Getting Bielet's New Ride on at Road Safety Community Park

After a flintstone-esque car, kick-scooter, tricycle and strider bike, ZX felt it was high time Bielet graduated to a bicycle with training wheels. We've both heard that starting with training wheels makes it harder to master cycling, but ZX and I started out that way too. Alright, I'm hardly a master but I can manage fine?

On one of his usual runs to the bike shop (a punctured tyre), ZX decided the time to buy Bielet's bicycle was now. It wasn't any fancy mancy ride, just an ordinary set of BMX wheels called "Extra Bike". Excuuuuuuuuuuuse me, but what sort of name is that?! Bielet was happy enough with her blue bike - she pooh-poohed the Uncle's suggestion of a pink one.

To give it a test spin (not really test, since already paid in cold hard cash but anyway), we headed to the Road Safety Park at ECP. Like really, it's still there! You just have to bring your own vehicles because the rental service isn't available anymore.

Guess who inherited Bielet's tricycle?

People galore on a Saturday evening

After studying the map, Bielet happily declared her first stop would be the McDonald's playground! But alas, it was nowhere to be found.

It must have gone the same way as Singa.

If you can remember being a go-kart driver, cyclist or pedestrian during your primary school excursions, high five - we are from the same generation! Lol. These days, though, the park has become a 24/7 free-entry facility and frankly, quite dilapidated.  The traffic lights don't work, the paint on the buildings are peeling off, the playground is no longer there; but no matter because the miniature signs and everything else are OH SO ADORABLE!

Oh, guess what! I used to take the same buses as those indicated on the bus stand sign (R) from school!

See what I mean about bite-sized? Even Bieny is taller than the road sign!

The perfect down-sized pedestrian sign for Bieny. Hee.

A mini overhead bridge for the kiddos to clamber over (I took the zebra crossing)

So what's there to do?

Role-play an automobile service staff (in a really empty office building!)

Have your vehicle inspected but leave really worried because none of the lights work (so you don't know whether your vehicle passed or failed the tests lol)

Obviously no one is buying insurance because their space has been vacated

Ah! Everyone's favourite (now that the McD's playground has vanished) - the Shell station!

Again, really deserted with a shuttered 7-11 and all. This reminded me of the most ulu petrol station along Old Tampines Road, which I used to frequent and it gave me the creeps every time. It eventually got torn down to make way for KPE.

Because she insisted on filling up her bike with gas, the nozzle 'went' into the basket. Talk about an "extra bike" HAHAHAHAHA

Don't play play - the pump looked exactly like the real thing!

The run down structures are quite disappointing, but only for the adults. The children were happily zipping about because it's just a mega obstacle route for them!

ZX tried to pull Bieny along in her trike but she tired of it pretty quick because the pedals were too fast for her to keep up with!

Bielet was obviously on her bicycle

I know the point of the park is to impart good road use values to the children, but for our first run (ride), we just told Bielet to keep within her lane, follow the arrows, give way where necessary and stop at the stop line. Maybe we can go into road signs next time.

Eh I don't know what this single yellow line means. Aren't middle markings supposed to be white?

I told Bielet to ride to the circus and back, and she went (really excitedly), "CIRCUS? WHERE?!" Oops, sorry, I meant that roundabout.

Since Bieny gave up her trike, ZX and I took turns carrying her or instilling the importance of being a good pedestrian (read: being lazy and forcing her to walk by herself).

Channeling her inner Beatle LOL. On another note, Bielet kept turning back to see where we were that she 'crashed' into a bush or hit the kerb on some occasions!

Well okay, we did also try to teach some road safety, like

DON'T SIT AT THE KERB WHILE WAITING FOR THE BUS

DON'T JAYWALK

WAIT FOR YOUR TURN AT THE TRAFFIC LIGHT CROSSING

I guess expecting the girls to pass highway code and practical first time round at this point is being unrealistic, eh? Let's just work towards Bielet being a good enough cyclist to take over Mama's baby-seat-passenger duties!

Meimei first, then...

Papa! OK? *Beams*