photo: David Olsen
Take a stroll down Fourth Avenue on a weekend night and you'll have a hard time believing we're in any kind of economic slump. The bars are overflowing, many merchants are open late, and there is a constant flow of people walking back and forth through the new underpass, going in and out of a bustling downtown. One relatively new wrinkle to this scene is reflected through the advent of the Pedi-Cab, that funky rickshaw type of contraption attached to the back of a bicycle.
Pedi-cabs have been a fixture in downtown Phoenix for many years and so it's no surprise a couple of enterprising Phoenix based companies are trying to establish a foothold here in Tucson. However, they have been met by a number of fiercely independent owner/operators, many of whom consider the avenue their turf.
Wesley is one such character. "I'm top dog around here. I've been doing this for almost two years and I've got the best stereo," he exclaims as his iPod blasts techno-funk from a couple of invisible Bose speakers. A machine shop mechanic who works part-time for the Ordinary Bike Shop, Wesley, like all of the Pedi-cabs, works strictly for tips.
"I can still make as much money on a Saturday night as any good bartender. But it's hard work, especially when you're pedaling uphill or going against the wind."
As we go for a ride down University towards Fourth Avenue it's clear the Pedi-cab has a novel appeal, attracting hoots and hollers, especially from those who appear to have been drinking.
"Yeah, they think it's cute and everyone wants a free ride. I'll do that later at night for people who are working. They deserve a break."
On this Saturday night Wesley has made several runs to and from Arizona Stadium where the UA football team has just dispensed with NAU.
"It's completely different on football nights when there is a lot of money to be made." However, there are no guarantees. And there have been times, Wesley said, when he's taken passengers as far as the Doubletree Hotel or to A-Mountain.
Uri is a completely different cabbie with a completely different experience. This same night is his first. He is not an owner/operator but is renting his rig from one of those Phoenix companies.
"I saw an ad on Craig's List. It costs me $25 to rent the bike and I've already had about 20 fares."
Uri doesn't have a stereo but he has been passing out free energy drinks kept in a cooler underneath the carriage. Like big city cabbies or bartenders he has also experienced the therapeutic role people of his ilk are sometimes thrust into.
"I rode by this one girl who was just sobbing. I came back and offered her a ride. Turns out she had just been dumped by her boyfriend. I think I helped her to feel a little better."
Like Uri, Michael is also a full-time student. Studying to be a substance abuse counselor, he is quite comfortable in his role of pseudo street counselor.
"Talking to people who are distressed or frustrated, that comes with the territory." He is also unabashed about taking a safety first approach.
"I've been asked to do things like race or break traffic laws and I'll just turn down the fare. I take this responsibility seriously."
While it's not quite like riding in a horse drawn carriage through New York's Central Park, there is a novelty to this experience that cannot be denied.
As long as the entrepreneurial spirit continues to thrive within the university community, we can only expect the Pedi-cab phenomenon to grow.
