It is almost impossible to go on an Amsterdam city break without coming across thousands of bikes. But few visitors know of the tens of thousands of lost machines that lie in the outer suburbs are heading for the scrap yard unless owners can claim them.

Lost and stolen bikes in Amsterdam are housed in the Amsterdam Bicycle Pound (known as AFAC), and nearly 125,000 have ended up there since it opened five years ago.

The Netherlands, and Amsterdam in particular, is thought to have nearly as many bicycles as people but bike theft is a major headache for the police and bicycle owners.

Those sent to AFAC have been seized by the police or municipal workers after being found abandoned, stolen or illegally parked - more than 100 bikes arrive on trucks every single day. Many have obviously been dumped - they are rusty, without saddles or with buckled or lost wheels.

The obvious wrecks are kept for two weeks then melted down for the steel. But those in better condition - and some are expensive racing cycles that anyone would be proud to own - are kept for three months for owners to reclaim them.

If no one turns up to stake a claim the cycles are put up for auction and most are snapped up by dealers. Others are passed to workshops for the disabled where they are restored.

Incredibly, only about 40 per cent of bicycles are ever reclaimed and the market in second hand bikes is a lucrative one. One of the reasons for the low reclamation rate is the problem in finding a missing machine. For one thing the cycle pound is several kilometres outside Amsterdam city centre and is not well served by buses or trains.

Another is recalling exactly what the bike looks like and proving that you are the owner. Many people simply fall down on the detail, some even can’t remember the colour - and many cycles look remarkably similar.

Yet another is providing the key is the bicycle is locked - a surefire way of proving ownership as many illegally parked cycles still have the security lock attached.

Then there is the ten euros administration fee - but that is only if you can find your bike among the rows and rows of them that lie in the compound. It’s like a needle in a haystack. With tens of thousands of bikes it can take all day to hunt down yours.

Authorities to try to help. Bicycles are indexed by manufacturer colour and various other features. and they are listed on the internet for searching. But finding a missing bike is still no easy task and many simply give up in frustration.

Known as the bicycle capital of Europe, Amsterdam reckons it has around 780,000 inhabitants and an estimated 550,000 bikes. It is thought that nearly 50,000 of them are stolen every year. Bicycle theft is certainly the most common type of crime in Amsterdam.

But Amsterdam authorities are determined to tackle the problem. In 2002, bike thefts stood at about 16 per cent but this year is has been halved and they are on target for a six per cent theft rate by 2010.

Owners are now being urged to have identity number codes engraved onto the the bicycle frames and to register their machines. Amsterdam authorities hope this move and others will help cut the crime rate and keep Amsterdam a happy bicycle city.

Bob Cartwright writes for TravelSavvy Amsterdam City Break.

This morning in Lansing, Michigan the gas price went down $.05 cents at one gas station and at another it didn’t move at all. Amazingly people who live 3 miles across town save $.05 cents. Was this a smart move or not?

Let evaluate what are you really saving? If the average vehicle could hold 25 gallons of gas when he or she fills up at the gas station. It that person would save …drum roll…$1.25 for that
stop at the gas station.

Now if it was $.10 cents I would save $2.50 for that stop. Let see… if I save $.25 cents it would be $6.25 for that stop at the gas station. Is it really worth to drive across town to save a $1.25
for a fill up at the gas pump? For me it is not!

What if we figure it out for the whole year and the average person fill up 5 times a month.

@ $.05 cents we save $75.00
@ $.10 cents we save $150.00
@ $.25 cents we save $375.00

WOW! Not much savings! Is there? Even though $375.00 in these time is nothing to turn are nose up at it still not much.

This is what happens when consumer get caught up in cent instead of actual savings. There are a lot of people not realizing the real savings because they are just tolerating the gas prices. Consumer need to think dollars and not cents.

Dominion Revenue Marketing has came up with a brilliant idea of helping consumer save over $1,200 over the next 12 months. How do this work? It simple! Collaborating with each other to save on gas prices by participating in paid to read programs that pays for the gas certificates and cards.

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My late honorable father once told me that “it is not what you make, it is what you keep.”In other words, he was saying: “Don’t tell me what you make, show me what you keep.” Like many of you, I too am puzzled and frightened by athletes and celebrities going broke and losing their homes in foreclosure. What went wrong? My honorable mother said it best by quoting the scripture: “A fool and his money shall surely part.”

I watched and observed my mother and father successfully managed and ran a home with eleven children. My father was the only source of income. He literally made peanuts working as a menial worker at a sugar factory. My mother was a housewife with no income whatsoever. They pinched and invested wisely in real estate such as lands. The land was used for cultivation then. When my father made his transition into the spiritual realm in 1989, I made one of the most crucial discoveries of my life. My mother was able to bury my father with dignity and with no financial assistance. When I looked at what they were able to save from making peanuts, I was astonished. My mother told me to take my money back with me to the United States and save it.

I said all of that to say this. What would make someone such as my poor parents stay afloat financially while athletes and celebrities who made millions are filing for bankruptcy and losing their homes in foreclosure? My parents paid tithes in a regimental manner (10 per cent of their earnings) from every single pay check, made charitable contributions, schooled all their eleven children, etc., Yet they never experienced financial hardship. Well, it goes back to what my father skillfully said: “It’s not what you make, it is what you keep.

Since most of us were not formally trained what to do with money when we have money, let me give some solid common sense and invaluable advice. The first is humility. Humility is the greatest attribute any man or woman can have. When you have money, stay humble. No one should know when you have a $1.00 or a million dollars. This advice that I am about to give is solely for the black communities from whence I came. Because the only thing that many of us know what to do with money is to spend, spend, spend as if there is no tomorrow.

We must get out of that mode of wanting to look good first. Many of us use our first $5000.00 to buy luxury cars, name brand clothes, excessive jewelry, etc., all of what is called personal property. How silly! The minute you drive off that car lot, your car depreciates. Let us start out by saving and investing wisely into real property instead of personal property. Having and owning 200 pairs of shoes, mega mansions that are not necessary, five cars, mink coats, etc., are simply idiotic. How many shoes can you wear at the same time? How many cars can you drive at the same time? How many rooms can you sleep in at the same time?

It is very important to live within your means. In other words, “hang your basket where your hand can reach it.” Don’t watch what people have, because you do not know how they got it. Do things at your own pace. Plan, plan, plan your future. “Lay your eggs how you wish to lay on them.” Take your time. “Look before you leap.” Invest at least 10 percent of each pay check. Save at least 10 per cent of each pay check. Know what to give priority. Do not spend what you don’t have. Maintain a decent credit score of at least 700.

Do not max out your credit cards, equity, credit lines, 401k, etc. Get an IRA account, buy government bonds, invest wisely in the stock market by working with an honest and accessible stock broker, buy health care and endowment policies for your family, save into a college fund for your children, etc. The money that you are planning to use to buy silly jewelry and name brand clothes and sneakers for your children, you should put it into a college fund or money market account. Plan for inflation…$50,000 now is not $50,000 in 20 years. This is why I recommend buying and investing in real estate and commercial development.

Last but not least, wining and dining different women is NOT an investment. We saw first hand what happened to a famous athlete (Boxer) who went around and “sow his royal oats.” That is simply idiotic. Womanizing is the best way to go bankrupt. You can take that to the bank. Marry a partner who shares your goals and ambitions, and keep it all under one roof. Let me close by reiterating what I said earlier in my post… invest in real property and not in personal property. Before you buy a Rolex watch for $100,000.00, make sure you have at least $1 million dollars in real estate equity somewhere. Before you buy a luxury car or cars, make sure you have a roof over your head with substantial equity in it, and that means that you should get your tail out of your parent’s basement. Regrettably, law schools, medical schools, engineering schools, etc., do not teach you how to manage money.

Stay afloat in this bad economy and recession by holding on tight to your money. The vultures are out circling with much intensity to trick and fool you out of your money. Be wise and never be afraid to tell someone that I cannot afford it at this time. You wont learn this in law school, medical school, graduate or undergraduate school. I wish you all good fortune and great success.

Patrick Pearce is Founder, President and CEO for Southeastern Development & Consulting Group, Inc., a Florida Corporation.

Patrick Pearce earned his BA degree from the City University of New York and his law degree, Juris Doctor (JD) from Hofstra University School of Law in Hempstead, New York.

Patrick Pearce works as a Consulting and In House Attorney with various Law Firms and Government Offices.

Website: http://www.sdcg1.com
Blogs: http://www.legalconsulting.wordpress.com

Demand in the car market is demonstrating some unexpected patterns regarding the type of vehicle drivers most embrace.

New research, published today by AA Personal Loans, identifies a definite divide between new and used-car buyers concerning the fuel they would like to run their vehicle on. According to the UK loans provider, those planning to purchase a brand new motor are most likely to seek out a petrol-driven model, with 46 per cent expressing such a preference. Meanwhile, only 28 per cent of such buyers have indicated that they will be looking for a diesel model on which to spend their personal loans.

However, in the used-car market - which comprises three-quarters of all buyers in the UK - the trend is reversed, with a higher number stating that they would prefer a diesel-consuming car over a petrol one (at 33 per cent and 28 per cent respectively). AA Personal Loans expresses some surprise that there should be much difference at all, given that fuel prices are rising but the cost difference between the two is closing.

The news has impact beyond the initial outlay and cost of fuel, however, as Mark Huggins, managing director at the personal finance firm, explains: “Diesel seems to be king in the second-hand market. The swing to petrol for 57-plate cars could create a future supply issue in the second-hand market and so used diesel cars may hold their value for longer.” Buyers might like to bear in mind that buying a diesel car, which could hold its value over a longer period, might reduce the need to seek out cheap loans when the next purchase comes around.

Further trends were also revealed by the survey, such as the fact that family vehicle purchasers are more likely to select a large model - and one powered by diesel (at 44 per cent). In contrast, young drivers are more likely to plump for a sporty number which lends itself to petrol fuelling - an assertion borne out by the 32 per cent of respondents who indicated that petrol power was what they were looking for. They were also found to be more likely to seek out ‘run-around’ vehicles for use in towns rather than the models suitable for long-haul travelling favoured by families.

Mr Huggins continues: “When buying a new car it’s important to consider not just its cost, but also how you will be using it. If you’re making frequent long journeys for example, a diesel could save you money with its greater fuel efficiency over long distances. Whilst diesel cars might cost more up front, getting a good deal on your finances could mean you are able to afford a car that will hold its value for longer as well as cutting your fuel bill.”

Whatever type of vehicle drivers are looking to buy, it is undoubtedly in their interests to seek out the best cheap loans to fund the purchase, rather than relying on often expensive forecourt finance. Recent research from price comparison site Moneyfacts found that simply choosing the wrong personal loans could increase the cost of a new car by as much as 26 per cent.

And drivers should also prepare themselves to haggle when at the dealership, given the potential to get a bad deal that the situation presents. According to a recent survey from Sainsbury’s Bank, almost half a million people from September 2007 until February 2008 will purchase a car without any attempt to drive the price down, costing themselves unnecessary outlay as a result.

Tom Dawson writes for Essentially Home Loans. Our visitors can apply online for secured personal loans and debt consolidation loans at the lowest interest rates.