How to spring your bicycle from bike jail

Parking your bike in Amsterdam can be tricky. It seems like there are always three times as many bikes as there are spaces in bike racks. So sometimes you fudge things a bit and leave your precious source of transportation in a space that is not designated for bike parking. (I think Swapfiets does a better job of explaining the rules than the city does, but here’s the city’s webpage on this.)

Take it from me: You might have to walk a block or so to find a spot, but it’s worth it when you know what it takes to retrieve your bike from the impound lot.

Anywayyyyy, I had parked my bike near a tree well, in a space between racks, and it got scooped up by the city. Before I even noticed it was gone, I received a notification from Swapfiets that my bike could be retrieved from the Fietsdepot. (Hey, thanks, Swapfiets! Great customer service, truly.)

And the journey begins. I walked to a tram, then caught the Metro, and from there hopped on a bus. (This itinerary brought to you by 9292.) It was a short walk from the bus to the Fietsdepot, which looked like a mix between a warehouse and a minimum security prison. If you’re on foot, it’s a little bit of a hike around to the back to the reception area.

I was in the wrong here, and I have to say I appreciate the complete lack of blame/shame in this process. I walked in, waited only a few minutes for the person ahead of me to be served, then presented my bike’s ID (available in the Swapfiets app), bike-lock key, and my Dutch ID card. The customer service agent dispatched someone to find my bike in the VAST SEA of bicycles, and a few minutes later, they asked me to fork over my €22,50. The bike valet brought my wheels around, right outside the office, and after a pleasant conversation with them, I was on my way.

This part was actually the silver lining of the trip — getting to ride back from deep northwest Amsterdam and see some sights and streets that were new to me. The first part of the journey was quite rural and park-like. Also have some new restaurants on my list thanks to the neighborhoods I traveled through to get back to Oud West.