Light up my life

Autumn's well and truly here. Today, it was dark when I woke up, grey and misty as I cycled to the gym (yay me!), lovely at lunchtime, and then overcast again as I cycled home. I now need to make sure I take my bike lights with me whenever I head out in the evening; these little things not only make me visible to cars, but render me invisible to the bike police. Yes, it's around this time of year that they start hiding round corners, waiting to pounce on the unwitting and unlit cyclist. On-the-spot-fines start at about 15 euros, particularly frustrating if your dynamo or light battery suddenly decides to give up the ghost as you're cycling past. In years gone by, the police have waited to impose the light laws until after huge signs have been put up around the city; once cyclists have had this warning, they're considered fair game. However, cycling home from a delicious meal at Bill and Beth's on Saturday evening, I saw one policeman perched on his motorbike over a canal, stopping the ill-prepared cyclists in front of me. Not only do the policemen get younger each year, but they're also starting earlier.

Oh well, this is one rule I can't complain about. It's unnerving enough to suddenly be confronted by a shadowy dark figure coming near-silently (apart from the squeaky wheels) the wrong way down a street at you when you're on a bike; far worse if you're in a car and could do some serious damage to them. Now, if only the police would fine the tourists who wander along the bike lanes during the day instead of using the pavement -- that would be both a real public service and an excellent source of income.