I didn't mention the places we visited last time with our guests. Apart from the "classic tour" (Amsterdam, Den Haag, Delft and Leiden), we also visited Utrecht, Amersfoort, Cothen, Wijk bij Duurstede, De Haar and Haarlem. This photo was taken in Leiden, and it seems that this is what you can find under the canals: bikes, of course, but also shopping trolleys and scooters!! They were there waiting to be picked up (by the garbage truck I guess) and it smelt awful.
By the way, I think there is a guide handed out by the government about what to do if you fall into the canal while driving :-) Please, if somebody knows where to find an online version, tell me!
No mencioné en mi anterior post los sitios que visitamos con nuestros últimos invitados. Además del ya clásico tour "Amsterdam, Den Haag, Delft y Leiden", también visitamos Utrecht, Amersfoort, Cothen, Wijk bij Duurstede, De Haar y Haarlem. Esta foto la hicimos en Leiden y parece que esto es lo que se puede encontrar en el fondo de los caneles: bicicletas, cómo no, pero también ¡¡carros de la compra y scooters!! Estaban ahí esperando que se los llevara el camión de la basura, supongo, y olía fatal.
Por cierto, creo que hay una guía que reparten sobre qué hacer si vas conduciendo y se te va el coche al canal :-) Si alguien sabe donde encontrar una versión online ¡que me lo diga!.
martes, 4 de marzo de 2008
Under the canals / Bajo los canales
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It's not necessary any manual from the Dutch Government about what to do if you fall into a canal. Just follow your common sense and this simple procedure:
1. Forget about the car. It's already death and you'll have to buy another one ("an SUV, an sports one, a Mercedes, a BMW..." come on! this is not the right time to think about that!)
2. Personal belongings? Are you thinking about them while sinking? Then you don't deserve a second chance in life :-D
3. Don't wait for your car to sink! Don't be scared! Have guts! Be a man/woman/teenager!
4. Shut your mouth and stop breathing (in case you are already sinking :-) From now on, you have 30-60 seconds before panic.
5. Grab your lifehammer (a must in a car in the Netherlands or any other place with waterways: http://saveyourlife.us/)
6. Free up yourself first! In order to be able to help others...
7. Cut through the seat belts with the life hammer.
8. Break the window with the same tool.
9. Surface!
10. If your mobile phone with camera is still working, don't forget to take a shot when safe.
Moral
If you don't have a life hammer, you are fucked.
What is the probability to fall into a canal while driving? Let's do an estimation: given the number of places that you have visited in approximately one year (by the way far more than me in eight...), counting the number of canals on those places divided by the total number of kilometers done the figure is really tiny. Taking into account Murphy's Law, if you bye a life hammer, that figure will further be reduced. In addition: how deep are the canals? 1 meter? In summary, these nice streams of water that make the Dutch landscape are more dangerous to bycicles than to people!
the canals are 3 meters deep, at least the main ones.
in Amsterdam, long ago, they decided to add a barrier near the border, so cars feel it and don't fall when parking: too much work for firemen.
dan - Hahahahaha LOL!!!! Great comment (it should have been a post!!). Now I have the "somosuno" guide ;-) but the official guide exists!!! I know because I saw it in "Madrileños por el mundo" XD. It's just curiosity, I want to know if they say the same as you do. I know that while sinking I will think about my PDA (you gave it to me, it has sentimental value...) By the way, do we have a life hammer? :-|
barba larga - I think the probability is not so low. Tnarik is right when he says that in Amsterdam they decided to put a barrier especially for parking places along the canals so there must be a good reason for that :-) And when I go to Utrecht I drive by places like N201, and yes... that's not a canal, but also by Schiphol Oost and in these places there are no barriers.
tnarik - That's absolutely true except just in the canal we parked when we met you in Amsterdam last time! I am interested in this because sometimes while driving I think that another car (not me, hehe) can crash into mine and I can end up into a canal. I imagine myself rolling down the windows very quicly (while flying). At least I know that I shouldn't waste my time trying to open the doors. I don't wanna live a situation like this one!!!
joer... ¡cuánta basurilla por ahí debajo! me recuerda a la peli de terror aquella de los canales de Amsterdam, jejeje...
y MUY bueno el (siempre ácido) consejo de Dan...
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