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Showing posts with label end of term?. Show all posts
Showing posts with label end of term?. Show all posts

Monday, May 18, 2020

LOCKDOWN CASTELLDEFELS - DAY 64 – Monday, 18th May



One of the key moments in the day is no more: our applause for the health and front line workers has now been terminated.  It changed the dynamic of the day, or at least the ‘start’ of the evening and, instead of departing immediately after the couple of minutes clap I set off a little later for my bike ride.
     The number of bikes seems to be increasing and we obviously outnumber the number of car drivers.  Who knows if this enthusiasm for the bike will last?  At the moment there is no real prospect for an early return to anything like normality, so the reign of the bike looks to continue for some months yet.
     As we are now in the majority it is easier to evaluate the behaviour of bike riders now that our numbers have increased so markedly.  Pedestrians are the worst road users by far and show a shocking lack of consideration, but cyclists are a close second.
     I suppose that the way in which cycles are ridden are functions of the fact that you do not need any licence to ride a bike and you have immediate access to busy roads with no training or knowledge – and it shows!
     ‘Professional’ bikers, i.e. those with the unflattering clothing, are the least likely to stop for pedestrians on zebra crossings or obey traffic lights if they think they can get away with it.
     But the key irritation is those bikers who ignore bike lanes, as though bike lanes are for the lesser breeds.  This is especially irritating when there are two bike lanes separated from a pedestrian path and yet some bike riders insist on weaving their way among the pedestrians.  Of course, the same thing is just as irritating when the pedestrians decide to invade the bike lanes!
     My pet peeve with cycles though, is the use of lights.  On cycling home this evening out of over 160 bikes that passed me, only 8 had lights on, whereas all the cars had their lights on.

There were only two Viral Assassins (kids) blatantly out of their time zone, but many more bike gangs of teenagers who must be desperate after weeks of isolation to get back to the usual social intercourse of youth!
     As far as I can understand the latest instructions of the government, many parts of the country will be advanced to Level 1 from Level Zero, but Barcelona will still stay at Level 0.  It is my understanding that it covers not only the city of Barcelona, but also the province of Barcelona, in which case my city of Castelldefels will also be included in the highest state of lockdown.
     The President is trying to get an extension of the State of Alarm for another month when this one comes to an end.  As is usual, the PP and the fascist party are trying to get it truncated.  It will be interesting to see what happens – though I am prepared to do my own sensible thing if I feel that my safety is not being considered (when has it ever) by government!

The Catalan video lesson was ok, with one or two problems with the picture freezing, but I was the only student in the class again.  I have told the other members of the class about these video lessons, but the response has not been there.  I have been given homework and the next lesson is next week.  Who knows how long this term is going to last?  But I think that the next lesson might well be the last.
     We shall see!