Anna Rents a Bike in Amsterdam

Anna had only been in Amsterdam for one morning, but she had already learned one thing.

In this city, everyone rides a bike. Old men in suits, mothers with two children in a box at the front, students eating sandwiches with one hand. Bikes were everywhere, and they were fast.

"If I want to see the city like a local," Anna said to herself, "I need a bike too."

Near her hotel, she found a small bike shop with a big yellow sign. Inside, a man with a grey beard was fixing a wheel.

"Good morning," Anna said. "I'd like to rent a bike, please."

The man put down his tools and smiled. "Good morning. I'm Jack. For how long?"

"For two days. How much is it for a day?"

"Twelve euros a day. So twenty-four for two days."

"That's fine. Is a lock included?"

"Yes, you get two locks. A small one for the back wheel and a big chain. Always use both. In Amsterdam, bikes disappear very quickly."

"Do I need to leave a deposit?"

"Just your ID, or fifty euros. You get it back when you return the bike."

Anna gave him fifty euros, and Jack brought out a black bike with a basket at the front. It looked exactly like every other bike in the city.

"Have you ridden a bike in Amsterdam before?" he asked.

"No, this is my first time. Are there any rules I should know?"

Jack laughed. "Many. But I'll tell you the most important ones. Stay on the right.

Use your bell when you need to pass someone. Use your hand to show when you're turning. And never, ever stop in the middle of the bike lane to take a photo."

Anna looked at the camera around her neck. "Never?"

"Never. Ride to the side first. Then stop. Then take your photo."

"Understood."

"One more thing," Jack said. He took a red ribbon from a box under the counter and tied it to the handlebars.

"There are more bikes than people in this city. When you park it, you won't find it again without this."

Anna thanked him and rode out into the street. The first ten minutes were terrible. A bike passed her on the left and rang its bell.

Another one passed on the right. She turned without using her hand and a young man shouted something she didn't understand.

But slowly, she started to feel more confident. She stayed on the right, she used her bell, and when she wanted to take a photo, she rode to the side first.

And there were so many photos to take. Narrow houses next to the canals, little bridges with flowers on them, boats full of people having lunch on the water.

In the afternoon, she parked her bike next to a bridge, locked it with both locks and walked into a small museum.

When she came out an hour later, she stopped. There were at least two hundred bikes next to the bridge.

Black bikes, blue bikes, old bikes, new bikes. And they all looked the same.

For a moment, she felt a little panic. Then she remembered the red ribbon.

She walked slowly along the long line of bikes, looking at every handlebar. Black, black, blue, black, green. Then, near the end, a small flash of red.

"There you are," she said, and laughed.

The next evening, she returned the bike to the shop. Jack looked at it and nodded.

"No problems?"

"No problems," Anna said. "And your ribbon saved me. Without it, I would still be looking for my bike next to that bridge."

Jack gave her the fifty euros back and smiled. "Everybody learns that on their first day."

Anna walked back to her hotel along the canal. Bikes passed her on both sides, fast and full of life.

Tomorrow, she would leave the city. But she already knew that next time, she would rent a bike again. And she would ask for a red ribbon.