After an eight year hiatus I used the pedicab once again this past summer, thanks to the renovations done by my good friend Johnny. I could not use it as much as in the “old” days, but enough to learn a few pedicab lessons.
Pedaling the pedicab in my seventies turns out to be noticeably harder than pedaling it in my sixties. A lesson in aging.
For the first time, the bicycle chain did not break during the season. A lesson in 700 pounds of tension on steep hills.
Most people out for a walk did not want a ride in the pedicab. One exception was Pastor Erick, who was out for a run and had me drop him off in the opposite direction for a further run. A lesson for future offerings.
Kids provided joy, adults conversation, when I gave them rides around the Village Green on Friday evenings. A lesson in utility.
I learned to finally say yes when someone offers me a tip multiple times. A financial lesson?
Using the pedicab in creative ways during the summer led to a solution for its winter storage. A lesson in the advantages of visibility.
The last lesson occurred when I gave Jamie Robinson a ride around the village green. Though also a Norfolk native, he spent some years in Alaska running a pedicab business. He now splits time between Norfolk and Alaska and owns a pair of sled dogs. I needed a place to store the pedicab over the winter and he needed something for exercising his sled dogs here in Norfolk.
The dog on the left looked at the pedicab with skepticism at first. But then Jamie took them out around for a trial run and her fears were allayed.
Next summer I will offer pedicab rides around the Village Green on Friday evenings again. Perhaps I will add a new service as well, such as giving rides to seniors at Meadowbrook.
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