I’m back. These past few days have been an amazing step for our country. My friend John David and I gave scores of bicycle rickshaw rides to many of the millions of people celebrating our nation’s first African-American President. We helped the elderly, the injured, and the lost as well as young revelers who wanted to enjoy the novelty. There’s even a Huffington Post article on our green job endeavor this past weekend.
While a bicycle rickshaw can’t compete with cars on country roads where speed is paramount, it can be a helpful part of the transportation network in densely populated areas like DC these past few days.
Rickshaw drivers came in from all over the country. In fact, our North Carolina-based company, Greenway Transit, shared our downtown storage space with others from Orlando, Florida, and we were close to drivers from Boston, New York, Austin, and even Denver.
I learned a couple things from the experience: 1) it pays to share pedicabs & 2) this green job can make some money with good planning.
1. As a rickshaw driver, I worked a 10-hour shift that was full of fun rides for CNN photographers and even the wonderful author Toni Morrison. But such a long day pulling 500+ pounds along made my knee hurt the following day. Many other pedicab drivers worked similar shifts without hurting their knee, but I recommend doing 5-hour shifts so you can be ready for a number of days in a row without compromising the body.
2. After making over $350 on the busiest day, I realized pedicab-driving can be part of the green-job revolution our economy needs. Some of the drivers made almost $1,000 in a single day. It’s not easy money, but with some hard physical work on top of good strategy to be at the right place at the right time, drivers can make a living.
Bottom line: Pedicabs are a fun way to get around when the crowds fill busy streets. They provide a carbon-free alternative to regular taxis for short trips and provide a few green jobs for drivers willing to work hard and get some good exercise.
That sounds awesome! You must have had such a great time! I hope that your knees are feeling better by now!
Save the knees by getting a electric assist motor!
Amazing. Just amazing As far as I know Velotaxi has a modern aerodynamic appearance, more room for advertising, and power assist.
Sounds great, but president Obama is often discussing eco-transpoortation – as in modern transit, invention, innovations!