Forbidden project - Part I

Ljubljana is a friendly city. Very friendly, in fact.
Everything is prepared for you to enjoy: bike and roller paths are all over the place, bars around Ljubljanica river are wonderful to be around, Tivoli Park is a forest that invites you to get lost just a few meters next to the center, and a freedom feeling is in the air wherever you go. You can even feel that in the mood of the people; everything seems very relaxed. Everything but just one thing: Rules for entering shops, museums, houses and any kind of building.

Julio Cortazar, one of the most prestigious argentine writers, wrote a short story called "Vietato introdurre biciclette", about how these rules seem to be nothing more than a discrimination. Of the infinite possible actions a person could be doing while entering a place, only a few of them are specifically forbidden. Why? In this case, Cortazar speaks about entering places with a bike. Here is a short extract, in spanish:

“En los bancos y casas de comercio de este mundo a nadie le importa un pito que alguien entre con un repollo bajo el brazo, o con un tucán, o soltando de la boca como un piolincito las canciones que me enseñó mi madre, o llevando de la mano un chimpancé con tricota a rayas. Pero apenas una persona entra con una bicicleta se produce un revuelo excesivo, y el vehículo es expulsado con violencia a la calle mientras su propietario recibe admoniciones vehementes de los empleados de la casa.

Para una bicicleta, ente dócil y de conducta modesta, constituye una humillación y una befa la presencia de carteles que la detienen altaneros delante de las bellas puertas de cristales de la ciudad. Se sabe que las bicicletas han tratado por todos los medios de remediar su triste condición social. Pero en absolutamente todos los países de la tierra está prohibido entrar con bicicletas. Algunas agregan: "y perros", lo cual duplica en las bicicletas y en los canes su complejo de inferioridad."

Shop owners and other kind of administrators in Ljubljana seem to have a clear idea of what they don't want to see in their places. These series of posts will document the wonderful list of things that could lead you into trouble. Take note.