There's a plan afoot -- or rather, astride! Parisians are trying out a plan of Bike Rentals. You use your bank card, take your bike to where you want to go, and drop it off in the bike place when you get there. Nice! (Image from The Sartorialist)It works well in Lyon, apparently. But the Parisians themselves have some doubts about its translation into Parisian life. A delightfully French lawyer woman says (in this report) that "Parisians are the spoiled children of France." For some reason this lovely, succinct, matter-of-fact statement has made my day -- probably because it is in the same context as the observation that the sophisticated Parisians will not want to trade four wheels for two. Both are true. It makes me very happy that there is such a place and such a people.
And if Decaux wants to come to America, I think he should start in Portland, Oregon. They'd eat this up with a spoon!
JCDecaux runs similar schemes in Vienna and Brussels, as well as in the southeastern French city of Lyon.
In Lyon, users must pay a 5 euro ($6.48) registration fee for a one-year subscription. The first 30 minutes of each trip are free, and up to 1 euro is charged for each subsequent hour. The average trip there lasts less than 30 minutes.
2 comments:
Stephanie, I thought of you when I heard this report on NPR today. I failed to post it to the French Chic board (where you are sadly missed).
I cannot imagine riding a bike with white boots on! (Only in Paris, oui?)
But I've heard of this idea in some other city as well -- I'm sorry, but I can't even remember which country it is. You borrow a bike, ride it to wherever you need to go, leave it there, and then someone else who needs a bike takes it to wherever they need to go. Great idée, methinks.
And you are dearly missed @ FC, chère Stephanie.
Francesca
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