Bitch on a bike.

Sevilla is flat and thank god. Otherwise I wouldn´t be able to rocket around the city so easily on a bike. I have a Sevici (which is pronounced Se-vee-cee and should not be confused with the dish of seafood cooked in citrus juice) card which allows me to basically check out bikes around the city at different stations. You run your card, pick out your bike and off you go. It is a great system, provides exercise, cuts down on the use of cars (and emissions) and saves time. But everything isn´t all fluffy puppies and candy. There is a down side to Sevici. I have come to realize that I am quite agressive when I get behind the handlebars. Allow me to explain. As part of the bicycle system and as a way to foment their use, the city has created many bike lanes so that you don´t have to ride in traffic (because Spanish people drive like maniacs). This of course means that they are on the sidewalk. However, so as to distinguish where bikes can go (and therefore where pedestrians CANNOT go), the city has painted GREEN lanes with WHITE bicycle symbols. As far as I know, this system has been in place for some time. It isn´t something that started yesterday. Yet, people still wander aimlessly everywhere, meandering and puttering while walking in the bike lanes. Thankfully, the Sevici bicycles have bells on them. Ding, ding. Outta my way jerk, I´m biking here. Green lanes = bike lanes. It really isn´t that difficult. Pedestrians can walk anywhere else they please. In fact, I wouldn´t even care if they wanted to walk in traffic. Just stay out of the bike lanes. It wouldn´t be so bad if the Sevici bikes were better maintained. However, when you pick out your bike, it is sort of hit or miss. Maybe the brakes work, maybe not so much. Maybe the seat swivels, or maybe it is stuck so high that your feet don´t touch the ground. Maybe the light works, but probably not. The Sevici bikes have taken a beating and it is sort of like playing Russian Roulette when you take one to ride across town. You take your life into your own hands and it would help to not have to swerve around people walking in the bike lanes. Once I did feel bad when I saw a little old lady who was wheeling her grocery bag home in the rain while walking in the bike lane. I slowed down and tried to balance while inching along behind her on my bike, all the while thinking my free 30 minutes were going to expire any second. Then another little old lady came flying up behind us both, dings her bell insistently twice and flew by us. That´s it, I think. Respect the laws of the road abuela and I passed her too.