The RICKSHAW

I rode a Rickshaw (actually a pedicab) in Long Beach for about 20-25 years.

In the 1970's I went to India with my Indian partner and fell in love with the rickshaw.    I imported two beautiful authentic Indian Rickshaws which cost $250.00 each FOB Bombay.  The cost for trucking to Long Beach was $300.00 each.  

We decided to run a pedicab business in Manhattan in 1978 (See Daily News 6/10/79).  I rode it all over Manhattan. I drove various news reporters around Rockefeller Center.  Everyone loved it.   We eventually decided against continuing the  business.

Then I rode it in Long Beach---  "Get that thing off the road! You are blocking traffic." the police barked.   What a difference.  

On the boardwalk I would carry passengers for free.  They loved it.  The elderly and people carrying beach stuff were very grateful.   Children were overjoyed.

The tubes on my rickshaw did not have valve springs.  Every morning the tires were flat.  The Indian tube air nozzle was similar to the toy "fart balloon".   Changing to US tubes was a necessity.   I also changed the seat.  The Indian seat had hand twisted springs and was very uncomfortable.  One could carry passengers effortlessly even with 3 passengers as long as the ground was level.   It had no gears, no rear brakes, and a 16th century front brake that stopped on a dime.

I later purchased an American built rickshaw (for $4,500.00).   It had a front disc brake, two rear drum brakes, a rear end differential, six gears and was a piece of junk.  Unbelievably it was inferior to the Indian rickshaw and very difficult to operate.   I rode that rickshaw on the boardwalk for a few years.

All the rickshaws are gone.  I gave the last rickshaw to a person in Wildwood, New Jersey for free.   That rickshaw has been on the front page of a local Wildwood newspaper several times.   Wildwood loves it.  

The last time I drove the pedicab on the Long Beach boardwalk I was stopped by the police.  The conversation (more or less):

COP: Pull over.  You can't drive that on the boardwalk, you need a hack license.

Peri: I am not a hack.  I do not charge anyone.

COP: Hold on, I will check with my superiors. (10 minutes later)

COP: You can drive it but you can not have passengers.

Peri: You mean I can't give my granddaughter a ride?  

COP: Hold on, I will check with my superiors. (10 minutes later)

COP: You can take someone for a ride, but only your relatives.

Peri: Are you saying that I can't give my friends a ride.

COP: Hold on, I will check with my superiors. (10 minutes later)

COP: You can only take people that you know.

Peri: Well, how long do I have to know them for?

COP: Hold on, I will check with my superiors. (10 minutes later)

COP: You can't drive it on the boardwalk because you do not have insurance.

Peri: I have a homeowner's policy that specifically covers the bike but don't worry, you will never see my Rickshaw in Long Beach again.

The next day I gave it away and trucked it to Wildwood.  

Photo omitted purposely.