Changes coming to San Diego

New rules may bring pedicabbies to heel

By Helen Gao
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
April 4, 2008

SAN DIEGO – Pedicabs have proliferated so much in downtown San Diego over the past decade, the city is planning tougher regulations to rein in the muscle-powered three-wheelers.

Overview
Background: More than 400 pedicabs operate in San Diego, mostly in the Gaslamp Quarter, at the waterfront and near Petco Park.

What's changing:
The city, working with pedicab owners and police, is trying to develop better regulations. A proposed ordinance calls for limiting the number of pedicabs in certain areas and requiring them to prominently post fares and other vital information.

The future: The ordinance is being presented to community groups for input. It's expected to reach the City Council in the fall.

Working with police and downtown businesses, city regulators are proposing to restrict the number of pedicabs in certain zones and require all to prominently post fares.

Zones would be carved out in downtown, Ocean Beach, Mission Beach, Pacific Beach and La Jolla. Only a certain number of pedicabs with special decals would be allowed in those zones, but how many has not been determined.

Pedicabbies with a city permit currently can roam pretty much anywhere in San Diego to pick up passengers. They are concentrated along the waterfront, Gaslamp Quarter and around Petco Park. If a limit on pedicabs is set, those without restricted-zone decals would have to find fares elsewhere.

The proposed ordinance also includes safety and consumer protection measures. For example, pedicabs would have to be marked with numbers assigned by the city and the company's name and phone number – requirements meant to give consumers information for calling in complaints.

The ordinance would reiterate that the California Vehicle Code applies to pedicabs; some drivers have been accused of being reckless. Pedicabbies would have to carry proof of insurance, and their vehicles could be impounded if the operators lack a valid California driver's license.

Pedicabs also would be prohibited from being parked in metered spaces. Downtown businesses have complained that pedicabs take up spaces meant for patrons. Zones where pedicabs can pick up and drop off passengers would be created instead.

Brad Jacobsen, a city associate traffic engineer, said pedicabs have reached a saturation point.

“There are some problems with sheer numbers. You do reach a threshold where it ceases to be a street ambience, where it starts to become a little bit of a nuisance,” Jacobsen said.

“We want to strike that balance. We think by putting a little bit more restriction on this and by bringing the numbers down a little bit, it will really benefit the businesses.”

Police estimate there are more than 400 pedicabs in the city. Some already post their fares. Drivers typically lease their vehicles from companies. How much they make depends on their ability to lure passengers.

At peak times, such as the summer or during major conventions, the ranks of pedicab drivers swell. Many come in from out of town and some arrive from out of the country.

“It gets really bad when everybody comes in from Russia, Poland, Turkey and Brazil,” said Holmes Walton, a local who has been driving a pedicab on and off for three years. “The market just gets flooded.”

Joao Ferreira of Brazil, who has been driving a pedicab for about three months, agrees that there are sometimes too many pedicabs, creating an environment that is “bad for business, bad for sidewalks and bad for traffic.”

Jacobsen said the city hasn't decided on a method to distribute the decals.

“We are trying to do this in an equitable manner so nobody corners the market,” he said.

The proposed ordinance is being floated around different communities for input and is expected to go before the City Council in the fall.

Jimmy Parker, executive director of the Gaslamp Quarter Association, which represents more than 400 businesses, welcomes better regulation.

Parker has heard anecdotal complaints about unfair charges for rides, so he is pleased with the proposed requirement to post fares. Most of the complaints he has heard are about pedicabs being on sidewalks, driving recklessly and taking up parking spots.

While the proposed regulations have drawn favorable reactions downtown, the La Jolla Traffic & Transportation Board has expressed skepticism.

Board member Joe LaCava is concerned that pedicabs would disperse from downtown to places like La Jolla, where they may not be wanted.

“If you've got a problem downtown, fix the problem downtown,” LaCava said. “Don't do anything that might push the problem elsewhere.”

Jacobsen said the reason why zones are being considered outside of downtown is to address the potential problem of pedicabs migrating outward.

Downtown motor Officer Scott Thompson believes once the stricter rules are in place, fly-by-night operations – and some of the problems – would disappear. Thompson stressed that pedicabs provide a valuable service for tourists and he wants to see them stay.

“We are just trying to make the industry more viable rather than tear the industry down,” he said.

[Thanks to my big brother for the heads up on this news.]

10News Investigates Dark Side Of Pedicabs

10News Investigates Dark Side Of Pedicabs - 10News Investigations Story - KGTV San Diego

This story sparked quite a discussion on Rickshaw Forum recently. There's a debate in the industry about whether or not it's legal to have J-1 students as drivers. In our opinion, foreign exchange students on temporary J-1 work visas cannot be independent contractors in business for themselves. They must be employees, and most pedicab operations do not have driver employees. Somehow, some pedicab companies manage to work the system and "hire" J-1s. I'm curious as to how, exactly, they do that. Do you know? Do you think it's legal to have J-1 drivers in your crew?

Some Solar Something on Valencia

Greener Than Thou: Some Solar Something on Valencia
Monday, February 11, 2008, by Sarah Hromack

Just when I thought those Missionites couldn't get any more out of hand with the D.I.Y. bikes made of copper pipe and melted Vans, I spotted this puppy outside of Community Thrift on Valencia on Saturday. The hipster aboard knew he'd fallen between the crosshairs, and sat there like a deer in headlights as I snapped away from across the street. It looks like a rickshaw had an orgy with a fleet of construction equipment and the PG & E solar installation team. Somebody? Anybody?

What is this? Do you know?

Wouldn't it be nice...

This is a great blog post at "Adastra per Aspera", with lots of photos, about changing from driving to walking (and pedicabs) in our towns and cities.

Walk about the future of Paso Robles, California

I went on a walk through downtown Paso Robles today. It was led by a fellow whose job is to point out to the people in towns and villages across the country that we are entering a new era and they must look at the infrastructure development in a new way. He’s earned his stripes as he has done that walk 2,448 times so far.

The villages hire him to show what they’ve done right and wrong over the years and how to plan for future development. We walked about 20 blocks around the center of town. He noted that the towns must now think about how to handle more WALKING PEOPLE.

In the past, the villages had lots of land and money so when they did something wrong in design/development it did not matter much. They could err without disaster.

The change that needs to come, he says, is for villages to be much more aware about how people can walk around or ride their bikes to visit downtown to shop or entertain themselves rather than always driving to accomplish those tasks. In fact, many businesses now have drive-through capabilities. This makes it difficult for people on foot to do business.

I think he is talking about the future price of gasoline, but he did not say that. “Profound changes” he said about American villages of the future.

For example, we need to think about how to do a better job with parking cars in the downtown area. The safest way is to back into a diagonal spot. The most accommodating type of parking is at a 90 degree angle that leaves space for more cars to park and which is also safer than diagonal excluding the backing in method.

He pointed at a 30 mph sign in the middle of our town and said, “The safest speed is at 20 mpg for pedestrians and drivers. A pedestrian had a 90% chance of surviving being hit at 20 mph but only a50% chance at 30 mph.” I never even thought of that before. I believe there will be a lot of things that come up in the next 20 years that we never thought much about before.

Like the idea that pedestrians, not automobiles, need to be at the forefront of future planning.

Wouldn't it be nice if municipalities thought more about pedestrians, bicycles and pedicabs than they do about cars? Sometimes I think that if urban planners had it their way, everyone would travel only in cars, never by foot or pedal. And even when they plan these new "urban communities," around "alternative transportation" (really meaning mass transit), they don't plan for the trip from the bus stop or subway station to home or office. They just build more parking structures.

But things are changing... aren't they? At least that's what I hear. But some cities still use the same excuses to keep pedicabs out:

• They're dangerous, a hazard (No, the cars, trucks and buses are dangerous.)
• They'll interfere with or block traffic (When was the last time you saw a traffic jam exclusively caused by a pedicab?)
• There's no place for them on the streets or sidewalks (There might be if cities actually planned for them!)
• We have too many people on foot in that area (Pedicabs help move pedestrians out of and around crowded area.)
  

Wouldn't it be nice... if cities, planners and developers actually came to a pedicab company and said, "We're planning this new community where people won't need to drive their cars so much, and we think pedicabs would be a great transportation option there. Your input would be valuable, so we'd like you to join us in the planning."

Is that time coming? Are things really changing?

Pedicabs a California polution solution

While New York City is limiting pedicab services, Fresno, California, is embracing them as part of a solution to air polution. Go figure. (Great job, Joe et al!)

Pedicab partnership aims to help clear air

Summer is undoubtedly the worst season for air quality in the Valley.

But the bright yellow pedicabs found at Fresno's most popular spots are doing something about it.

Shuttlebugz pedicabs, which are already carting people around River Park, the Tower District, Fulton Mall and at special events, have expanded to provide regular weekday service in downtown Fresno.

The new service will include food deliveries and rides in the area from Divisadero to Ventura streets and from R to G streets from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The service, a pilot program running until Nov. 5, results from a partnership with the Shuttlebugz company, the city of Fresno's Department of Transportation and Fresno Area Express.

Through the partnership, the pedicab drivers will get a small stipend for working during the lunchtime hours, said Shuttlebugz owner Joseph Burke. The rest of the time, the drivers work only for tips.

The city of Fresno was interested in the program because "it provides a point A to point B service, and it's a method of green transportation with no kind of fuel or energy necessary," Burke said.

The three-wheeled pedicabs may not use gas or electricity, but they certainly require energy -- hauling around 600 pounds-worth of passengers and a 185-pound bike taxi reinvents the definition of "manpower."

Each driver logs 30 to 40 miles per day in the downtown area, taking people to and from workplaces and nearby eateries.

Former loan officer Robert Kurtz, 32, said he logged more than 60,000 miles on his regular bike in a year and thought he was in good shape for the job.

"But those first three shifts break your body down," he said. "I guess after two weeks you get used to it."

On workdays Kurtz drinks 22 glasses of water a day, stretches whenever he is stopped, and sleeps as much as possible, he said.

Three drivers work Fresno's downtown area every day. They do not follow a set route but roam areas where they are more likely to find more pedestrians, such as the courthouse, The Galleria and Fulton Mall, Kurtz said.

Drivers usually pick up random pedestrians but can be called at (559) 433-7373 to schedule a door-to-door ride.

It takes five minutes or less to respond to a call, Kurtz said. "We've never had someone call and then call back wondering where their ride is," he said.

Time-crunched downtown employees also can order and pay for their food by phone and then call a Shuttlebugz driver to have the food delivered to their workplace.

Pedicab operators mostly rely on tips for their services.

"The average tip is a couple of bucks a block," Kurtz said. "We give some free rides to people who really need to get somewhere fast but can't afford it. Good deeds like that come back to us anyway."

But big tippers are much appreciated, Kurtz said.

"If they tip well we can take them for a nice ride all the way to the top of the parking garages," Kurtz said.

Shuttlebugz will continue to serve the Tower District on Friday and Saturday nights, River Park on Monday through Friday from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m., special events at the Fresno Convention Center, Fresno State football games and Grizzlies games one hour before they start and about half an hour after they end, Kurtz said.

Karma Rides...

OK, everyone is familiar with the concept of a karma ride. It is usually a short ride that takes place at least once in a shift. Then there are free rides that turn into a trip for a tip. I have spent afternoons offering rides "on the house" that are just as profitable as nights when I tell customers that I work for tips. (And I know that there are others who could say the same.)

Well last Saturday night I met an elderly lady who missed her bus and was stuck downtown. (She was frail, and walked with what I would describe as a slow and wobbly step. She reminded me of Miss Havisham from Charles Dickens' Great Expectations.) It was 8 pm and the buses stopped running at 7 pm. I asked the woman if she could call someone to pick her up. She said that she had just moved and had no phone and no one to call to pick her up. I asked her how far away she lived and she said that it was not that far and gave me the name of one major street by her home.

I seriously considered taking her to a taxi and having the taxi driver take her home at my expense. I quickly discarded this notion as I replayed her climbing into my cab with my assistance. Could I trust a taxicab driver with my passenger? I decided that I could not. Now that I was committed to taking the old woman home I started asking her what landmarks she could remember were near her new home. She narrowed down my options by informing me that she lived near a corner liquor store located next to a small restaurant.

Taking what I know of the area where she lives I started riding for the street she could remember the name of. I figured that if I started riding that she would eventually see the liquor store and/or the restaurant and we'd find her home in no time. I figured that she lived in one of two places and started riding hoping that I was correct. As we entered the first intersection I thought might be the correct one I asked her if she saw anything that looked familiar. She responded that she did not. I told her not to worry because it was just a matter of time before we arrived at her home.

Well, about a 1/2 mile later we approached the second intersection that fit her criteria. I again asked her if anything looked familiar. She paused, squinted and then recognized the two corner businesses. I asked her which way did I needed to drive and she told me to turn left, which I did as soon as the light turned green.

After a left turn and then another right turn we approached her home. I pulled up along side the curb next to her residence and dismounted from my pedicab. As I reached out to help my passenger off the pedicab she started crying. Through her tears she thanked me and apologized for having no money to give me. I explained that I didn't want her money and that I was just glad that she was home now. After helping her down off my cab she continued to cry as she gave me the tightest hug she could offer.

I am by no means the nicest man in the world, but for a moment last Saturday night, I was the nicest man in the world for an elderly woman who I have never met. And that is the best tip of all.

Heartbreaking fares

Recently our company was contracted by the city to provide pedicabs during the lunch hour (10 am to 2 pm) downtown. Over the past couple of weeks a majority of my passengers have been those that work downtown offset with the occasional jurist escaping for the lunch recess. I love my job! I get to exercise, conduct social experiments and make a little money on the side.

In riding downtown at lunch time I have come to know a new type of pedicab passenger. They are not your average passengers. They don't want to go to lunch. They aren't interested in going shopping. And they aren't in the least bit interested in walking and getting their exercise. So who are these passengers that I speak of? The passengers to whom I refer are the children and their mothers (and fathers) who for whatever reason are only allowed supervised visits with their children.

Last Friday I was stopped by a mother who asked about getting a ride for herself and her two kids. I said sure. Then she paused, turned to the CPS (Child Protective Services) worker to ask permission to ride my pedicab. He consented and then told me that we could only go so far as he had to be able to see us at all times. It was a strange feeling being watched. I could only wonder what the parent must be going through. How awkward a moment is it to spend quality time with your children knowing that there is someone looking over your shoulder the whole time.

Again, I don't know the circumstances that led to this arrangement. There is a plethora of reasons that I won't attempt to explain, rationalize. I could not help feel sorry for the mother and the children. The children were rather subdued despite my efforts to distract them with my skill at weaving between a series of light poles at slow speed. I guess that they too could feel the watchful eye of the CPS worker.

Today I gave yet another ride to a mother who was spending time with her children under the watchful eye of the CPS worker. Today's ride was different as the CPS worker joined the mother and her children for a ride through downtown. Together they enjoyed the ride while the children laughed and had a good time. I imagine that there will be other mothers (fathers) with their children seeking to escape if only for moment.

As a pedicab rider there are those times when my job can be physically demanding. After a long night the parking garage gets harder to climb. But after today I am convinced that the CPS worker has a tougher job than I do.

A bit of everything

Hello everyone!

I wanted to post a note to say "thanks" for the kind hospitality. I am only sorry that I wasn't able to enjoy it for more than a few hours! The drive back to the "No" wasn't as fast as I was hoping. I did learn that one can drive across the state of Utah in a little over five hours. (Torn canopy be damned.) The new cabs work great...so I was told. I haven't had a chance to ride them yet. My day will come...


Since this is a blog about pedicabbing, I thought that I'd share a recent event that I and a fellow senior rider participated in last Saturday. We were invited to work a wedding shower for the soon to be bride and groom in the swanky north side of town. The theme of the party was a three ring circus. Pedicabs, scuba divers in the indoor pool and a three piece band. According to the hostess we were the talk of the party.

Well, our role was to pick up the attendees and ride them to the front door of the house and then wait around till it was time for everyone to go home. On one occasion we were carrying two couples to the door and it turned into a race. And then I hear one of the lady passengers announce with utter glee in her voice, "I feel like I am in the movie Ben Hur!"

I know, she meant it as a compliment. (This is the second time I have been compared to a horse and I have mixed feelings on being compared to a four legged animal.) Well shortly after our Roman chariot race I shared with my fellow rider the gist a certain article in the New Yorker posted on this blog. In our best poor boy English accents we started thinking of ways to offer rides to the feudal lords and ladies. "Care for a ride guvnah?" We even concocted outfits fitting of our "roles."

The best fare of the evening was when I gave three older women, two who were very, very intoxicated, a ride to a house down the street. It seems that they wanted to leave and they could not find their husbands anywhere. (I figured that their husbands sneaked out of the party to watch the Mayweather/De La Hoya fight on pay-per-view.) So, with a little prodding from the hostess the ladies climbed into my cab and we were off. One woman was convinced that I was going the wrong way. A second was firing off directions and a third said I should look for a certain street (the name escapes me) at which time I was to turn right.

After 10 minutes or so we arrived at their destination. After the ladies exited my cab I received a generous tip, and then a generous hug, followed by another generous tip and three more generous hugs. Did I tell you that I love my job! The ladies thanked me for my services and I in turn thanked them for their generosity.


After Saturday it looks like there will be other events on the north side of town, parties, fund raisers and such. And to tell the truth, I am kind of excited by the prospects of giving the lords and ladies a ride.

No screaming allowed on the Screamer

Ride the Screamer! (But no shrieking please)

Neighbors’ complaints spur amusement park to institute a no-noise rule

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - No screaming on the Screamer!

A suburban amusement park has gotten so many complaints from neighbors about bloodcurdling screams that it has instituted a no-shrieking rule for its scary new thrill ride, the Scandia Screamer, a gigantic, windmill-like contraption that sends people plunging 16 stories to Earth at nearly 60 mph.

Riders who let out a screech — or just about any other noise — are pulled off and sent to the back of the line.

As passengers are strapped into the two metal baskets, the operator recites this warning: "We are required to remove you from this ride if you make any noise. If you feel you might make a noise, please cover your mouth tightly with you hand, like this (The operator then covers mouth with hand). If we hear any noise through your hand, we will remove you from the ride. So please remain silent and enjoy the Screamer."

Read the rest of the story at MSNBC...

Approval in Sacramento

Posted on Rickshaw Forum by Neil Lubin of Sacramento Rickshaw Co. . . .

Finally, after almost a year of "jumping through hoops", the Sacramento City Council approved a pedicab ordinance. Considering the flat terrain, good weather and lousy air quality, it is a "no brainer". As of March, there are only 2 operators. I have 4 Main Street units and another guy has 3 Velocabs. The city is going to affix a medallion on all approved pedicabs. At this point, all the bike cops know me and I know them. If the industry grows, identifying unlicensed operators may be an issue.

Great news! Neil participated in our first Pedicab Operators Weekend Intensive last year. We were thrilled to hear that he could finally start riding.

Woman pleads guilty to felony drunken driving in pedicab collision

04/03/07: A Chico State University senior pleaded guilty last week to a charge of felony drunken driving, stemming from a collision in September that seriously injured a pedicab driver and his four passengers.

Authorities said Janet Edna Stephens, 22, was driving with more than three times the legal limit of alcohol in her system when she veered into a bicycle lane and struck the pedicab from behind, in the 300 block of Nord Avenue.

The four passengers and the operator were thrown into the windshield of Stephen's car, a black BMW, then onto the pavement.

The operator suffered a compound fracture to his leg. A female passenger, coming back from celebrating her 21st birthday, sustained a broken jaw, fractured skull and the loss of four teeth. She was in a coma for days, and underwent several surgeries.

A male passenger suffered two broken legs, including two compound fractures to one of them.

Stephens was to face a jury trial on the charge April 16, but asked for a continuance Thursday.

Superior Court Judge Sandra McLean denied the continuance Thursday morning, and Stephens entered her plea Thursday afternoon.

She faces up to 18 years in state prison when sentenced on May 29.

She remains free until then on a $75,000 bond, posted shortly after the collision. As part of her release, Stephens was ordered to refrain from drinking alcohol.

Pedicab Wedding Photo

It's a Saturday in San Diego's Balboa Park. Many just maried couples use the venue to get what appears to be a traditional pedicab ride around the park. This groom temporarily assumed the driver's seat - just for the photo. The true driver is standing off-camera. It's wasn't Lance armstrong.

Nope. It was our buddy Pops (of Pops' Pedicabs in San Diego). We knew it right away!

I had the pleasure of meeting and talking with Pops when I was visiting my brother a couple of years ago. We were strolling through Balboa Park when I saw this beautiful yellow and black pedicab rolling our way. I commented to my brother that it looked like a Main Street. Pops overheard my comment and quickly made a u-turn, rolled up next to us, and started chatting.

Check out his web site. He's really got the uniform thing down, with his yellow and black cabs, black shorts and yellow t-shirt. Pretty spiffy.

A Decent Proposal

Hello everyone.

Allow me to introduce myself. My name/handle is MAF The Stache and I will be an occasional contributor to the Pedicab Blog. I did go by the name, The Stache because a certain pedicab driver (who shall remain nameless to protect his guilt) refers to me as The Stache. (And while I no longer have the same name, I still have my mustache.)

Before I go any further I wanted to thank the other Pedicab bloggers for inviting me to participate.


A Decent Proposal

I thought that I'd share with you my first experience riding on Valentine's Day. But first let me go back to the previous day (the 13th) when I spoke to a very nice gentleman who was interested in meeting me in front of the main office of the police department downtown where his girlfriend works.

As it turns out, the gentleman in question and his girlfriend had the pleasure of riding on a pedicab about five months earlier when they were on their first date. Now, five months later the man wanted to surprise his girlfriend on Valentine's Day with another pedicab ride and to ask her to marry him. After getting the particulars, of where (police department) and when (3:20 pm) to meet him the next day. So with the particulars written down, I waited to make my appointed round.

So, there I was, 3:10 in the afternoon, sitting on my pedicab and I started to wonder if I was waiting at the right place. A tall man approached from the south, calling out to me, "You must be The Stache. MAF." I replied that I was.

The tall gentleman climbed into the pedicab and directed me to the parking lot behind the police station and began telling me of his plan, including the route that I was to pedal that afternoon. His girlfriend was to get off work at 3:30 pm, he was going to meet her and make some small talk. After several minutes of talking with her he was to to signal to me and I would pull up and they were to climb into the cab and the journey would begin. I nodded in agreement and told him that I would wait for his signal as he walked off towards the front of the building.

It was 3:20 pm and I was getting nervous.

3:30 pm: The nice gentleman was walking back to me where I was waiting and he told me that his girlfriend was probably working later and that it would be a little while longer. I asked him how he was feeling, and he said "Really nervous." (I couldn't tell.) I reassured him (as any pedicab driver would) as he walked back to his post.

3:35 pm: The gentleman is now talking on his cell phone, and I am having my doubts. I kept thinking "The best laid plans of mice and men." He starts walking over to me and I am wondering if his Valentine's Day suprise was turning into his Valentine's Day nightmare. Despite his being nervous, he said that things weren't going according to the plan. He asked my if I had another engagement to which I replied "No." (I was in this for the long haul. I was going to see the tall gentleman crash and burn or soar with eagles.

3:40 pm: The tall gentleman is once again talking on his cell phone and I start worrying that things aren't going well. Perhaps I was showing my worry as he waved in my direction.

3:45 pm: The tall gentleman is talking with a very petite woman. I start getting nervous, going over the route that I am to take. And then he signaled me (not the raised hand I was expecting but what the hell) to pick them up. He introduced me to his girlfriend, who shook my hand and proceeded to jump into the pedicab and announced, "After today, I really could use a ride back to the car."

Ah, she was completely unaware of what was to take place over the next 15-20 minutes. I started riding as the two sat together talking to each other. (I was definately hard of hearing that afternoon.) The tall gentleman handed her a Valentine's Day card as I rode through the courthouse park, passing squirrels who interrupted their afternoon meals to watch us pass.

We exited the park and followed the planned route which included the spot where they boarded the pedicab for the first time some five months earlier. We winded our way through the downtown as we approached the cafe where they dined on that first date, after their first pedicab ride.

I stopped the cab, and without saying a word I dismounted the pedicab and walked away to allow them some privacy. (I mean really would you want the pedicab rider sitting right there during your proposal of marriage? I don't think so.)

I must admit it was rather embarrassing standing around, waiting for the recently engaged couple to invite me back to continue the ride. I did enjoy watching the people walking downtown as they stared at the couple sharing a warm embrace in the back of my pedicab.

After she wiped away her tears of happiness I congratulated the very happy couple. They were both very happy. The tall gentleman asked if I would take several photographs to mark this momentous occasion. After the photo session which included one of her showing off her rock (It was huge!) I hopped on the pedicab to continue the last stage of the afternoon together.

The route backtracked the original route taken on this day, (and on their first date) back to where the trip began. Well back to the parking lot where her car was parked. After exiting the pedicab I congratulated the happy couple once more. They thanked me for a wonderful afternoon, and I them.

I love riding my pedicab!


UPDATE:
I just learned that my other blogger identity has overtaken "The Stache" identity. And to think I was going for a little anonymity in my posts here at the Pedicab Blog...

Testimonial by Weekend Intensive Graduate

In June, Neil Lubin of Sacramento Rickshaw Co. posted this great testimonial on Rickshaw Forum after attending Big Tree Pedicab's Pedicab Operator's Weekend Intensive.

"I flew into Denver from Sacramento specifically to attend the Big Tree Workshop. It was informative, inspiring and most importantly, I became connected with people who are building businesses like myself. There was a classroom component, a "hands on" component and an observational session. We absorbed lots of information, got to study the "anatomy" of the units and spent an evening shadowing the management of Mile High Pedicabs. Anyone who is serious about developing a successful and professional business model would be wise to attend their program."

Pedal-power taxis gearing up [in Sacramento]

Another successful graduate of our Weekend Intensive, Neil Lubin of Sacramento Rickshaw, is working with the city to expand pedicabs in California.

Shuttlebugz :: pedicab service in Fresno

Check out Shuttlebugz, Fresno's new pedicab company! Owner Joe Burke is a graduate of our Pedicab Operators Weekend Intensive. Our little bird left the nest and is a great success!

If you're thinking about starting your own pedicab operation, come to our next Weekend Intensive in October. For more information, go to http://www.milehighpedicabs.com/intensive.htm.