When we started this commuting business Greece was on holiday. There was, then, very little traffic moving on our Piraeus streets - which was a good thing.
Footpaths (where they exist) are generally narrow; often too narrow for Donkey and often are completely blocked anyway by trees, lamp- and sign-posts, concrete planters and other potted plants, chained up motorbike and scooters, parked cars, steps up to houses and steps down to basements (the really dangerous one, as they often have no guard rails). However, the main thing that makes footpaths unsuitable for wheels (any wheels) are the steps where the levels and surface materials change from building to building. Of course it's worst on hill streets and Piraeus is nearly ALL hill streets. The pieces of 'footpath' get connected (if you could describe it thus) by a random arrangement of homemade steps and ramps - varying heights and widths, a few painted white but most simply left as bear-traps for the unwary.
Some pieces of contiguous footpath are even intersected by an actual wall, right across from building to gutter.
The end result of all this random footpath construction is that anything on wheels uses the middle of the street: old ladies dragging shopper bags on wheels, baby buggies, me & Donkey, the fishmonger with his shopping trolley..... We are all out there dodging potholes and ducking and diving among the cars and motorbikes.
F says that in a year of being here and walking to work, she has never seen a wheelchair or mobility scooter - anywhere! I've not seen any either.
Fortunately I feel safe driving Donkey and stay perfectly calm even in the face of oncoming buses and delivery vans. Dogs are another story but it's F's job to keep a good look-out for those.
Footpaths (where they exist) are generally narrow; often too narrow for Donkey and often are completely blocked anyway by trees, lamp- and sign-posts, concrete planters and other potted plants, chained up motorbike and scooters, parked cars, steps up to houses and steps down to basements (the really dangerous one, as they often have no guard rails). However, the main thing that makes footpaths unsuitable for wheels (any wheels) are the steps where the levels and surface materials change from building to building. Of course it's worst on hill streets and Piraeus is nearly ALL hill streets. The pieces of 'footpath' get connected (if you could describe it thus) by a random arrangement of homemade steps and ramps - varying heights and widths, a few painted white but most simply left as bear-traps for the unwary.
Some pieces of contiguous footpath are even intersected by an actual wall, right across from building to gutter.
The end result of all this random footpath construction is that anything on wheels uses the middle of the street: old ladies dragging shopper bags on wheels, baby buggies, me & Donkey, the fishmonger with his shopping trolley..... We are all out there dodging potholes and ducking and diving among the cars and motorbikes.
F says that in a year of being here and walking to work, she has never seen a wheelchair or mobility scooter - anywhere! I've not seen any either.
Fortunately I feel safe driving Donkey and stay perfectly calm even in the face of oncoming buses and delivery vans. Dogs are another story but it's F's job to keep a good look-out for those.
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| Spot the paved surface...... |
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