An idea whose time has come....the pedicab.

[Cleita]

http://www.pedicab.com/ (I haven't figured out how to capture pictures on iMac yet so I can only provide a link.)

If I were feeling like setting up a business and more importantly had some cash to do it, I might set up a business with these taxis. I would hire some of the beefier students from the agricultural and athletic departments of our local state college to pedal them. I would run them in the downtown districts of the various little towns in my county and down on the beach. Each one of these costs from $2,000 to $4,000 depending on how fancy they are. Anyone feeling like this would be a good business?

[meegbear]

1. GET A PC!

Sorry, pavlovian computer habit.

[Cleita]

4. Hell no!

I just got rid of the last of my frakking :argh: PC's and I will never, ever own one again.

[meegbear]

6. I got a G4 myself ...

I just bought XP Porfessional and VMWare for the Mac. If/when the money situation gets better, I'm gonna get a new laptop.

XP is so I can work from home.

[Romulox]

33. Right click, "save image as" in Safari. Same as a PC! nt

[Ian David]

2. Considering that every calorie a an American eats takes 100 calories of fuel to transport...

... this idea makes no sense in The United States from an environmental standpoint.

Unless I'm missing something.

[Cleita]

7. The pedal pushers don't eat petroleum?

Also, instead of running a treadmill at the gym, wouldn't this be a good substitute? I mean the athletes are burning up calories one way or the other keeping fit.

[Ian David]

12. Why don't they hook the exercise bikes and treadmills at the gym to generators?

We could recharge our cellphones, or help maintain the air conditioning at the gym.

[Cleita]

17. Not a bad idea if the technology is available. It could help to pay for the electric costs

of the gym at least.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

9. If they replace trucks and passenger cars, it evens out

For example, I know of two businesses in Minneapolis, a wholesale coffee roaster and a regular pizza place, that make all their deliveries with pedicabs. Think of all the gasoline they're NOT using as they tootle around town. The delivery person has to eat anyway, whether s/he is driving a car or peddling a pedicab, so it seems to me there would be a net drop in fuel consumption. In my experience, cyclists don't eat that much more than sedentary people.

[Ian David]

10. Good point. Driving a two-ton truck or one-ton taxi vs 300 pounds or person + bike. n/t

[TomInTib]

3. I have ridden in a few of these things.

They are a blast.

[no_hypocrisy]

5. I took one about a month ago during gridlock in NYC and loved it!

It was worth every penny.

Not only did I get to my destination in good time, it was a rush to travel al fresco, darting between stopped traffic on 42nd Street of all places. And it was perfectly safe. We couldn't have been going more than 10 mph tops. And I saw the City up close and personal.

[Cleita]

11. Can you give me an idea what your fare was?

I'm trying to get an idea of how it would work into a profitable business. Yes, I'm part Ferengi, but I do have ethical principles.

[no_hypocrisy]

19. Going from 33rd and Ave. of the Americas to 53rd and Eighth Avenue

That's about 1.25 miles for 22+ blocks.

I was given a choice between $12 and $15. I took the $12 but gave my driver a $20 as he really hauled ass for me and gave me a safe trip at the same time.

[Cleita]

20. Thanks!

It's a ball park figure that I need to work up a plan.

[no_hypocrisy]

21. The very best of luck to you.

:hi:

[Cleita]

25. It's not for me but I thought if I could come up with a business plan my

neighbor, who has a trust fund and is a doctor, might do it. He's always looking for something to invest in.

[JackintheGreen]

32. NYC, 30th to 88th

$20, tip included

However, these things are hard as hell to pedal. They are used all over Asia by people who do it full-time, professionally for years and years and years and years. And still, when I, as an avg. weight American (220#) hire one in India, the poor driver STRUGGLES like Sisyphus. I've even switched places with them, just to see what its like (and get some good will in the bargain). Oi Veh!

Doable, yes. But you're going to have a very hard time finding employees and keeping them. We just aren't culturally equipped for it.

[Cleita]

34. That's something to keep in mind.

I was thinking of starving students but I know they would only be available while they are in school so there would be a large turn over.

[Atman]

8. If you really like this idea, does that make you a pedifile?

:shrug:

.

[Bob Dobbs]

24. Pedalphile

right?

[bicentennial_baby]

13. We have them all over Boston

[glowing]

14. Great idea especially near beach towns... people are usually sweaty,

wet, and sandy.. great idea for the beach. Also downtown settings.

[nadinbrzezinski]

15. We got them in downtown san diego

and I almost went over the side of one of them once.

[Cleita]

40. That's something to keep in mind too. Maybe provide seat belts and

get a lot of insurance. :-)

[shanti]

16. they use these

at the California state fair to ferry people to and from their cars to the entrance (which can be pretty far away!)

[Swamp Rat]

18. Rickshaws

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rickshaw

To capture the desktop ("screen shot"), press the Apple command key, shift, then 3. You'll hear a camera click sound, then a png file will appear on your desktop. Open it (it will open in the application called "Preview"). Click on the image to start the cropping tool, size it to the borders you want to capture, then 'cut' in the edit menu (or Apple command+k). Then you can save the image as a jpg for uploading.

However, if there is an image in the web page you are visiting, it is usually possible to just download it by clicking on it, and while holding the mouse click drag the image onto the desktop directly from the web page. Most often web images are low resolution jpgs or gifs, when can be easily uploaded to an image host.

;) ¿Todo bien? :)

[Cleita]

22. Hey thanks Swampie!

This is all I needed. I was getting lost in the help menus.

[anigbrowl]

23. It's good when the weather is nice and the streets are flat

On the other hand, it wouldn't function very well in a place like San Francisco, where we have lots of steep hills. Nor is it quite so much fun in a downpour.

[Cleita]

27. We are hilly here but our downtown areas and the beaches are flat enough

This is California so we have plenty of sunny weather during the summer. Also, with global warming even our winters aren't very rainy anymore :-( That's something to take into consideration though in case we get any "El Ninos" in the future like we have in the past.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

26. A Tuk Tuk from Thailand would use less gas than a conventional taxi

And it might add a touch of color to our city streets. It relies on gasoline but a small motorbike engine would consume a lot less.

[Cleita]

29. I think this would be banned because it has a motor in it, like golf carts.

They aren't allowed on city streets, but bicycles are so go figure. It might be those pedicabs are banned too. I will have to look up our municipal codes. I'm surprised no one has tried this though in our area, especially at the beach.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

30. I think cities are going to have to rethink their municipal codes as reality sets in

In California, however, whereas small four-wheelers are banned, three-wheelers are street legal, like this old Cushman Truckster, that used to be used by police parking enforcement and the post office. Three-wheelers are regulated like motorscooters (you have to wear a helmet). I think they aren't allowed to go over 25 mph but they can be driven on surface streets.

[rebel with a cause]

28. My daughter just bought a bike and is talking about

pedaling to work in a near by town. (slightly dangerous since it is by highway.) I am going to show her these and tell her she can just get rid of her car (small compact) all together and take me shopping and to the doctor in this instead. I am sure she will love that idea. ;)

[NashVegas]

31. A Lot Of Cities Have Those

You could set up your own without paying a license / franchise fee.

[Cleita]

36. There would be licenses.

One can't avoid those because insurance companies usually demand that you are on the up and up.

[NashVegas]

38. I Mean Franchise License

To that specific brand, more than general business license.

[Cleita]

39. Oh I see.

That would all have to be looked into if I decide it might be a good business.

[burythehatchet]

35. On your mac, mouse over the image, press ctrl and click, select view image

this will open a window with just the image. The location of the image is the address shown and you can paste the address in your message.

[Cleita]

37. Thanks for the advice and posting the picture.

Apparently, it's so easy once you know what to do.