MY WHITE BICYCLE

It was, of course, a tune by the 1960’s band Tomorrow (for whom the dubious Twink played drums) but, much more important it was a scheme of the Dutch Provos by which white bicycles were left all over the city and were free for anyone to use, and then, having taken to the free ride, to leave for the next person needing no-cost transport. Sadly it was one of those great counter culture ideas that faded with the 1970s – and was also beset by an odd geographic entropy whereby the bicycles seemed to ultimately wind up in the outer suburbs of Amsterdam and have to be rounded up with great trouble and expense, which was hardly the original idea. The idea has, however, been resurrected in a number of European cities, and is proving particularly successful in Paris. Munz has sent a full report.

The secret word is Pedal