Always wanted to but never dared? That was the dilemma facing many young Syrians who dreamed of cutting through traffic jams on a bike but feared a negative public reaction to the untraditional ride. Now their hesitation is turning into collective glee, thanks to “It Needs A Bike”, a grassroots campaign begun on Facebook to put more bicycles on Syrian streets.
“I wanted to ride a bike for a long time,” explains one new cyclist, “but I was afraid of what society and my family would think.” But when she discovered the Facebook campaign, she says, “I saw people, all also brave, and was very much encouraged and thought, ‘Why not try?’”
Many others have likewise welcomed the solidarity the campaign offers. “We went on the first ride and in general people’s reaction was great,” another participant recalls. Of course, “a new, strange idea isn’t easy [to accept], but we will continue doing this, and people will get used to it.”
As one student put it: “We saw that the only solution is a bicycle.”
For more info – It Needs A Bike Facebook page
