A new light

It took me six months to pluck up the courage, but I finally bit the bullet and on Tuesday morning I decided to look at Paris in a new light. It has never been one of my favourite cities, although I definitely seem to like it more now that I live somewhere else. As my flight landed in Orly airport at 8AM, I decided that I would take my first ever motorbike taxi to the office in Bezons on the other side of the city. I’ve only ever ridden a motorbike once, (or been a passenger more precisely), and it’s never been something that has ever really appealed to me. That said, the more I travel to Paris, the more I conclude that the RER and metro system appeals to me even less.

Overall the whole experience was super. It was extremely pleasant to be above ground and even better to be whizzing past the morning rush hour traffic. It felt surprisingly safe, for the most part, although maybe my vision was blurred by the heated backseat I was sitting on. I also appreciated the fact that I didn’t have to hug a complete stranger for 45 minutes – they’ve put some very reassuring handles at the side for the passenger. The price was a reasonable (sic) 85 euros (the same price as a car taxi to go the 40 odd kilometers during rush hour), and I was even impressed by the electronic receipt sent to me by iPhone as I got off the bike. I now see all my future trips to Paris in a different light – the more cars, traffic jams and general strikes the better! Vive le moto I say!