Beer bikes banned

… and about time too. A court in the liberal city of Amsterdam took a decidedly illiberal attitude to these “rolling taps” and banned them in early November 2017. Invented by two Dutchmen, these beer bikes are carts that have been modified with seats arranged around a bar table. Patrons power the bike as they pedal beside the city's famous canals, while drinking beer.

Seating up to over a dozen people, these bikes have become a pathetic sight in many cities, including Berlin. Clever businessmen market them as “sightseeing as you booze along”.

As can be imagined, the relation between beer consumption and the bikes’ speed is inverse, so in no time they turn into a traffic obstacle. More sensitive souls object to rowdy tourists being drunk and disorderly, especially in the evenings. In Berlin they can be seen cruising the streets until 10 pm at night.

Last year, more than 6,000 Amsterdam residents signed a petition against this “dreadful phenomenon”. The bikes were outlawed but the ban was revoked by a court. This year, there was a renewed attempt and in November it proved successful. Hurray to the burghers of Amsterdam.

If only they could be banned elsewhere too.