Motorbikes and Butts

I walked and walked around Melbourne, enjoying looking in shop windows, galleries, and trying out some food outlets.  But there were some things that annoyed and fascinated me.

The fascination?  Motor bikes on footpaths.  I remember when we were in China - 2008 and 2010 we were familiar the large numbers of bikes on footpaths - in fact in some places there were so many one had to weave in and out of the bikes randomly parked along the side of major roadways, particularly in shopping and business areas.

I had no idea that the practice had come to the cities of Australia.  In some ways it makes sense, but it was something I was unfamiliar with - perhaps because I have not spent a lot of time right in the cities of Australia.




As well as the bikes there was something else that was infesting the  footpaths!!!  Smokers!!!  I guess if you have a big population of workers, and that smoking is no longer permitted inside building, that those who continue with this silly habit have to go down to the street to puff on a fag.  There were so many of them!!!!

Being a pedestrian I was forced to walk via this wall of second hand smoke - such that my cough was easily triggered (I have since found out that I have had a mild bout of Whooping Cough), and my clothing smelled of smoke.  So awful!!

In addition smokers discarded their butts everywhere.  What a stupid stinking mess to pollute a beautiful city.

I emphasise that this is unhealthy and unpleasant - sorry Melbourne, I was not impressed with this aspect of your city life.

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