Q: Do you text?

Do you use text messaging as a regular form of communication? If you're a pedal cab driver, you probably do. If you're a pedal cab fleet owner, you probably don't. If you're a passenger/customer, you may or may not. At least, that's my perspective.

The majority of our drivers are in their 20s/30s and use text messaging on a daily basis. For some, this is their main form of communication (not including face-to-face). They'll fire off a text almost faster than you can read it.

A lot of passengers, especially if your cabs cater to the night scene, use text messaging as well. Although the older crowd may feel that a quick phone call works better.

As for fleet owners, well... most that we've talked with use text messaging very little if at all. However, there are some exceptions, so I'll admit up front that I'm speaking in broad generalities. If you don't text, you may want to start. It's a quick and easy way to stay in contact with your drivers, plus you'll have a temporary record of messages.

If you're not convinced, here are some reasons you may want to consider using text messaging:

• Texting is a much better way (than a phone call) to send phone numbers and addresses.
• Some drivers respond better to text messages; others to email. We send both to be sure we cover all our bases.
• If we've put out a critical email, we'll send an alert by text message telling them to check their email.
• If you need nothing more than a yes or no response, texting is the best way to get that. You'll have a record to look back on.
• Most phones are set up to send out text messages to groups, almost like a broadcast fax or email to a group. You can put your lead drivers in a special message group.
  
• If you need to remind drivers about an important event, like a meeting or special ride, text them. It's quick and easy.

Now, imagine if there was a way to use texting to communicate with your passengers. It is possible, but more challenging. There's a simple way drivers can employ texting with passengers. Drivers who give their cell number to passengers can have passengers call or text when they're ready to be picked up. Even if the text costs you a little, it's worth it if you can get more rides.

Text messaging used to be a pretty pricey feature in cell phone plans, but it's becoming more common and less expensive. Many plans include unlimited text messaging for little or no additional cost. Talk to your wireless phone provider about available options.

Please take time to answer the poll in the left-hand column.

Penal Tour de France

Le Prison Break: Tour de France Convict Style
posted at Wend Blog

The famed cycling tour that takes some of cycling’s best across the varied terrain of France commences on July 4th, but another group is finishing up their own Tour this Friday: inmates.

The “Penal Tour de France” kicked off on June 4th and has taken some 200 French prisoners and 100 cycling guards through 15 stages around the country.

The 2,300 kilometer race is intended to help the inmates regain confidence in themselves and help prepare them for a return to normal life. Riding in a two week bicycle race might not seem like much of a “normal life” but taking part in such an event can help the inmates “reintegrate into society by fostering values like effort, teamwork and self-esteem,” says prison official Sylvie Marion.

The prisoners, who are all serving jail terms between 5 and 10 years, are not ranked, cycle in a pack, and for obvious reasons, are not allowed to partake in breakaway sprints. No word on whether the prisoners will be ended their two week athletic venture at the foot of the Arc de Triomphe.

Check out this video about the cycling prisoners over at the BBC.

Montreal's Bike-Sharing Program

Montreal Inaugurates Continent’s Most Ambitious Bike-Sharing Program

“The user takes a bike from one of the stations, pays at an automated pay station, and drops the bike off at any pay station in the network. The bike becomes another mode of urban transport unto itself, a practical, economical, ecological and healthy alternative to energy-guzzling vehicles.”

Bixi is nothing if not ambitious. The service is starting out with 3,000 of the specially designed bicycles distributed among 300 closely-spaced stations in its downtown core. But while it was directly inspired by Vélib, the service that started in Lyon, France, before moving to Paris, Bixi differs in many respects.

Chief among them was a decision by the city to run the system itself, rather than use an outside operator, and to fund it with fees from users rather than relying on advertising. André Lavallée, the municipal politician who championed the Bixi, said that the advertising opportunities are more limited in Montreal, while city ownership allowed greater coordination with the city’s bus and subway system.

Read the rest of the story at the New York Times...

Small is the new Big

I know this story isn't about pedicabs, but it made me think of all those minimalist pedicabbies living in tiny spaces. I don't know about the living habits of drivers in other cities, but we've had drivers who share a house communally with several other people. Some rent spaces as small as a closet, just to have a place to sleep and store a few belongings. We've been invited to some of the house parties which are always a lot of fun; like a big family with people coming and going throughout the evening. One particular house in Denver is known as "Pitchfork". Housemates have recruited each other into pedicabbing so much that every member of the house was a pedicab driver at one time or other.

He lives big in tiny digs: West Sider wins award for smallest, coolest pad
NYDailyNews.com

It's the biggest little honor out there.

A Manhattan man's 210-square-foot pad on the upper West Side earned the title of New York's smallest, coolest apartment from apartmenttherapy.com.

Kevin Patterson, 32, snagged first place in the "teeny tiny" division for his itsy-bitsy home on West End Ave.

"I moved here from a place that was four or five times this big," he said, explaining that he then sold off most of his belongings to remodel the studio into a mini-gem.

Patterson, a project manager at a real estate development firm, makes the most of his $1,550-a-month space with creative hidden storage and careful use of color, lighting, and mirrors.

There are drawers built into the bed, bins under couch cushions, shelves built into the walls, and even space behind a giant mirror to store a broom and cleaning supplies.

"Things are hidden everywhere," he said, confessing, "I'm actually not that tidy, but when people come over I can throw everything in cabinets."

To make the space look larger, the walls and furniture are mostly white, with just "pops of color here and there so it isn't so bland." Even the books are arranged by color.

As for decoration, Patterson keeps it simple. "In a space so small, you kind of have to stay minimalist or it gets really claustrophobic," he said.

Highlights include a ceramic Mao statue he picked up at a Chinese street market and a Christo print over the bed, along with framed family photos over the couch.

While his wasn't the most elaborate "teeny tiny" apartment entered into the contest, Patterson thinks he got the most votes because everyone could relate to the space.

"A lot of people were commenting, 'Oh, I have the same bed spread from West Elm or the same couch from Ikea,'" he said. "They said, 'Oh, that's a good idea, I should try that.'"

No Segways on Sidewalks in Colorado

Law Takes Segways Off Sidewalks With Nowhere To Go

Segways are popular options for tours through the Mile High city, but using Segways around the state may soon get a lot tougher.

Gov. Ritter signed the bill into law which bans them on our sidewalks. This law limits where Segways can go.

For nearly 3 years Colorado Adventure Segway Tours has been escorting tourists along the sidewalks of Denver.

"Generally speaking we take up no more room than somebody walking," says Larry Reynolds with Colorado Adventure Segway Tours. "We are quite slow."

The Segways will have to ride in the streets along with the bikes and other modes of transportation.

Maggie Thompson is with the advocacy group Bicycle Colorado which backed the legislation.

"The intention of this law is to allow the users of these vehicles to actually use them someplace," says Thompson. "Currently they are prohibited from all public roadways, roads, bicycle paths and sidewalks.

The owner of the segway tours business disagrees.

"It's been in never-never land in the sense that it didn't fit anywhere," says Reynolds. "Basically we're pedestrians with wheels on."

Blessing bicycles and cyclists

Blessing of the Bicycles
by Nadia Bolz-Weber
(posted on God's Politics, a blog at Sojourners)

Urban biking is not without peril. Many of my parishioners rely almost exclusively on human-powered transportation and do so while competing for road space with motorized vehicles. As a way of acknowledging the inherent goodness of God’s gifts of life and health and the humble but elegant bicycle, we decided to conduct a Blessing of the Bicycles for the entire Denver cycling community. This event was open to all regardless of religious affiliation, race, creed, color, sexual orientation, fat or thin tires, and brand of bike. We even welcome unicyclists and Unitarians. Some may take it more seriously than others but it doesn’t matter. As we swing our thurible of incense over the Schwinns and Cannondales, we do so as a human community seeking God’s blessing and protection for all who brave our city streets on two wheels.

Our prayers:

Present in a world groaning under the excesses of consumption, we acknowledge the inherent goodness of non-motorized human powered transportation and give thanks for the simple beauty of the bicycle. God of life,

Hear our prayer.

Present in a community filled with children, we pray for those learning to ride. Keep them smart, safe, and visible on their neighborhood roads. God of life,

Hear our prayer.

Present in a community filled with strife, we pray for the victims of road rage and bike theft. And we ask for the strength to forgive mean people. God of life,

Hear our prayer.

Present in a world of work, we pray for those who build, repair, and clean our bikes and those who rely on bicycles to earn their living. Bless those who choose to not drive to work and those for whom driving isn’t even an option. God of life,

Hear our prayer.

Present in a community of beautiful diversity, we ask your protection and blessing on all who ride: pedi-cabbies, weekend warriors, athletes, homeless folks, students, children, eco-warriors, bike co-op anarchists, messengers, and all the others who take to the Denver streets, bike paths, parks, and mountains. Keep us safe as we ride. God of life,

Hear our prayer.

We now observe a moment of silence for all who have died while riding …

God of life,

Hear our prayer.

AMEN

Nadia Bolz-Weber is a Lutheran pastor living in Denver, Colorado, where she is developing a new emerging church, House for all Sinners and Saints. She blogs at www.sarcasticlutheran.com and is the author of Salvation on the Small Screen? 24 Hours of Christian Television.

Thanks to pedicabber Andrew Mabe for the heads-up on this one. Ain't Facebook amazin'?

Ray's Indoor Bike Track on Current TV

For a similar story, CBS4 has a video about an indoor velodrome in Boulder, Colorado.

Proof that pedicabs were around at the time of dinosaurs

In the early morning hours of May 14, 2009, a surprising discovery was made in the field of pedal-paleontology. Yes, Suzie, science has proven that pedicabs and dinosaurs existed at the same time. The unaltered photo above is proof.

Okay, I know you're smarter than that. Tuesday morning Colorado Rickshaw drivers delivered dignitaries involved with the Colfax Marathon to a celebratory breakfast at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. Drivers parked near the T-Rex display, then pedaled their cabs through the museum before exiting.

Dual Purpose: Bicycle and Drum Kit

Busker Turns Bike into Travelling Drum Kit

TreeHugger has been writing about bicycles a lot lately: bike bags, bike sharing, bike moves, but what about bike busking...

David Osborne has turned his bike into a travelling musical instrument. It takes 20 minutes to transform his bike into a drum kit with 5 cymbals, 3 snare drums and a foot pedal. He can transport everything he needs for his gigs on just two wheels.

Puncturekit from woody on Vimeo.

A new arrival from Australia, Osborne said he had "no car, no drums, and a need to create beats." He was sitting in a park looking at his bike and "dreaming of ways to build my environmental friend." Not wanting to carry his drums on the subway, he decided to turn his bike frame into a drum kit which would double as a carrying case for his instruments. He made it out of bowls found in a charity shop, children's toys and old drums. The whole kit and kaboodle can be fitted into two carry-bags and a back pack.

He started busking in the edgy east end of London. His first time out he made enough in an hour to cover a week's rent. Then somehow word spread and next thing he knew, he was playing at the chi-chi Milan Furniture fair.

The buzz gained momentum, as he was riding and beating his drums, and last week he was at the Brighton Fringe Festival. Now he is invited to the holiest of all English festivals--Glastonbury.

NOTE: Contrary to opinions of residents in Colorado, Treehugger.com is not published in Boulder. It is a production of Discovery Communications Inc. who also produces Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, Planet Green (my personal favorite) and others.

The World of Work Bikes on Current TV

Sustainable Development Should Include Pedal Cabs

Sustainable Development Ends Suburban Sprawl

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has signd into law SB 375 stating, “This landmark bill takes California’s fight against global warming to a whole new level and it creates a model that the rest of the country and world will use. When it comes to reducing greenhouse gases, California is first in tackling car emissions, first to tackle low-carbon fuels, and now with this landmark legislation, we are the first in the nation to tackle land-use planning. What this will mean is more environmentally-friendly communities, more sustainable developments, less time people spend in their cars, more alternative transportation options and neighborhoods we can safely and proudly pass on to future generations.”

Speaking of highways, in the future communities will be linked with more than highways. Development will be encouraged near effective public transportation. Major transportation systems will be linked with high-speed rail if Californians vote in favor of Proposition 1A, as they are forecasted to do on November 4.

Because of SB 375, at the heart of city plans will be people not cars. More Californians will enjoy easy access to public transportation, safe walking, and more local services. In two years, regional plans and city general plans will include specifics for reducing greenhouse gases and integrating transportation with sustainable development.

Sounds like the perfect environment to utilize pedal cabs. Imagine streets structured to accommodate foot and pedal traffic, not just autos.

Read more about sustainable development at Eco Friendly Mag...

Pedicab stories are a weekly feature in Newburyport

Newburyport Pedicabs is sharing stories in a weekly column titled "From the Driver's Seat" on Newburyport Today. Congratulations on this great promotional opportunity for your business and the pedicab industry around the world.

From the Driver's Seat - Newburyport Pedicab Musings

Newburyport Today is pleased to be able to bring our reader's the comments of Newburyport Pedicab driver Paul Kelly. This is Paul's 3rd season, and he has been kind enough to agree to share his experiences with us.

"Swan Boats are gliding across the waters of the Boston Public Garden, tulips and ice cream stands are opening across the North Shore, and Pedicabs are once again circling the streets of Newburyport. Yes, spring has arrived in New England. Ease back into the rhythm, I tell myself – start with a light cruise up State Street to get your legs under you again. But the hail goes up – “Pedicab, pedicab …” – my first passengers of the night, my first passengers of the season. It’s a couple of young ladies, Rebecca and Lucy, and their dates. The guys talk the gals into going for a ride, and then promptly hop out leaving the girls, blushing, on a ride of their own. The lighter load is OK by me! I’m glad I kept working out at the gym over the winter, but I probably could have used a few more sessions on the stationary bike. (BTW, names have been changed to protect the innocent, or the embarrassed.)

Why do we drive? For me, it is people. Newburyport Pedicab contributes to the Pan-Mass Challenge, which in turn is a fund-raiser for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. So in a small way, I am reaching out to those that have been touched by cancer – the survivors, those no longer with us, their families and friends, people I have known, strangers I will never meet. And there is certainly the camaraderie with the other drivers; for many of us, this is our third year pedaling together. But it is also the people that I meet on the street, the connectedness that blooms from the chance encounters. Like the guy that has given up his car and bikes around town for errands and recreation; we admired each other’s wheels. Or the owner of a new wine bar, opening soon next door to our cab garage. And the couple for my final ride of the night, visiting from, of all places, Portsmouth, NH. During the course of conversation, the husband and I discover that we both had worked for the same company many years ago, a very large company; we never crossed paths until now. Yes, spring has come again to Newburyport – it is going to be a good season.

Ciao!

Paul Kelly (in photo above) spends some of his free time pedaling at Newburyport Pedicab where all profits are donated to the Pan-Mass Challenge. To schedule a ride with Paul, call 978-465-1496.

Live a green life -- take a pedicab

Why You Should Want To Live A Green Life.

I am going to say it again - there are plenty of reasons to want to live a green life and absolutely zero not to want to. In fact, I would venture that we could take the word “green” out of the equation and probably get even more people to clean up their act, as folks are getting burnt out on the expression. But with that being said, if you are a human and you are living on our one and only planet, there are no reasons why you shouldn’t want to “go green”, “be sustainable”, or “take responsibility”…at least none that I can think of. Most of the hurdles that used to haunt the environmental movement have been removed - inconvenience, price, style - so most anyone, on any budget, in any city, can start to live a more eco-friendly existence. However, even with all that, some out there are trying to push back against the tide of rising environmentalism for one made up reason or another. So to those people I ask:

Do you not want clean air to breathe? Or would you rather your air have the tint of “Goldenrod” from a Crayon box?

Would you not prefer to see your energy come from renewable sources? Or would you rather see it continue to come from dirty, hard-to-get-at oil from shales in Canada?

Do you want your next car to go 300 miles on a single charge from a rechargeable battery pack? Or do you want archaic car companies to continue to build dinosaurs in the age of technology?

Where do pedicabs fit into the grand green scheme?
Do you want to take mass transit into the city, then be personally escorted to your destination in a safe, non-polluting, human-powered pedicab? Or would you rather drive your gas-guzzling SUV around looking for an expensive parking place, then find a door ding when you return after the event?

Read more reasons to Live a Green Life at The Good Human...

More Rickshaw Confessions in Raleigh

Thought I'd give you more of what's up in Raleigh via Rickshaw...

Raleigh Rickshaw Confessions Promo