joining the velibers

I have been forced to become a veliber. I am going to join the thousands of Parisians who velib around the city every day. I will have my velibing card and will learn to know the closest velib station to my home, to my work, to my school.

I was rushing back from the gym the other morning and as I tapped the code to enter my building I realised something was missing – my bike. It was no longer attached the pole I had left it with the night before. Oh no.

I looked around and it occurred to me that the reason my street had looked strange on my way to the gym was because there were, in fact, no bikes left anywhere on that part of the road. Double oh no.

So I had been made bikeless – yet again.

Luckily the sun that had invited the thieves out of their hideouts was shining brightly and warmly and I made it to school in blades. A bit late but I made it. And now I have also tried to roller blade wearing a skirt and that too works.

Unfortunately roller blades can’t always serve as a mode of transport and hence I will be forced to find and alternative. Buying a new bike, for my undefined and possibly short time left in Paris does not really come across as a tempting alternative and hence I have decided to resort to the velib.

Velibing is a new trend that started in the city at the end of last summer when the city introduced the new system of city bikes. The difference with this system compared to other, more common systems of city banks is that this one works. With the price of a half a coffee you can have a functioning bike in your use for one day.  And a pass for the year will cost you less than an average night out and by far less than a monthly pass to the metro.

Having been a biker for years now I have been slightly sceptical about this apparently magnificent system but having carefully examined and followed the velibers so numerous in the city I have come to believe that it might be use the trouble.

So no I am impatiently waiting for my pass to arrive (yes, the drawback is that long term passes need to be requested where as a short term pass can be obtained from any velib station in half a minute).

So for a while, until obtaining my veliber status I will be a blader. But the sun is back in Paris so this poses no problems. No problems at all.