The bicycle is killing the planet slowly but surely

Hochräder wurden in der zweiten Hälfte des 19. Jahrhunderts entwickelt. Der Größenunterschied zwischen Vorder- und Hinterrad erlaubte eine größere Übersetzung und damit höhere Geschwindigkeiten. Pedale waren mit dem Vorderrad verbunden, eine Kette gab es nicht. Der Sattel saß möglichst nahe am Lenker. Das Hochrad des Spengler-Museums hat Reifen aus Vollgummi. Gefahren wurde es um 1880. Ein Klempnermeister Rommel aus Sangerhausen schenkte das Rad 1910 dem Geschichtlich-Naturwissenschaftlichen Verein Sangerhausen.

Amsterdam, 28 december 2022– A banker friend made the economists think this when he told me and said:

Cycling is a disaster to the country’s economy.

– He/she doesn’t buy cars and doesn’t borrow money to buy.

– He/she doesn’t pay insurance policies.

– He/she doesn’t buy fuel, doesn’t pay to have the car serviced, and no repairs needed.

– He/she doesn’t use paid parking.

– He/she doesn’t cause any major accidents.

– And: no need for multi-lane highways.

Plus:

– He/she is not getting obese.

Healthy people are not necessary or useful to the economy.

– They are not buying the medicine.

– They don’t go to hospitals or doctors.

– They add nothing to the country’s GDP.

On the contrary, each new McDonald’s store creates at least 30 jobs: actually 10 cardiologists, 10 dentists, 10 dietitians and nutritionists—obviously as well as the people who work in the store itself.”

Choose wisely: a bike or a McDonald’s? It’s something to think about.

PS: walking is even worse. Pedestrians don’t even buy a bicycle!

~ CEO of Euro Exim Bank Ltd. Emeric Sillo/Anton JieSamFoek

Anton Foek