BUCHAREST IN HOLLAND? (13 september 2005)
If you've ever been to Bucharest, you must have noticed that in large parts of the city there is hardly any room for pedestrians to walk: pavements are inaccessible because cars are parked everywhere.
How exactly that problem has originated is anybody's guess. But I can imagine Romania's notorious corruption has something to do with it.
This Romanian situation came to my mind when I was wondering why more and more shopkeepers in Amsterdam occupy a large part of the pavement. May be nice for the shopkeepers, but pedestrians are forced to take the path that's meant for rolling traffic -- which may be hell for people with perambulators or wheelchairs.
Of course, shopkeepers think this should not be much of a problem. Where else can I put my wares? they're often heard to respond huffily.
Obviously, they've never seen a disabled person in a wheelchair struggle to negotiate such an obstruction.
Shopkeepers may choose to sacrifice part of their own space. But if the authorities don't put anuything in their way, those who are not too particular about the rights of others will simply choose to block the pavement.
Sometimes shopkeeper and customer seem to conspire to completely block the way of wheelchairs, like this florist in the Jan Pieter Heijestraat, where the florist's merchandise and the customer's bicycle form a formidable barricade for wheelchairs.:
Some shopkeepers go very far in this respect. For instance bicycle shop Dr Beyk does not only put his complete store of second-hand bikes in the street. The little space that's left is occupied by Dr Beyk and his customers, who seem to think the street is the ideal place to do business and admire the bikes:
Do all these tradesmen have permission to block the pavement? Or does the police turn a blind eye?
Whichever the answer may be, we may wonder if Amsterdam isn't turning into Bucharest on the Amstel?
