Bicing

I have mixed feelings about ‘Bicing’ the new, Barcelona rent-a-bicycle public transport system. It is a good idea – as a member you can take a bike from any bike station and ride for free (for the first 30 minutes) to another bike station where it locks back into the rack. There are bike stations at most metro stops and in the central public places, there are bike lanes on the major streets or where streets are divided with a walking/riding path and riding on the pavement is not frowned apon. Barcelona is pretty flat and you don’t need a helmet or a lock so it is easy to use. It is really nice to be self-sufficient and out in the air rather than on the metro or hot buses, especially with the weather as it is getting very humid. It uses a complex computer system to track and time the bikes … but I have some reservations.

One problem with Bicing is it is such a big operation – admittedly it is still in its first 3 months of operation but the bike stations are often empty or alternatively full so you can’t deposit your bike; the bikes sometimes have flat tyres, loose steering, broken seats, no bell or other problems and there are not enough bike stations or in all suburbs

The real problem for me though is the red tape involved in getting a membership card. It had me completely defeated. You do all the right things – you sign up on the net, you pay the annual 6 euro fee by credit card, you give all your details – passport number, address, telephone etc, you receive a acknowledgement of enrolment letter via email, and the money goes out of your account, and are told to wait 10 days for the card to arrive in the mail. 10 days go by – no card – you brave a visit to the Bicing office, to wait in a queue for up to an hour to be told, there is an error in the system and only residents can enroll - passport holders do not qualify. You explain your passport holding husband has received his card … there is an error in the system he shouldn’t have received one either … you have paid … there is an error in the system there is no record of you so they cannot refund the money.

I give up!!

PS: Jeff went in a week later after I had refused to have anything more to do with Bicing. He didn’t mention passports or his connection to me, just had our address and the acknowedgment letter sent 3 weeks ago and they gave him a card on the spot!