Where's Your Green?

What a beautiful morning it was, this Easter Monday morning! Tender sunshine woke me up at 7.

I always hated slacking in the bed on bank holidays, especially on such beautiful days. It hailed and rained all day-all night yesterday, so the sky was clear. Silently I escaped the bed and slipped into my "skunk gear", my biking clothes, that is. After a fast espresso on the run, I was ready to go in less than 15 minutes.

And then it took me another 5 minutes and I was already cranking on the dirt in the woods. If anything, this would be one of the last things I'd ever give up, this fast-lane-access to the nature. No cars, no traffic, no stress, and all this less than 15 kilometers from Dusseldorf, the capital of our state.

And this got me thinking. How many of us are lucky enough to share something like this? How long would it take an average person to reach the green, in distance and time, so that that "green" becomes a part of his life? My sister for example, she lives in Istanbul and spends almost 4 hours in the city traffic D-A-I-L-Y.

Do this to me twice, I'm done, I'm gone.

I ride my bike to work almost every day. On my commute route, I cross the A3, one of the busiest highways in europe, over a highway bridge, where I sometimes stop and watch the poor people driving, who got stuck in their cars. Neverending traffic jams to and fro, on 6 lanes, every given day. Sounds crazy? No, it's un-fricking-believable.

The same time these folks reach their first highway exit, I'm already done with my workout and listened to all my favorite Dave Matthews tracks.

But many, and I mean those who'd care and love to, have absolutely no access to the real outside world. And that's a shame. Of course I'm not denying the fact that this is a matter of choice and circumstances, but still, everyone should have at least the option today, as green areas are diminishing rapidly.

I would have loved to buy a bike for my sister as a christmas present, but she bought herself a new car. Not bad. At least she can check her facebook page, tweet some BS, answer mails, listen to the radio and make a few phone calls, while she's on the road. I hear you saying, "All that while she's driving?" Well, let me enlighten you, as you might not have experienced an Istanbul traffic jam before: Once the traffic stands still in the big city, nothing ever moves there for a while.

Now I'm thinking of getting her an iPhone, but I guess she's got it anyway.