If you haven’t had your bike stolen in the Netherlands, have you really lived here? BBC reporter Anna Holligan has recently joined the unofficial club after her beloved electric cargo bike, called the Bike Bureau, vanished from its usual spot in The Hague.
This wasn’t any old bike with two wheels and a basket. Holligan had transformed it into a mobile broadcasting studio, a school shuttle, a news vehicle and a symbol of blending motherhood and career.
More than just a bike
For non-Dutchies, the emotional attachment might seem dramatic. But in the Netherlands, bikes are an extension of our bodies. They’re how we commute, connect, carry groceries, and in Holligan’s case, work efficiently and bond with her daughter.
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In her BBC article, Holligan writes that the Bike Bureau was a way to reach breaking news scenes while broadcasting, often with her daughter riding along.
It ditched the need for satellite trucks with heavy equipment typically necessary with journalism, offering a fresh and sustainable take on covering news.
“The bike showed that working motherhood could be visible, joyful and real,” she shares.
The power of the pedal
The bike was a vehicle (literally and symbolically) that gave her freedom, all in an eco-friendly way. On all levels, it “opened doors to collaborations, [won her] awards and [built] a community of people who saw themselves in [their] story.”
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Once she shared the news online, fellow journalists, parents, and bike enthusiasts chimed in. BBC camerawoman Julie Ritson referred to the bike as ”the future of journalism.”
Others said it helped them rethink the balance between parenting and their careers.
While Holligan says she isn’t holding her breath about getting it back, she says, “no one can steal what it gave us all.”
Have you ever had your bike stolen? Tell us about your experience in the comments below.
