The Restaurant at the End of the Universe

I'm still waiting for the gear; they said they would check with their supplier last week, and they didn't, and then again this Sunday. I messaged them Sunday asking about it, got no response.

And I need to figure out getting those cleats. I should get a job somewhere :P

Jenayah

Dutch person comes in, talks about bike one minute after. Why am I not surprised :)

(seriously, are you Dutch people born with your bikes? I've seen more bikes in one day here than in my entire life, I think.)

SQB

Ha, so you're visiting here?

And yeah, regular babies are born head first, Dutch babies are born front wheel first.

Jenayah

Anyway, if that doesn't bother you, could you let me know if there's another "pay for one month, get as much public transport as you like" plan than HTM? It's the only one I found and man is it expensive (50€ a month for bus and tramway? :o )

Yeah, doing an internship :)

Ahah!

SQB

9:40 AM

So you're in The Hague?

Jenayah

No, Delft, but the HTM site said that it was compatible with other Dutch cities as well.

SQB

Hm. Not sure about that.

Jenayah

Oh, so the only thing I found in English doesn't cover the city I'm in. Back to square one x)

SQB

No, it's not incorrect, but I think it's limited to the area HTM operates in, which is the greater The Hague area.

Jenayah

Is Delft part of The Hague area, or is it its own area?

SQB

9:46 AM

I think it's part of it, but I'm not sure to be honest.

I think you may just want to buy an OV-chipcard and keep that topped up.

Where do you want / need to travel?

Jenayah

An anonymous OV or a personal one?

SQB

Anonymous should be fine.

I'm not sure if you need to have a bank account for a personal one.

Jenayah

From Delft, to Delft, when it rains too much for me to walk to the university.

Because yeah... I don't really know how to bike? Ahah

SQB

swapfiets.nl/en

Rent a bike for a month, including repairs / replacement should anything happen to it.

Jenayah

The issue I have with anonymous is that, if I understand correctly, you pay for the kilometers you've covered + basic fare. I mean, that's a good system, but rapid math tells me it's going to cost pretty money...

SQB

9:50 AM

iamexpat.nl/expat-info/dutch-expat-news/…

Jenayah

I don't know how to bike.

SQB

@Jenayah it's the same with a personal one, unless you buy a subscription for a specific journey.

@Jenayah like, not at all?

It's not that hard, though.

Jenayah

goes back to the hole of shame

Let's say I can go in a straight line, if there are no cars/people/dogs around, and I don't need to go up on a sidewalk.

I can't really take turns, either.

Mithrandir

Hopping the curb is easy, just do a small wheelie and let the back wheel bump

;P

SQB

Get a bike, put the saddle low enough to be able to plant your feet firmly on the ground. Ignore the pedals, just push yourself forward by "walking". Practise on an empty parking lot.

Jenayah

9:53 AM

imagines SQB's Dutch eyes widening as my inability to bike uncovers

SQB

You don't need to be able to go up curbs.

Anyway, when you're feeling comfortable, put your saddle a bit higher and try pedalling.

Alternatively, get someone you fancy to try and teach you. Great way to pick up someone.

Regardless of your gender, get a women's bike. It doesn't have the bar men's bikes have.

Jenayah

Thanks, but it's the "there are cars/other bikes/people around me" that is the problem. As long as I crash in a wall it's fine, but it's not the same when I risk hurting a kid/getting run over by a car

Ahah, I don't know anyone here ^^'

SQB

@Jenayah so this is how you get to know people. It's only €15 for one month, by the way. €12 for students.

Jenayah

Yeah I figured that as well. It's easier to get on and off the thing.

SQB

And it's exactly the type of bike you want.

Jenayah

9:58 AM

Alright, thanks

But still, the question with buses remains.

SQB

Yeah, lemme check.

It's been a while since I needed that type of subscription.

Jenayah

Ahah

SQB

Ah, yes.

You need a one star subscription, with Delft as its center zone. Dutch public transport (trains excluded) is divided in zones. A 1-star subscription lets you travel within that zone, unlimited. That's €50/month. If you choose a 2-star subscription, you can travel in the center zone you pick + all adjoining zones.

I think you need a personal card for that; a bank account doesn't seem necessary.

Jenayah

Yes, that's what I saw in the HTM website, but 50€ a month won't do with my budget, unfortunately.

SQB

You can load money onto that card as well, so you can travel beyond your zone or with the train as well.

It's not that expensive, to be honest, compared to the price of a single journey.

Alternatively, you can get a card without a subscription and just use that when needed.

Jenayah

10:05 AM

If I read that correctly, a single journey is 4€ unless you check out, then it's 0€90+km traveled*price per km

SQB

Yeah. If you forget to check out, you're charged €4. It's more for trains, since you're expected to have travelled further.

Jenayah

So if one travel is circa 5km, the price is like 2€. I need to do that 25 times a month for it to get "reimbursed"

SQB

I think a rent-a-bike is your best option, if you're willing to learn to ride it.

Jenayah

So yeah, 50€ is not worth it, I think.

I'm willing. Is the world ready for it though? X)

SQB

Yeah, but you're likely going both to and fro, so that's only 12-13 days of travel.

Jenayah

10:08 AM

(as a comparison, back home I pay 20€ for unlimited bus+tram in the whole city)

It can't rain that much in the summer though, can it?

Not as much as where I'm from, anyway.

(side note: I'm impressed by the number of bikes not attached. Like, the Dutch must be super respectful for each other's bikes.)

SQB

@Jenayah Not really, but there's safety in numbers.

@Jenayah which is? (If you're willing to share).

Jenayah

Well, in any case I guess I'm buying a lock

Brittany.

SQB

Ah.

@Jenayah The rent-a-bike comes with one, I think.

Jenayah

Not the worst, admitted, but for someone who's spent her early life in the south, it's something.

Oh, nice.

SQB

swapfiets.nl/en/bike/delft/org-norm

Also, the model of bike they provide is a pretty stable one.

You'll be riding around with your hand off the bars in no time.

Am I right, @Mithrandir?

Jenayah

10:18 AM

(funny how that's what everyone's been telling me for ten years, and the scars on my knee and thigh says otherwise x) )

But yeah, I'll give it a go, once I've bought a helmet.

SQB

You mean the "I'm a tourist" marker?

Jenayah

Hey! xD

Wait. Does that mean helmets are super expensive, too? xD

SQB

Nah.

Well, yeah, good ones are.

Jenayah

I was thinking of the "I'm a tourist and I'm broke" model.

SQB

But a couple of years a bunch were distributed to school kids, so you should be able to pick up a second hand one pretty cheap.

But it may be better to just start off riding slower and forget about the helmet.

Anyway, break's over. Good luck and let us know how the bike worked out.

Jenayah

10:23 AM

Well I tend to crash when I ride slow. Admittedly, I also crash when I ride fast.

Will do, and thanks for all the info! Have a good day at school/work/etc :)

TheLethalCarrot

11:37 AM

@SQB If you're gonna bump old posts with tag edits can you at least fix everything in the post?

SQB

@TheLethalCarrot I could, but I'm editing just the tags (the quick tag edit option).

Which one did you have in mind?

TheLethalCarrot

Right but you're bumping old posts so should strive to fix everything not just being lazy

Well the last two you added the fan fic tags to I've re-edited

SQB

Ah, okay.

TheLethalCarrot

Not saying I caught everything either but I think it's best to try and get as much as you can

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The Restaurant at the End of the Univ…