FIVB World Championships Notebook - Day 15

Organisers set up special zones for people living with disabilities

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With the Gelredome arena packed to capacity during matches involving the hosts Netherlands, organisers have set up special sitting positions for people living with disabilities. They are allowed to follow action from the comfort of their wheelchairs just next to the courts. This allows them to get a real experience of the action and saves them from the hustle of looking for seats at the terraces. After the game, they wait until the court clears so they can leave without commotion through the ramps set up at the match venue.

Speed limit set at 100kmph but only during the day

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During the day, motorists are not allowed to drive faster than 100kph in order to limit emissions by cars which in turn pollute the environment. However, past 10pm, it’s allowed to go over 100kph since there is less traffic. But this is only allowed until 5am when the usual limit must be observed for the rest of the day. The highways are normally under 24-hour CCTV surveillance and if you’re found over-speeding be sure the invoice to pay the fine will arrive at your doorstep in a day’s time.

Careful with that bicycle it can easily be pinched here

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Turns out the Netherlands is not as safe as I thought. A friend came ranting to me about how he had to walk for a long distance after he arrived at a train station and found his bicycle missing. Yes, your read that right. It was stolen since he did not tie it to a pole when leaving. Cases of stolen bicycles are quite common here since they are always in demand in this cycling nation.