0,0:01:06.64,0:01:10.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,between 1 and 3am\Nin the streets of Groningen and The Hague.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:10.94,0:01:15.15,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Of those tested, 89% had been drinking\Nand 68% were above the legal limit.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:15.15,0:01:19.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,There are no statistics for Amsterdam,\Nbut traffic experts estimate the numbers would
Dialogue: 0,0:01:19.20,0:01:23.27,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,be similar here in the country’s capital.\NNewspapers latched onto this story
Dialogue: 0,0:01:23.27,0:01:27.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and it fanned the flames of debate.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:27.23,0:01:30.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But besides biking home after a couple of\Nbeers,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:30.03,0:01:32.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it is also common for cyclists to travel by\Nnight
Dialogue: 0,0:01:32.36,0:01:35.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,without working lights,\Ncycle on sidewalks,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:35.10,0:01:39.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,fail to stop at pedestrian crosswalks\Nand blast through red lights at intersections
Dialogue: 0,0:01:39.09,0:01:41.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,… the list of common infractions is quite\Nlong.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:41.85,0:01:44.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,There are fines to discourage this rolling\Nrebelliousness,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:44.48,0:01:48.43,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,yet the threat of penalty does little to curb\Nthis behavior.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:48.43,0:01:51.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,To a visitor in the city, it’s easy to think\Nthat Amsterdam
Dialogue: 0,0:01:51.20,0:01:56.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is a lawless wild west of cycling,\Nbut maybe there is a method to all this madness.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:56.04,0:01:59.100,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The term used in active transportation circles\Nfor cyclist disobedience is
Dialogue: 0,0:01:59.100,0:02:03.17,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,non-conformist behavior.\NThis behavior was first studied
Dialogue: 0,0:02:03.17,0:02:07.62,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in Amsterdam by the Urban Cycling Institute\Nat 9 different points in the city.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:07.62,0:02:12.59,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,A system developed by the team at Copenhagenize\Ncalled the Desire Line Analysis tool,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:12.59,0:02:16.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,recorded the movement of more than 18000 cyclists\Nduring the morning rush hour.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:16.86,0:02:20.87,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Of these cyclists, the vast majority obeyed\Nthe rules of the road.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:20.87,0:02:28.53,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In fact, less than 5 percent\Nof all cyclists impeded vehicle movement.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:28.53,0:02:31.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,These studies were also important\Nbecause they highlighted how swarms of bicycles
Dialogue: 0,0:02:31.85,0:02:38.19,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,during peak hours exceed the\Nphysical space designated for cyclists.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:38.19,0:02:42.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,During rush hours,\Nbicycles are bottlenecked by roads, kerbs,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:42.12,0:02:44.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,crosswalks,\Ntraffic lights and other physical barriers,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:44.33,0:02:46.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and cyclists need to navigate a complicated\Nmaze
Dialogue: 0,0:02:46.64,0:02:50.17,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of obstacles and traffic\Nin order to cross busy intersections.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:50.17,0:02:54.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Taking shortcuts, using sidewalks\Nor zipping across on red lights
Dialogue: 0,0:02:54.96,0:03:01.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is often the most rational decision a\Ncyclist can make during these peak times.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:01.32,0:03:04.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Disobedience of traffic rules is inevitable,\Nand in some ways justifiable,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:04.58,0:03:05.93,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,for bottlenecked cyclists, especially if the\Nlaws
Dialogue: 0,0:03:05.93,0:03:08.67,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or built environment were not\Ndesigned to match their needs.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:08.67,0:03:09.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Studies are underway to collect data for a\Ngreater swath of Amsterdam in order to understand
Dialogue: 0,0:03:09.13,0:03:09.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,cyclist behavior across the city, but for\Nnow, the debate continues, and unfortunately
Dialogue: 0,0:03:09.39,0:03:10.65,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the narrative often paints all cyclists as\Nrule-breaking rogues.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:10.65,0:03:14.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In another way, cyclist disobedience\Nillustrates the high status that
Dialogue: 0,0:03:14.71,0:03:19.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,bicycles have on Dutch roadways.\NJust consider accidents involving vehicles
Dialogue: 0,0:03:19.54,0:03:23.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and cyclists.\NIn the vast majority of cases
Dialogue: 0,0:03:23.14,0:03:26.43,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the motorist is liable.\NFull stop.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:26.43,0:03:29.62,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,While it is theoretically possible for a motorist\Nto argue
Dialogue: 0,0:03:29.62,0:03:34.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that the cyclist was at fault,\Nthis is a difficult case to make.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:34.29,0:03:38.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Even if an accident occurs when a cyclist\Nruns a red light,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:38.20,0:03:41.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the motorist cannot argue that the cyclist’s\Nbehavior was
Dialogue: 0,0:03:41.18,0:03:47.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,“unexpected and unavoidable.”\NAfter all, non-conformity among cyclists is
Dialogue: 0,0:03:47.42,0:03:48.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,norma\Nl in the Netherlands,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:48.76,0:03:53.73,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and a driver has to be prepared\Nfor the erratic behavior of cyclists at all
Dialogue: 0,0:03:53.73,0:03:56.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,times.\NJudgment between these two modes of transport
Dialogue: 0,0:03:56.76,0:04:00.73,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,differ\Nbecause vehicles can and do take lives during
Dialogue: 0,0:04:00.73,0:04:04.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,accidents,\Nwhile bicycles rarely, if ever do.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:04.09,0:04:08.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Dutch traffic laws for cyclists exist\Nin that grey area similar to the country’s
Dialogue: 0,0:04:08.46,0:04:12.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,drug policies.\NDespite the international fame that the Netherlands
Dialogue: 0,0:04:12.09,0:04:15.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,has for\Ncoffeeshops and marijuana paraphernalia,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:15.75,0:04:20.43,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,most would be surprised to know that\Ncannabis is still a controlled substance.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:20.43,0:04:23.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The Dutch law enforcement policy\Nis actually one of non-enforcement.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:23.54,0:04:28.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And it works because it encourages\Npolice to focus on bigger criminal issues
Dialogue: 0,0:04:28.25,0:04:34.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,rather than making small busts for soft drugs.\NAnd the tax revenue from marijuana sales offset
Dialogue: 0,0:04:34.46,0:04:38.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the potential public health risks\Nassociated with soft drug use.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:38.01,0:04:43.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,There are many international cities\Nwhere strict laws are enforced on cyclists,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:43.10,0:04:47.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,laws such as mandatory helmet laws.\NWhile these policies are rooted in concerns
Dialogue: 0,0:04:47.90,0:04:51.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,for public safety,\Nthey also discourage many from taking their
Dialogue: 0,0:04:51.38,0:04:54.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,bikes to\Nwork, school or for a night out.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:54.82,0:04:58.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And ultimately, a system of punishment\Ndecreases the likelihood of
Dialogue: 0,0:04:58.25,0:05:04.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,fostering a strong cycling culture.\NThereby losing the social and economic benefits
Dialogue: 0,0:05:04.02,0:05:06.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,gained from fostering an active cyclist culture.\NWhile countless cities are discussing ways
Dialogue: 0,0:05:06.37,0:05:11.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to promote cycling in society.\Nall too often, the discussion hinges solely
Dialogue: 0,0:05:11.09,0:05:15.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,on bicycle infrastructure.\NBut a cycling culture is created from
Dialogue: 0,0:05:15.18,0:05:18.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,morethanbikelanes.\NIt is a complicated balance between
Dialogue: 0,0:05:18.36,0:05:23.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,infrastructure, policy, and laws enforcement\N(or lack thereof).
Dialogue: 0,0:05:23.18,0:05:27.05,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The question I keep asking is\Nwhether or not cycling disobedience
Dialogue: 0,0:05:27.05,0:05:31.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,can be indicative of a\Nsuccessful active transportation system.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:31.00,0:05:34.35,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,If cyclists feel safe enough to\Nride through red lights without concern
Dialogue: 0,0:05:34.35,0:05:37.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,for injury and fine\Nmaybe the system is working perfectly.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:37.85,0:05:42.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I don’t have an answer to this.\NBut I do have a bicycle without working lights
Dialogue: 0,0:05:42.68,0:05:44.47,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and some friends to meet for some beers.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:44.47,0:05:44.91,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Problem?
Dialogue: 0,0:05:44.91,0:05:47.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In Amsterdam, I think not.