Endless Improvements

I heard Beth swear in Dutch today. She is miffed by the endless obstruction of Amsterdam's ongoing construction. It seems the city never rests in it's effort to improve what's "already good enough," says Beth. I agree, it is a pain having to get off your bike or to leave the bike lane, or find another side street to get around all the construction. And it's not like the city provides detour routes or markings for bicyclists. Now the idea of marked bike lane detours may seem a bit overkill for people like me from the States; but when you spend your day, your week, your year, commuting by bicycle like so many Amsterdamers do, you might welcome being treated equally to a motorist in a construction zone! But for Beth, the issue is not really about providing detours. The issue is whether the constant improvements of city streets are really needed. As for my opinion on the matter? I really can't give an informed one. I'm simply grateful to my friends for making it possible to spend every day on a bicyle while I'm here..