Tips for beginner rickshaw drivers - do you agree?

[Cressup]

I write a blog about rickshaw drivers in London, we have just made some short tips for people starting out as a rickshaw/pedicab driver. They are only short, are there any more you would add? If you have any please comment on the blog and we will add them! http://tinyurl.com/clrqf29

[cycle_pathic_maniac]

we have just made some short tips for people starting out as a rickshaw/pedicab driver.

How long have you been a rickshaw driver / runner and in what cities have you worked? Certainly if you are offering newbies advice you must have at least a few years experience under your belt. I would hate to be a new runner / driver on my first day on the street and the only advice on offer comes from some student who has never made any money on the business end of a rickshaw.

[Cressup]

Hi! A fair point, but these tips were gathered from drivers in london, soho, we met whilst out talking to them, so it's a point that doesn't really stand! We could only talk to so many how've hence why we've asked for any more.

[Cressup]

Hopefully that clears up any "problems" you had. Anyone else have any tips?

[cycle_pathic_maniac]

A fair point, but these tips were gathered from drivers in london, soho, we met whilst out talking to them, so it's a point that doesn't really stand!

Did it ever dawn on you, young grasshopper, that the rickshaw drivers you talked to were, for the most part, clueless? Experienced drivers in London are a minority and when I say "experienced" I refer to drivers who have at least 2 solid years under their belts and drivers who actually make money on a regular basis and don't troll around all night looking for some depraved wanker who wands to get a whore. I don't normally look at blogs but I was board so I had a look at yours. Kinda funny to say the least but if it keeps you kids from camping out at St. Paul's I guess there is no harm.

. Get a map and don’t get lost – the standard is the ‘London Handy Map Guide’ which shows one way streets in the centre of the city.

London Handy map does not have one way streets unless this has changed in the last couple of months. London rickshaw drivers, for the most part are to daft to figure out the one way system and way to daft to figure how to make extra money off of it.

Or Get GPS, on a Smartphone

Good till the batteries go or it gets wet or you drop it as you are pedalling. I am an old man and like a nice old fashioned map though my phone does have this GPS thing of which you speak, the thing is, I have rescued many people and taken them to their destination as their GPS things had pointed them in the wrong direction. I din't trust em.

Buy a repair and puncture kit for 4/5 pounds.Buy (or borrow) tools for a tyre and a pump – that you can rent.

Now the first part is an excellent bit of advice for someone who is just plain retarded. Anyone with half the brains God gave a paving stone would get one along with a map with the one way system but most London drivers do not. If I had a shiny new pound coin for every muppet who has asked to borrow my pump or bum a patch off me I would not have to fly economy when I travel. As for borrowing? Neither a borrower nor a lender be in London's West End.

Decide if you want to work days or nights.Working days can mean less money but can also be safer. Nights can earn you more because there are more drunkards going from bar to bar to hotel.

I work a mix of both. Good money can be made both in the day as in the night if you know what you are doing. Hustlers earn. The rest live in squat houses and eat from the dust bin. As for safety at night, I have never been bothered.

Put a blanket in the back for your passengers. Warm people are friendlier.

Drunks don't care.

Pimp your rickshaw – make people want to jump in! Lights, flowers, soft animals, whatever floats your boat

Adding a bit of lighting is cool as you want to be seen by people as well as traffic but if you have to add disco balls and have wire lighting all over the place you are in the wrong job. It is up to the driver to sell his or her product, the rickshaw ride. Disco balls, wire lighting and giant stuffed animals and squeaky toys are for 4th rate drivers. When I started I had to take the shittiest shaw in the fleet as I was new and had to take what was available. I was one of the top earners after a couple of weeks as I just plane old hustled.

Put yourself out there, make eye contact with people – HUSTLE!

Fixed that for ya.

Ask a rickshaw friend to take you around and show you what’s what.

And make damn sure you get him drunk for his effort and help at end of shift. And no buyin that shit Tesco lager or Sainsbury's label Scotch either.

Get to know the hotels, bars, strip joints in and around Soho. Knowledge gets you lifts.

Duh!

Have we missed anything? Yep. Got any other tips? I could write a book! Leave a comment! See above. I think I have been generous enough.

[cycle_pathic_maniac]

Hopefully that clears up any "problems" you had.

Problems? I find the whole thing kinda funny. But as I said above, if it keeps you kids from camping at St. Paul's.....

[Cressup]

Thank you for the overwhelming amount of tips, even in some are a little tongue in cheek And much as as far as we've seen rickshaw drivers are not as you paint babbling idiots, not every student is also raging liberal hippy. Some of us are delightfully grumpy and conservative..!

[cycle_pathic_maniac]

a little tongue in cheek

I was being friendly and polite!

And much as as far as we've seen rickshaw drivers are not as you paint babbling idiots,

We can chat about this further when you have been around a few years, preferably on the business end of a rickshaw.

[Cressup]

No offence meant, we are genuinely very happy for the amount of feedback you've given so far, we are only students so are grateful for the fact you've bothered to look, and hopefully our site will be better for it!

[Cressup]

For some fun, one of the editors made this video of how a rickshaw is built, he filmed it over 6 hours piece by piece! http://tinyurl.com/6mc6f9a