The Life-Sized City Blog

There are many ways to combine transport forms. One of the unsung modes is combining the bicycle with a taxi. In Denmark, every taxi is equipped with bike racks to accommodate two bicycles. All taxi companies weld them on themselves, there is no one solution as it is simple enough to make. No bells and whistles. No Kickstarter campaign. No nonsense. The racks themselves are in the trunk of the taxi and if you have a bicycle, the driver hops out and sticks them in the slots and attaches your bike(s) with a bungy cord. There is an additional fee of about 10 or 15 kroner ($2-3) if you need to get your bicycle home with a taxi. For whatever reason. A flat tire or other defect, you're in a hurry, it's raining and you forgot your waterproof mascara or if the guy/girl you met at that bar and are heading home with doesn't have a bike - and you want to get home in a hurry... All a part of a truly integrated bicycle culture. I was suprised to learn in this travel film about

Imagine my surprise at Prague Airport when, while waiting outside to be picked up, I saw a taxi driver in the line of taxis pushing his car forward to the front of the line. Imagine my further surprise when all the taxi drivers in the long line followed suit. How completely bizarre and how completely cool. I wonder if there are similar laws in Czech Republic as in Denmark about having to turn off your engine if you're motionless for for than two minutes. Whatever the case, it was brilliant to see all these men pushing their big, fancy, late model Volkswagons. I was lecturing about Marketing Bicycle Culture in the city of Pardubice yesterday and am currently in Prague. More on the state of the bicycle union in the two cities later.