Dear Midworlder: The pole in the middle is to prevent cars from driving into this small street...
As for the bike riding curfew: we just have a new government...: no politician in his right mind wants to cause a revolution over here by forbidding the dutch to ride on their bikes, be it during the night or the day!!! It is even worse: some of our ministers go to work by bike themselves in stead of sitting in the rear of an expensive-heaps-of fuel-consuming chauffeur driven car... :)
Thanks dear Patrick. It was a dark and grey day yesterday, that is why the flash worked automatically, although very often I switch it off beforehand...