Strange Hungarian Customs

[Hermit]

In Hungary, it is illegal to ride a bicycle across a street. You must push it across.

But now it is legal to ride a bicycle while drunk - they changed this law in 2014.

Hello!

I registered solely because of this thread. I appreciate that you choose my country for your stay. However I have witnessed in this thread some confusion about our customs, and sometimes even denigration towards us (couldn't tell if it was satirical or not).

I came here to answer any questions, either already posted or future ones about my country. You can ask anything. Something is not clear, seems illogical, primitive or disgusting? Ask. Anything from toilets to laws, horsecarts, food, politics, customs, etc.

Thanks 

[movenon]

Welcome!  It is all in good fun, we are always up to a good laugh or expanding our knowledge.  As the FJ motorcycle was sold world wide for many years we have members from all over the world.  Feel free to also ask us questions wounder why we do strange things.  Do you ride a motorcycle?  Not that it matters you are welcome here.
George

[red]

Hello!
I registered solely because of this thread. I appreciate that you choose my country for your stay. However I have witnessed in this thread some confusion about our customs, and sometimes even denigration towards us (couldn't tell if it was satirical or not).
I came here to answer any questions, either already posted or future ones about my country. You can ask anything. Something is not clear, seems illogical, primitive or disgusting? Ask. Anything from toilets to laws, horsecarts, food, politics, customs, etc.   Thanks     

Hermit,

You are welcome here.  I like to hear about the people of the world, and their customs. 
The USA has a crazy mixture of cultures and customs, so life here can be baffling at times, but it is seldom boring.   

Back at post #175, I was asking about the "bicycle pushers," who have a bicycle but walk (and push the bicycle) for some distance instead of riding the bicycle.  I have never been to your country, so I do not understand why people would do that.  I made a guess (a joke, really) that all of the bicycle seats were not comfortable.  In the USA, you almost never see "people pushing bicycles," except when going up the steepest hills.  Are there really a lot of "bicycle pushers" there?  Why do they push the bicycles, instead of riding?

Thanks,
Red

[Hermit]

Welcome!  It is all in good fun, we are always up to a good laugh or expanding our knowledge.  As the FJ motorcycle was sold world wide for many years we have members from all over the world.  Feel free to also ask us questions wounder why we do strange things.  Do you ride a motorcycle?  Not that it matters you are welcome here.
George

Thanks for the warm welcome! I don't own a motorcycle, but I always wanted one, since I rode one when I was 7 (with an adult of course).

[Hermit]

Hello!
I registered solely because of this thread. I appreciate that you choose my country for your stay. However I have witnessed in this thread some confusion about our customs, and sometimes even denigration towards us (couldn't tell if it was satirical or not).
I came here to answer any questions, either already posted or future ones about my country. You can ask anything. Something is not clear, seems illogical, primitive or disgusting? Ask. Anything from toilets to laws, horsecarts, food, politics, customs, etc.   Thanks     

Hermit,

You are welcome here.  I like to hear about the people of the world, and their customs. 
The USA has a crazy mixture of cultures and customs, so life here can be baffling at times, but it is seldom boring.   

Back at post #175, I was asking about the "bicycle pushers," who have a bicycle but walk (and push the bicycle) for some distance instead of riding the bicycle.  I have never been to your country, so I do not understand why people would do that.  I made a guess (a joke, really) that all of the bicycle seats were not comfortable.  In the USA, you almost never see "people pushing bicycles," except when going up the steepest hills.  Are there really a lot of "bicycle pushers" there?  Why do they push the bicycles, instead of riding?

Thanks,
Red

Well it is because of several reasons. Some people put heavy things on bicycles, and use them as somekind of "packmules", like a sack of food, or several boxes or bags. I used mine once to trasport 4 packs of mineral water when our car was broken.

The elderly push it when they are tired.

In villages people use it when they are a bit tipsy to keep balance.

Also when you push a bicycle you are counted as a pedastrian, this way you can use crosswalk.

People tend to get off when they move through heavy pedastrian traffic or public parks.

Others are simply hate to go up on steep hills, and only sit on it when they roll down.

Keep in mind that when you get off you are a pedastrian so you have to use the sidewalk.

In intersections when the lamp is red most people tend to get off to keep balance easier, especially old people.

However I recommend using the sidewalk even if you are on the bicycle (you can use it if you go under 10 km/h) it's safer and quicker, and you don't slow traffic this way. Some people go into roundabouts also, most of us see this as recklessness. I only use the road if it is necessary, or the sidewalk has extra pedastrian traffic. Even so I never go through intersections or roundabouts, I always go up the sidewalk before them, and push by bicycle through the crosswalk.

I also use my bicycle when I visit my wife after her shift ends. And since she doesn't use one, we walk home holding hands, and I push it with my other hand. Why should I leave my bicycle home, when I can do the trip with it in 10 minutes? This way I don't have to leave home 1 hour early. Besides it's their business to push it if they like (when they use the sidewalk), on the otherhand pushing on the road is only allowed if there is no sidewalk.

P.M.: That small vehicle previously pulling scrap, it's not going in the middle of the road, that's the side of it (where the asphalt ends), the nice paved area is exclusively for pedastrians or bicycles going under 10 km/h.

P.M2.: Many people (farmers for example) in small villages use horse drawn carriges. You see when you buy a car you have to pay at least 1 million forints (3800 dollars, that's an average one year salary), and that's only if I count with a used, crap, low-tier car + taxes + compulsory car insurance + registration + sale papers + technical inspection + driving test + driving license. And it can't hold much cargo. A truck with the necessary load cost even more to maintain. So they use a carrige, mostly to transport food for the animals, or harvested goods to the market. You could see chairots in major cities as a tourist attraction also.

PM3.: Bicycles are also very low cost transport, not just poor people use them, I use it all the time in the city, what took me 5 minutes in rush hour, is 2 hours for a car. Besides the speed limit in cities is 50 km/h, I can easily gain 40-45 km/h with a bicycle so what's the point in using a car? The fuel is also very expensive. Some other people use bicycles, because of environmental factors (you know global warming). Also sometimes cars are not very mobile, especially in cities with lots of one-way roads. For further than 30 km-s I use mass transit or rarely a car.

[red]

Hello!
I came here to answer any questions, either already posted or future ones about my country. You can ask anything. Something is not clear, seems illogical, primitive or disgusting? Ask. Anything from toilets to laws, horsecarts, food, politics, customs, etc.   Thanks    

Hermit,
You are welcome here.  I like to hear about the people of the world, and their customs.  
Are there really a lot of "bicycle pushers" there?  Why do they push the bicycles, instead of riding?  Thanks,
Red

Some people put heavy things on bicycles, and use them as some kind of "packmules", like a sack of food, or several boxes or bags. I used mine once to trasport 4 packs of mineral water when our car was broken.  Bicycles are also very low cost transport, not just poor people use them, I use it all the time in the city, what took me 5 minutes in rush hour, is 2 hours for a car.

Hermit,

I like the idea of bicycles as "pack mules."  I have done that myself.  Before I got a motorcycle, I had a bicycle with pannier cargo baskets.  I used this bicycle for school and for work.  I never considered a bicycle as a serious "cargo carrier" then, but with the magic of the Internet, I found a great idea for a bicycle cargo trailer.  The material (to make the trailer) can be bamboo, as shown.  Now I might use cheap aluminum tubes, or maybe some other light wood to build it.  This idea may not be useful to you now, but you might want to make these plans available to your local bicycle clubs.  The trailer fitting bolts on to the rear axle, and the trailer connects quickly, with one vertical bolt at the end of the front tube.
http://www.carryfreedom.com/downloads/Bamboo%20Trailer%20Instructions%20Email2.pdf

Best wishes,
Red