Boris Bikes...will Kelly bike?

There's a bit of a cult following in London at the moment.


They're called Boris's bikes, named after London's mayor, whose full name I really cannot recall right now. (I think it might be Johnson. I really should have just said Boris Johnson in the first place, none of you would know the difference.) Anyway. He's a cycling fanatic, so in an effort to cut down on congestion and be more environmentally friendly, Boris concocted a "crazy" scheme for London's would-be bikers. (Actually it's all very ironic as I have it on good authority that Boris nearly caused a bus accident once on his bike.)


So. There are 'biking docks' stationed all over the city. They hold about twenty bikes per station. You pay as you go (40 pounds for a year's membership), and if your journey is under 30 minutes it's free. The scheme has had some teething problems, but they're becoming rather popular. Aside from the fact that the bikes are embarassingly new (squeaky clean and shiny, much like new white shoes) they really do seem rather convienent. They're cheap, or free, depending on your journey. They're faster than the bus, tube or taxi, plus you get some exercise and a good strong dose of fresh air.





Actually, cycling the city streets in London is already Big. Cyclists are as prevalant on the roads as buses and taxis. I've really come to admire those that don't mind flipping death in the face, and riding out where the double-deckers are. I particularly enjoy watching the businessmen with their briefcases and suits, or the women in their sweet pencil skirts and trainers.


I'd dismissed the idea of cycling to work as soon as I'd considered it. Too dangerous, I figured. But then my new flatmate kindly pointed out to me that Camden Council do cycling lessons for those wanting to brave the streets.


Well, I wouldn't be able to afford lessons, even if I wanted to, I flatly decided.


Turns out they're free.


Well even so, I thought, I haven't even seen any bike docking stations near West Hampstead, let alone in West Hampstead. (Some boroughs are so snooty their councils haven't adopted the scheme because they don't want to ruin the beautiful streets with ugly blue bikes.) And I haven't seen any at my end route in Marylebone either.


So there must be none at either end, I decided.


But as it turns out Boris has made it Super Easy for noobs like me and has created online cycling routes for us neophites.


Apparantely this is my route:



http://cyclejourneyplanner.tfl.gov.uk/cycleXSLT_TRIP_REQUEST2



Looks fairly complicated. I'm quite sure I will die...


But I might go for a trial run this weekend.

What do we think? And if it all blows up in my face i.e if I get hit by a double-decker...well, I'll just take the tube from then on. Much warmer in winter anyway.

Now what?

Things have been so hectic I nearly forgot I had a blog. Nearly.



In one week I've managed to score myself a job and a flat.



Did you ever watch those Western films and the guys are running along beside the train which is steaming past them on the tracks, and they're running and running to try and get a leg up on one of the trailers? And then there's a sense of relief once they manage to run fast enough and hoist themselves up?



That's the closest I can get to describing my relief at finding my feet in a completely different world. I feel like I'm a proper contributing member of society now. And hey, maybe I actually am. My job entails finding people work (yes, the irony is impeccable).



But I have to admit, a quick sense of elation was also met with an impending sense of doom. So...now I have a job and a house I can say I've done 'it', right? I've came to see if I could do it, and I can, so lets go home?



A weekend of being in a strange home without Internet access nearly did my head in. I've realised how much I've come to rely on the Internet. Which is kind of sad, in a way. Back in the olden days when people did their OE they had to rely on snailmail. How privileged am I to be able to send photos to my parents? To show them my new room? To tell them how my day went? To keep up with my friend's social antics?



So I've decided the hard part isn't actually over. Oh contraire.



In fact, the hard part is just beginning. How to maintain a life in London?



I've got the basics down. A roof over my head, a job, a few friends here and there. But what else is there? Hobbies? Classes? A social circle? Dates? Events? More travel?



Do watch this space.



And to finish off this post which wasn't about anything other than reminding you that I'm still
alive...here is one of my favorite spots in London, which reminds me that I am...in London.