An observation...

The Basel Tattoo is currently in full swing and that means that the trams after 11 ish are actually quite busy. A general observation over the last few days is that an increasing number of people are taking their bikes to the tattoo and are then to 1)tired 2)drunk 3)can't be arsed to ride them all the way home, so are getting on the trams with them, getting off somewhere near home and riding them the last 200 meters...

Unless reason 2 (too drunk), RIDE THEM ALL THE WAY HOME!!!

Point in question, about 30 mins ago. I took the #6 tram back in the direction of Allschwil. There were about 10 bikes on the tram, all of which seemed to work just fine... There were old people standing because all the seats were taken and the only other places had people (mostly under 30) with bikes blocking the push up seats..

I got off at the same time as 2 kids did. I looked them up and down, and just asked if their bikes were broken. Simple answer back, no, they had just come from Klein Basel and didn't want to cycle all the way home, too tired and it was a long way...

Like the motto, "a dog is for life, not just for Christmas... "If you ride your bike... Ride it home.."

On an additional note... The kids in question, were actually quiet and did not make noise... However, I have no doubt, had they been English and chatting, there would have been loud discussion around them, as to how inconsiderate they were etc... etc... etc......

Moan over...

Over and out!

Any other problems ???

I was on a tram coming from Oerlikon when there were a few chaps bringing 3 or 4 bikes on board and the driver actually piped through the intercom that they should get off. There was a woman with a pushchair who couldn't get on because of all the bikes which was probably the reason.

This is not the only example and not the first time it occurred to me that everything in CH belongs to teenagers with similar behaviour observed on trains and in shops show lack of consideration for others.

I think you are being a bit unfair to Swiss teenagers

Teenagers globally and since the beginning of time have had exactly the same attitude.

I know, I used to be one...

That's the funny thing... old, grumpy people forget so often that they were young once, that's what makes them even older...

You know, in the olden days .... (insert your favorite whinge here)

Hope you aren't suggesting I am old and grumpy...

I tried by all means to avoid this one word in the sentence as it may get some local defenders excited and it will escalate politically to furners

I mean in general teenagers are cool but I refer specifically to those few uncool ones on the train after 22h00 with a can or two and loud to make scare living $hite of out of some senior members of society.

Haha, no... (although to be fair I don't know you really, but I assume that no) - just liked the point you made which people forget regularly....

I must have forgotten but will get me arse out this weekend and remind me how it used to be in olden days...

If you want to take your bike on the tram, you have to buy a ticket. If you've bought a ticket, are on the tram and the tram is full, so what? Why not tell those with a child's pram at rush hour to get off when there's five yummy mummies all returning home after a day at the park? I'm pretty certain you don't need a ticket for prams, yet some of them are bigger than bikes and can occupy half a carriage. Just wait 3 mins for the next freakin' tram!

The difference is the pram is not a means of transport for the mother/father and child whereas a bike, taken out with the purpose of getting to a venue, is the same mode of transport that they should be able to get home with.

Uncle Max, seriously ? returning from a day in the park.... is that the impression young harrassed mothers give ?

I can remember getting on buses and trams with a baby pram after a full day's work, after having run across the city to be on time for the kinderkrippe.

mmmmm a long day in the park, that would have been nice....

Or, in the case of my wife, she's been up half the night feeding the baby, has taken the baby into work in the pram, has worked all day, is going home to attend to the the other child, the cooking and the cleaning only to be up half the next night.

And she can't get on the tram to get home as it's full of teenager with bikes.

You do make a lot of assumptions, don't you?

The VBZ website allows bicycle transport but puts them lower in the food chain than prams. They are only allowed if there's more than enough space.

A ride costs an additional 1/1 ticket (2 tickets for tandems, I'm not kidding ) and a day pass is available for 15 Fr.

Sounds like she would probably be grateful for some help...........

When I'm home I do 90% of the cooking and washing up and we share the cleaning.

I can't seem to get the breast-feeding right though

Are folding bikes allowed on trams/trains? When I lived in Holland, you could bring a folding bike on the train for free, but had to pay for an ordinary bike.

I just wonder if there are any volume restrictions (there must be )? When I used to go skiing the entire equipment occupied similar space, or being more technically accurate, it was even much more cumbersome to handle in the passage than a nicely folded bike in a bag All transported at no extra fee added.

Should be - there was a thread a little while ago (I think by Salsa_L) where they described that a bycicle in a carrier bag counts as luggage, not a bycicle. I'd guess the same counts for a fold-up...(but don't trust me - check first)