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Thursday, July 31, 2008

Kicking Back on Firm Ground

NYC Pedicab
Photo by myself near Macy's, at 35th Street and Sixth Avenue.

A pedicab driver on break gave me a nice smile and a victory sign. In the background, cabs speed by.

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My mom called me from LA Tuesday night, saying there had been an earthquake.

My dad had felt the house shake for several seconds. She had felt nothing. A family friend in a nearby town definitely felt something and was sent scurrying under the nearest table.

I think if we New Yorkers had to deal with the traffic and work stress and rising rents and small apartments and earthquakes, life here would be insane. We are awfully lucky to be located on top of firm bedrock.

Related posts: How's About A Ride? and East Coast, West Coast.

13 comments:

Olivier said...

la fonzie's attitude ;o)). un beau portrait, il est sympathique ce "pedicab driver".

the fonzie's attitude ;o)). a beautiful portrait, it is nice that "pedicab driver."

PJ said...

He looks laid back but I'm sure he woiks when he gets a fare.

Kitty said...

lol, Olivier. I loved the Fonz.
Yeah, this guy seemed very cool. We had a nice chat about cameras.

Hi PJ
Yes, pedicab drivers work hard for their money. I can't imagine being responsible for two passengers and competing in traffic in this heat.

Jerez Sherry said...

Perfect job, keeps you in shape, and he sure looks happy! Nice capture..

Anonymous said...

Put two big guys from Brookville, Ohio on that seat and this guy would have one hard time peddling them anywhere. It must take a lot of strength to make the thing work.

JAMJARSUPERSTAR said...

Dear god you've gotta be fit to work that one methinks. I wouldn't be a problem but a couple of big people would be hard work. Might as well get a cab or have a weight limit.

So... DO they have weight limits?
Ciao

Scarlet x

Profile Not Available said...

Wow! I haven't seen one of these in awhile. I didn't know they were still around. I would bet he deserves this brief bit of rest, and that he works pretty hard. He is likely in excellent shape too!

Mom Knows Everything said...

Earthquakes freak me out. I've never been in one luckily, but they are so scary.

Kitty said...

Welcome Sherry
I look forward to perusing your many blogs.
This fellow was remarkably chilled out, I have to say. He definitely had the 'happy gene' in him.

Hi Mr Lincoln
yeah, I can imagine just the pedicab alone would weigh a lot, even if it were well-balanced and oiled...never mind the big guys from Brookville.

Hi Scarlet
That's a good question about the weight limit. Hm. I wonder how you communicate such a thing without hurting peoples' feelings?

Hi Kelly
Yeah, I bet it's an interesting job. I wonder if you can really support yourself doing it.

Hi Tammy
I can't imagine a quake, either. A friend of mine survived a 7.4 quake. I think it takes a lot of luck to survive!

Fredrik said...

Great picture!
We have the pedicab drivers over here as well, but it's a job for high school students. They are paid by the muncipality. A ride costs 2$, quite cheap. But it's not a pleasant way of transportation because of all the cobblestone in the town.

Ming the Merciless said...

My brother called to say they had an earthquake too. My sis-in-law's office took a bigger hit (ie. things falling off the table) than my brother's. SIL works in the insurance industry and everyone at her office were afraid there would be severe damages to their clients' properties and businesses -- clients calling to file claims, which lead to lots of paperwork. Thank goodness, none of them did.

BTW, love the photo of the fella resting on his pedicab. Actually, he dressed more like a tourist than a local. :-)

Anonymous said...

Don't worry sweet heart,Every place has same drawbacks in different style in the present era.

Wilfredo Arturo Villafana Liñan said...

Hi! Realmente una ciudad magnifica. Quisiera invitarte a conocer mi ciudad en "www.guilloncity.blogspot.com", está en Buenos Aires, Argentina. Gracias. Wili.-