Cars that yield to bikes in a round-about? What is this place!? Or, List of Observations of the Netherlands #1

Howdy folks!

I figured that, seeing as it's rainy out and I don't want to do any school work yet I've been here for almost two weeks (!), it's time to make a first list of things I've seen here that are different from home. Now, of course, because Maastricht is my only experience with Europe so far, this list is going to include things that are unique to Maastricht, UniMaas, Limburg, the Netherlands, Europe, etc. without me really knowing the differences in most cases. That is, of course, one the risks in writing about a culture from the point of view of an outsider. That said, let the first list begin!

1.Bikes are everywhere: Yes, I know it's cliché to point out how many bikes are in the Netherlands, but it's cliché for a reason. Circling around looking for parking is nothing new to me; circling around looking for a spot to park my bike is. Almost all Dutch roads are divided into three parts: in the middle, you have the cars, on the edges (usually marked with a different coloured pavement and often with a cement barrier) you have the bikes, and then of course are the sidewalks at the very end. As the title of this post eludes to, this applies even in the ever-present traffic circles. Now, if you followed my explanation of lane-placement, you probably already realized that, in a traffic circle, bikes are on the outside lane, requiring all motorized vehicles to cross bike traffic to exit. Whereas in Montréal this would result in utter chaos and mass casualties, in Maastricht even busses wait (patiently, it would seem, though I may learn that's not so true as my Dutch improves) for cyclists to be out of the way before turning.

2. Students at UniMaas don't raise their hands to speak in class (something this mild-mannered Canadian may never adapt to) and clap at the end of every lecture.

3. You can't chose your own PIN code for Dutch bank accounts. Apparently this is estimated to reduce debit card fraud by around 30%.

4.This country really seems to like plants. Beyond the mass amounts of greenery outdoors, there are a large number of flower shops, including at train stations (so much so that the national railway website lists florists alongside ATM's and washrooms as amenities in train stations). Even the low budget grocery store across the street from me (for reference purposes for Montrealers, I'm talking about a grocery store that makes PA look fancy) has plants.

5. Line-ups don't really happen at the bank here. Either you take a number, or, when they're not busy, the number machine simply instructs you to sit down on the big round sofas. Somehow, the staff are able to make sure people are served in order.