The Office of Order
Bike riding just got a lot harder to do in Berlin . At least it did for me. This “zero tolerance” stuff has made its way over to Europe now, too. The Berlin government recently introduced what they call the Ordnungsamt, The Office of Order. I’m not joking. That’s what they call themselves. Somebody has actually hired these guys to walk around in these goofy kiddy-cop uniforms and ask people to pick up their litter and not to fidget so much when talking and stand up straight and stop picking their noses and stuff like that. And to order bike riders like me off the sidewalks and on to the street. I will not do this, however. I refuse. Not even an officer from the Office of Order can order me to do this. I will get off my bike and push it if need be, but I will not peddle out on the street. It’s just too dangerous with all of those aggressive native drivers and their aggressive native cars out there. I’m a sidewalk kind of guy. And now I’m an outlaw, too.
