Bicycles in Amman

I have been living in Amman for over a year now and very much like it and appreciate the welcome and hospitality Jordan has given me.

In addition to working for an international humanitarian organisation on the Syria crisis, I like to ride my bicycle for both physical and mental exercise.

The only two days I can get a decent ride in this car-dominated city are Fridays and, occasionally, Saturdays.

Every time I ride in and around Amman, however, without fail, young men (typically in their late teens and twenties) feel compelled to lean out the car window, honk and scream something unintelligible.

These acts are not only childish, they are dangerous.

I have had cars swerve across lanes and come within a metre of my bike to yell something stupid. It is only a matter of time before one swerves out of control and hurts or kills someone.

It is always the same — a group of young men, never a lone driver or women, yelling, probably the same ones who disrespectfully catcall women in public.

I am not sure what is behind this behaviour — repression, peer pressure, novelty, unfamiliarity, jealousy — but it is not exclusive to Amman; it occasionally happens to me in the Washington, DC area, where I am from, but there the perpetrator is typically older, fatter and balder. 

Riding the roads of Amman also requires constant vigilance, checking the tarmac to ensure there is no broken glass to puncture one’s tyres. As I roll over the glass, I cannot help but think of the lazy slobs I see throwing trash, including bottles, out of their car windows on nearly every ride.

I recognise bicycles are not exactly a common sight on the streets of Amman, and I do not expect to see car drivers share the roads of Amman with cyclists in great numbers anytime soon, if ever.

But I do not think showing a little respect is too much to ask.

Thankfully, I met a number of young men who do show respect to cyclists and pedestrians, including my Jordanian colleagues at work.

Blake Selzer,
Amman