New York City Pedicab News

At the Infrastructure Forum at the 2013 Farm to City Expo at the Javits Center on 4 March 2013, GrowNYC Executive Director Marcel Van Ooyen, when asked about whether New York State food distribution via rail, barge, LSLEVs, and freight trikes might make sense to support as opposed to the current food distribution methods involving exclusively fossil-fuel-laden tractor-trailer, box truck, and megahighway infrastructure, Mr Van Ooven said “The only touchpoints that matter in food (distribution) are freshness and price.”

FARM TO CITY FLYER INVITE-Final

To wit: Mr Van Ooyen declared that “freshness and price” in the context of food distribution (I assume, as opposed to entire food systems – it wasn’t clear) not only come before process, inputs, systems, supply chains, labor practices, modes, ownership, farmers, taste, pollution emissions, energy sourcing, materials, et cetera; they are, apparently, the only touchpoints that matter.

For full transparency, Revolution Rickshaws presented the full panel covering infrastructure with the following precise question:

“Almost all the infrastructure today is built for and favors heavily international trade including food.  NYS is blessed with locally harvested infrastructure including rivers, bays, canals, lakes, and rails. Do you see value to moving more distribution to barges, rail, low speed light electric vehicles, and high-capacity freight trikes, for instance?”

Besides Mr Van Ooyen, not one of the other participants on the panel was willing to touch on the topic, which attempted to spark discussion on the flood of fossil fuels on which today’s entire supply chain floats – including New York State’s supply chain. Our state actually possesses effective low and no fossil-fuel transport infrastructure for serious food (and other) distribution to and from primary population centers. Unfortunately, foreign, federal, state, and city governments won’t get out of the way of the transport market and instead infuse into it trillion dollar subsidies to pay for massive motor vehicle infrastructure. In this fun house world of massive government subsidies, citizens subsidize via taxes the massive cost difference between truck transport and rail (6x cheaper) and barge (9x cheaper) according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office; the point of sale is the only spot at which citizens and companies are confronted with pricing; verily, they are made to believe that truck transport is somehow cheaper.

Mr Van Ooyen decried the “touches” that right-sized value cycles aka “supply chains” may require – just minutes after Common Market Operations Manager Zoe Lloyd described a desperate need for (the touch of) food “aggregators” to facilitate regular collections of produce from smaller farms. Others on the panel described a shortfall of well located food processors, packagers, and slaughterhouses, while the entire concept of a “food hub“, which were the buzzwords of the day, involves supposedly superfluous touches.

To be sure, multimodal logistics systems on global, local, and other levels in between are returning to the fore despite the best efforts of fossil fools. Well managed multimodal systems streamline processes and deliver superior results despite the fun house marketplace. Unfortunately, GrowNYC and other enterprises well positioned to support the critical modal shifts for distributing food via responsible infrastructure in NYC and NYS continue to drink the fossil-fueled Kool-Aid.

Another in our occasional series on contraptions used to move cityfreight – or in this case, citypromos – about NYC. In this post, RR looks at tuk tuks. These little motorized muggles roll about town generally promoting products, though the final image is one apparently executing wine distribution in Roma!

From time to time, RR captures images of “competition” in our city microfreight logistics space; to wit, contraptions other than freight trikes (aka citypods!) that city enterprises are deploying to move bits of product regularly within a small geographical distance. Take a gander, if it pleases you, at these beasts:

Woodworking outfit http://www.beagleandpots.com/ – Brooklyn

Baker http://freebreadinc.com/ – Queens

Chocolateer http://fineandraw.com/ – Brooklyn

Dry cleaner http://dutchgirlcleanersnyc.com/ – UES

Coffee roaster http://www.kittencoffee.com/kitten-lorry.html – Brooklyn

Here’s a quick amalgam of experiences from this past week of riding (29Nov-1Dec):

- Two NYPD tickets Thursday evening: One at Penn Station, the other by Rockefeller Center. Both for purportedly blocking traffic. Penn Station a “criminal” ticket for “disorderly conduct”; Rockefeller Center ticket a “moving violation” (or not moving violation) for obstructing traffic lane. Early Christmas presents from the NYPD?

Early Christmas presents for RR and one of its practitioners at Penn Station

- While RR awaited its second Christmas present from the NYPD by Rockefeller Center, a Bozostanian pulled up with a sucker – er, woman – in the back of his Main Street clunker. He asks RR whether he accepts credit cards (“yes”); then, he asks RR to process his customer’s card – and for RR then to give him cash. RR demurs. RR asks the woman how much she’s being charged. She has no idea. After being prompted, she requests a price from Mr Bozostan. He, of course, points to the “rate card” and says $50. She doth protest! “You told me it was the same price as a (toxic) taxi!” He doesn’t answer… But RR does: “He lied. He’s a liar.” She tells him she’ll pay $25 or nothing. In the meantime, Mr Bozostan finds another Bozostanian to process the woman’s card. Clever way for Mr Bozostan to “pass the buck” of responsibility for the sales receipt to another practitioner while he charges an exorbitant price – and gets cash in the process!

RR awaits another NYPD Christmas present as a potential victim disembarks from Bozostan.

- Friday evening, RR pitches the toxic taxi line at Penn Station and a woman expresses interest… then begins to hem and haw about being scared. She finally says, “I’m chicken” – to which RR retorts, “I’m the rooster!” The crowd roars as RR departs empty – yet triumphant.

- RR scored a ride to the Marriott Marquis for the first time in months – since a Fourth of July debacle which led to a shouting match with management and security regarding the dropping off of passengers against their wishes. Lo and behold, the security guard allowed RR to pass unhindered with passengers this time. Why? Turns out management has changed its position – likely triggered by the incident with RR over the summer. One small step for human decency – one giant leap for rickshaw respect?

- Saturday evening, RR pitches across from Macy’s on 6th Ave near the bus kiosk… And someone sitting at the kiosk rises from his seat and requests a price to 47th St & 7th Ave. RR tells him it’s a $15 minimum – and he settles into the seat! Turns out he’s a bit of a hustler himself, and as RR arrives at the destination, Robert tells him that a current hustle of his is panhandling – and that he’s pulling down over $100/day. That’s better than a lot of “paying jobs” out there…

- Another ride, another save: First ride Saturday, from Penn Station to Novotel. Couple initially not keen to jump on; RR discovers, subsequently, their family members had been ripped off recently – 10 min ride charged at $75 for grandma and two children while they took a toxic taxi the same distance for $10. RR tells them he would have charged $25 for the same ride, quotes $22 for this one… and they’re off, settling for a typical ride of joy, laughter, happiness—and timeliness.

- RR gave Gandhi a ride on Friday! No, not that Ghandi… but a dude named Gandhi – from St Louis, no less…

As the traffic in the streets and sidewalks of midtown increases, the conditions for the skilled practitioner remain somewhat challenging. Unskilled practitioners? Very challenging. Extortionists? Well, if you’re amoral, immoral, or a hater (or some combination therein), then you’re working with a different set of rules…

And the stories in the streets from victims continue to overwhelm. By the Empire State Building, a mother and sister tell RR that they were bilked $145 for a 10 minute ride as RR attempted to give them a complimentary ride in compensation. Minutes later, a woman on the toxic taxi line at Penn Station‘s 7th Ave side told of being bilked $80 by an extortionist after the thief told her $20 at the beginning – and a cop even oversaw the transaction!

At Grand Central Terminal’s Vanderbilt toxic taxi line, a cynic told RR that he’s not paying $500 for a ride. A few minutes later as RR was putting a hard sell on a couple in the same line, a haggardly women behind them requested that RR just go away. RR handed her $20 – and she took it!

This woman happily took $20 offered to her by RR as compensation for her troubles of listening to RR’s sale pitch (disclaimer – she later returned the money).

Minutes later, RR delivered a lovely Indian lady to Rockefeller Center from GCT. On arrival, she asked whether the cab was heated. RR has been telling people that the cocoon effect in back creates a fairly warm environment for passengers – we’re not kidding…

Mid-shift, two jovial ladies of a certain age boarded for a journey from 42nd & Madison to Telepan at 69th & Columbus Ave. Both of them live in Westchester County, though one hailed from VA. Why did she move to NY? “Not enough diversity” in her home state, subsequently noting that she believes in “democratic values”. Mmm.

This is how memories are made – and captured – in midtown Manhattan.

Now for the happy ending. Struggling to score ride and reach the daily budget target, RR worked mightily the 42nd St GCT line once again with no luck… until a dude in a sports jacket approached from nowhere requesting a quote to “6th & 6th”. RR says $35, he says $25, and we agree on $30. Arriving at The Lion (at 6th Ave & 9th St), the gentleman declares “you’ve got yourself $40 now”. Asked whether he’s taken rickshaw rides before, he says, “Nope. Never. First time – and I’m a lifelong New Yorker. Saw the [toxic taxi] line and figured I’d give it a shot. Thanks for a great ride.”

The end of the line for Citycab tonight – a happy ending at The Lion.

One can feel the end-of-the-year holiday swell in the streets already here in Midtown Manhattan. Motor Assault Vehicle aka car & truck traffic is slowly getting out of hand – soon to achieve parking-lot-like status right through Christmas. Rickshaw practitioners must factor in molasses like movement of street traffic into their pricing, as even rickshaws will find it challenging to move about town…

Makes a sentient person consider the benefits of applying the HOV-3 standard for entering the Manhattan CBD, which were realized as recently as two weeks ago in the post-Sandy hullabaloo, and pine for a holiday-season application of such standards.

As for this evening… Well, it was largely one to forget for this practitioner. Not only was Citycab down; RR the chain snapped on RR’s replacement cab soon after leaving the depot – with passengers in tow, no less.

No need to fear – Citycab’s here! Except when it isn’t…

Back on the road with a standard RRickshaw, RR did score a memorable ride for Nan Lee, a marketing gal for Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. RR hopes to work with them on the 2013 Manhattan Cocktail Classic, if it pleases them – seems they produce organic spirits, which right up ouRR alley.

The lovely Colleen from Connecticut jumped on the RRickshaw from Grand Central Terminal in order to make her 7pm appointment at the Golden Oars Awards night at New York Athletic Club - and achieved her goal.

The lovely Colleen from Connecticut arrives at her destination – New York Athletic Club – right on time…

On the way back to the depot, RR experienced a less than stellar display of “Courtesy, Professionalism and Respect” while traversing Times Square when two rookie soldiers in a Motor Assault Van approached RR in the left lane from behind and proceeded to activate their digitized beep sound over and over and over… until RR pulled into the next lane, at which point the MAV rolled another 100 ft and parked – quite obviously with no urgent situation brewing. As RR looked to engage one of the young soldiers in a quick discussion of what transpired, she barked “You got a problem?” a few times – obviously keen to abuse even more her powers of state-sanctioned violence…

Motor Assault Van parked illegally after newly minted soldiers abuse state police powers – just another day in Times Square…

On that note, RR passed at one point long-time practitioner Jerrick Coney, who noted he’s suing the city for wrongful arrest. He’s set to go to court this coming February, it seems. The NYPD this year has become infamous in practitioner circles for “wrongful” arrests – that is, ones in which the soldiers claim the “records” show possible warrants, only to “discover” after hours or even overnight jail time that – oops – no warrant actually existed. Meanwhile, the NYC-backed pedi-extortionists continue to enjoy full access to the city’s valued tourists – NYC can’t have any “discrimination” going on by practitioners now, can we, by requiring “quote up front” only pricing? Extortion? Well, that’s a whole other story according to the mayor and city council.

On a brighter note, earlier in the day farmer Jack returned RR’s Lynch trike from Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture. He extolled the virtues of the trike for farm usage, and RR looks forward to forging a strong partnership with the Stone Barns team in the coming years!

Saturdays in the streets of midtown, unlike weekdays, are sooooo unpredictable – maddening to this olde timey practitioner; nevertheless, somehow someway they usually add up… And today was no exception – budget numbers were hit in a timely fashion.

Much ado about pricing: RR had a conversation with two gals – erstwhile New Yorkers – regarding the marketplace for rickshaw services. RR approached them after noticing them get out of a pedicab and engage the practitioner in a short conversation. Apparently, he told them to pay what they wish – and suggested $100. The ride was from 54th St & 5th Ave to 33rd & Broadway. One of the ladies gave him $15 – the same amount RR was given by a friendly lady from Northampton (UMass-employed grant writer) traveling solo from the Eventi at 30th & 6th to Molyvos, a Greek restaurant, at 55th & 7th Ave after suggesting $25 in the beginning but backtracking to “pay what you wish” in order to coax her on.

A bit later, RR had a conversation with a practitioner from one of the former Soviet republics. RR was taking a picture of his rate card when he asked what was going on. RR mentioned its curiosity regarding all rates and rate cards. His card read $2/blk, $3/ave, $5/person. He noted that he priced low and that others now charge $4/blk, $5/ave, $10/person. Looking at my rate card, he said that RR basically “works for free”. RR mentions the fact that RR was born and raised here and that he was not. He proceeds to note that if he were born and raised in the states, he would not do this gig.

And so we get to the crux of the issue – people who simply don’t care for this amazing gig are systematically destroying it for local practitioners who love the gig – and the city of New York has their back every step of the way. These people leave a trail of destruction behind them with most every ride they execute – a growing army of embittered people who not only will never take a rickshaw ride again; embittered people who tell their friends to avoid rickshaws in NYC like the plague.

The irony? A councilman’s aide tells RR that the city won’t introduce “quote up front” full transparency legislation due to “discrimination” issues; to wit: a practitioner in theory could charge a higher price to, say, an African-American simply because of the color of his skin. Because of this “risk”, the entire industry instead is systematically compromised every day by an army of people who hate pedicabs yet ride them to extort their customers for all they’re worth – and then some…

Toxic taxi, trite taxis, and Citycab – oh, my!

A fine Friday evening in the streets of midtown for the skilled practitioner this evening. Glorious cool, crisp, clear November weather – just a bit breezy – along with plenty of demand for intra-neighborhood passenger transport.

Unfortunately, RR improperly repaired a flat tire for one of its practitioner customers and was forced to tow him back to the shoppe in the middle of a busy fall rush hour…

- After dropping three young local ladies at 37th & 10th, RR got the message about the flat at 52nd & 6th and relayed a message to meet RR on 9th Ave. RR headed up 10th Ave hoping for a ride… and scored. A thirysomething Chinese dude with baggage at 42nd & 10th needed a ride to 55th & 10th. He jumps in and starts chattering about how we’re really moving. Keen to help, he proceeds to thrust himself forward rhythmically to help with momentum. Though awkward, it sort of helps – we arrive at 55th & 10th in may be 5 min. He instructs RR to drop him behind the Porsche, which apparently contained his father. He asks the price. RR says “$10-$15″. He says, “what”?” RR repeats “$10-$15″. Again, “what?” Again, “$10-$15″. He extends $5. RR instructs him to keep it, and he rides off with his pop in this Porsche.

If you see two Chinese men in this Porsche 911, tell them to respect the workin’ man.

- Whisk Aussie gal who works at the IMF from a giant Penn Station 8th Ave toxic taxi line to the W Hotel on Lexington Ave at 49th St. She’s quite grateful and delivers a solid tip on a $26 quote ($40 total). On the way, she tells of her recruiting efforts at Harvard and Yale – “such amazingly smart people” she gushes – for the IMF. Tempted to start in on her, but RR thinks better…

- At the W around 7:35p, another long line for toxic taxis is encountered. Barking at the line about a 10 minute guarantee in midtown, RR jumps off Citycab and offers services. A becaned couple from Hong Kong asks whether the cab is heated. Of course! Turns out they’re heading to the Joyce Theater – in Chelsea. Ugh. After we get going a few minutes, they ask about a price. Told $40-$45, they get cold feet… but stick with it, and the gentleman tells RR they never would have made it to the theater (19th & 8th) otherwise while handing over a $50; in the interim, the lady tells me that she just had back surgery – after getting out at the Joyce! Maddening when folks tell RR of back issues AFTER the ride…

- Heading back to RR, a hunchbacked woman tells RR, “some day you’ll be discovered and watched on TV”…

Back to “normal” out there in the streets of Midtown Manhattan? Not quite – still fewer motorized assault vehicles (aka cars) rolling about town, which is wonderful for rickshaw practitioners. That noted, the pickins for practitioners also is slimmer than one would expect this time of year – one day removed from the first snow of the year and about a week removed from Hurricane Sandy.

Of note:

- Report of $300+ extortion from woman in toxic taxi line at Grand Central Terminal

- Report of $100 extortion from a couple at Essex House; the ride was from Essex House to 49th & Bway! Attempt to provide a complimentary ride was turned down.

- Ride provided to Red Crossers from Penn Station to Edison Hotel. Two happy campers from Missouri…

- Helmsley building by Grand Central Terminal lit up in stunning fashion for the first time…

Glorious new lighting scheme for the olde New York Central Building, erected in 1929.