Contest 4.09: Looking Back/Look Forward #ccc

At the time of posting this contest contest 4.08 still runs!

Take your chance and join that one first if you didn't yet.

In my childhood we started learning how to bicycle. In most cases it was on a bigger bike. There was no money to buy a new one every two years till a child stopped growing. This means no little bicycle with small wheels as a help to not fall down. It was a bike bike and a push and off you you go. If not forward into the bushes or on the street. No helmet, knee or elbow protection. If you couldn't sit on the saddle you stood on the pedals. At primary school in the 6th grade you hade to bring your bike with you to school to pass the traffic exam by bicycling a route given. This exam still exists.

At the age of 16 mopeds were popular. Many boys had one, later girls too. A Puch was the best brand and I still see their advertisement in poster size. I never had one. Most likely because I could walk to school and there was no place to go. I wonder if Puch still exists. The last time I saw one was the one I bought for my ex his birthday. That was 30 years ago.

My children never showed interest in a moped at the age of 16. At that time you no longer could buy one and drive it. You needed a driver's license. The one for car driving is good and if you don't have one the only way is to go for the moped license. It feels as if it is the world upside down but it is for sure another way of labeling people for dumb, incapable (you can't do anything before some school taught you how to do it and you have your license). A moped license? This change started about 25-30 years ago too. My children were not interested. Why waisting money on moped lessons and exam if you can go for car two years later? They preferred to use their bikes instead. No bus but bike. Every day 1-1.5 hour by bike to school under every weather circumstance and 1-1.5 hour to arrive back home and never the wind in the back.

As the e-bike appeared we were not interested. E-bikes are extremely expensive plus you still need to use the pedals. It only makes pedaling easier. Good enough for those who love to bicycle for 30-40 kilometres but not for us. For the price of an e-bike I can buy one if not two cars. Even a broke battery costs a fortune (a car). An insurance for bikes, mopeds and e-bikes are quiet normal today and isn't cheap. But all of those are necessary because even if you use 4 locks it is stolen if you turn around.

Slowly entire populations are forced into e-bikes, e-mopeds and e-cars. You are not able to travel far with an e-car, not able to travel at all without power but that is exactly the point. Humans shouldn't travel but stay at home. That's why we have lockdowns. Positive about an e-bike is you don't need to visit a gasstation and it makes it easier to travel longer distances. Negative is you need power to use it and if this is your only transport you have nothing if the battery is empty.

Today the battle is about using helmets on e-bikes and bikes. It wouldn't surprise me if you need a license for bicycling soon too. It would be big business and the government needs money if people stop driving cars, cars where high taxes are paid for in every way.

Our first e-moped arrived yesterday. It's quality is not like what Puch was years ago. I looks like modern cars... cheap, plastic made in China. It came in parts and the shop had to build it together. This is also a huge difference with my childhood. Quality articles are rare today. Bikes, furniture, literally everything arrives as a diy-parcel made out of plastic or pressed wood fibers. Articles in parts aren't cheaper frequently more expensive although they are unfinished.
We decided for a two seater e-moped in case of need. That case is no car but can also be extra transport to reduce the trips to the gasstation and save myself the high costs of gasoline.

If everything we need uses electricity it will be dangerous. The price of electricity will be sky high. People can give up on the toaster, coffee machine, television, fridge, oven and stove but if water, heating the house during winters depends on it... if it is the only way of transport and your bankaccount is involved too there is a huge problem. It means all your beds are on one horse and you will most like lose everything.

Who does not think about his future doesn't invest, will always remain poor!

source

Theme

Looking back - Look forward

Write a text of 200+ words about what you are looking back at or... are looking forward to.

Deadline: August 21, 2021, 6 p.m. Parish time

New Rules

1. Upvote this contest
2. Write about the theme in 200+ words
3. Post in hive-166850 and use tag #ccc
4. Mention "CONTEST Looking Back/Look Forward 4.09" in your text and add the link to the contest.
5. Invite friends.
6. Add the CCC invitation with links
7. Leave the link to your post underneath this contest in the comment line.
8. Read, comment, support other entries.

Prizes for this contest:

• a 100% upvote for each entry

Since my wallet is hacked I need to earn Steem before I can reward again. Till I earned enough I can no longer reward with Steem/SBI.

• Feel free to write in the language of your choice but if so add a translation in English.
• Entries not answering the question of following the rules is not valid.

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