[Bent] Bent Digest, Vol 50, Issue 1

[Tapio Antero Osala]

2010/1/9 Burton Rothberg <brothberg at gmail.com>:
> As a Manhatanite and an American I feel the tone and content of your post
> were both condescending and smug.

I admit.

It has been a long struggle to fight more cycling roads and pedestrian
areas in city centres/plazas specially in Finland. The fight has
though been succesfull and we are moving forward.

Humans are taking more and more space from cars.

I actually don't know what the situation is in North America, but
imagined that the streets are mostly for CARs in city centres.

In my little hometown Vaasa (inhabitants 70 000) we have 150 km:s  (
about 100 miles) cycle roads (separete roads for pedestrians and
cyclists) and in the summertime a great deal of population commutes
with bicyles.

Perhaps i am wrong but i assume that in these points we (in Vaasa,
Finland/Europe) more cyclist friendly than most North-American cities?

I there any progress/movements in that area? Or is everything OK?

-

My son has lived 1,5 years in Hershey and two years in Toronto  area
(Missisauga).

He knows people from NYC and his opinion is that people in Manhattan
are different fron Toronto/Hershey.

I have got the influence that Manhattanties would perhaps be more
tolerant, anti-rasist, "free-minded", perhaps not so fundamentally
religious, than people on most other places (e.g in Hershey).


(Of course all North-America are friendly. "May I buy you a drink,
what do you like about America". The interest / knoledge about
Europe/rest of world is generally not very strong.)

Of course even NYC is very far away from Europe (that has more
differencies between countries than states in U.S:) but I am not the
only European that would choose NYC  for the place to live  U.S.


> Manhattanties are friendly in the same way that most Americans are. There is
> clearly a difference with Europe, and the difference goes deeper than
> pedestrian plazas.  I recommend you spend some time with your son in Hershey
> to see what I mean.
>
> On Fri, Jan 8, 2010 at 12:00 PM, <bent-request at list.marsride.org> wrote:
>>
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>>   1. Re: Bent people from Finland visiting NYC (Tapio Antero Osala)
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>> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 1
>> Date: Fri, 8 Jan 2010 00:42:17 +0200
>> From: Tapio Antero Osala <tapio.antero.osala at gmail.com>
>> Subject: Re: [Bent] Bent people from Finland visiting NYC
>> To: "NY/NJ/CT/PA Metro Area Recumbent Society (MARS)"
>>        <bent at list.marsride.org>
>> Message-ID:
>>        <2cea22551001071442v5cb7fa4erc674c1a280591a5f at mail.gmail.com>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
>>
>> Thank You for your efforts on Xmas week trying to make a meeting with us.
>>
>> Next time I will choose a more proper time of year.
>>
>> ---
>> We had a great 5 days in Manhattan. You Manhattans are so kind,
>> liberal and "european" compared with the rest of North America.
>>
>> If I would move to U.S NYC would be the only alternative.
>>
>> We were watching a couple of movies ("Invictus" and Pedro Almodovar:
>> "Broken Embraces") and the Hair -musical.
>> All were exellent.
>> (Hint: Perdo Almodovar is #1 european film director)
>>
>> The Muse Hotel was superb (Times Square).
>>
>> We also visitid the American Museum of Natural History ( it was not SO
>> impressive that we imagined but worth visit).
>>
>> The main purpose of my visit was to have a good holiday with my son
>> (and celebrate his 22nd birthday) while he had almost a week vacation
>> from his ice hockey in Hershey Bears (PA).
>> This purpose was fullfilled 100%.
>>
>> I some one of you ever plans to visit Europe (or Finland!) do not
>> hesitate to contact me.
>>
>>
>>
>> -----
>>  I noticed that you do not have much pedestrian streets in Manhattan,
>> One block on Broadway/Times Sqare was all I found.
>>
>> In almost ALL european cities (not so much in London) there are large
>> areas for only pedestrians and that is where all people meet (and the
>> business i flourishing!). I am just wondring why it would not function
>> even in Manhattan mid-town?
>>
>>
>> -- Have a nice Spring!
>>
>>
>> Tapio Osala
>> tapio.antero.osala at gmail.com
>> Vaasa gsm +358400761185
>>
>>
>>
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>> End of Bent Digest, Vol 50, Issue 1
>> ***********************************
>
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-- 
Tapio Osala
tapio.antero.osala at gmail.com
Vaasa gsm +358400761185