Chicago Bicycle Taxi's (health insurance, unemployed, buy)

[biggunsmallbrains]

Originally Posted by It'sAutomatic

That's more than I'd charge personally but it's on the driver whether he wants to put forth the time and energy for the ride for a certain cost. Some people would prefer to charge more and get fewer rides. Prices are always negotiable and riders will give you different quotes but bear in mind that a chariot ride is a premium service. If someone downtown wants to go two miles across a bridge over the Chicago River and only wants to pay $10, I tell them to catch a cab because I'd be killing myself AND still poor doing rides like that all day.

That may be the case but when I get in a cab I know or at least have an idea of what I'm going to be charged. I realize it's a relatively new service, so there aint much regulation yet. But I doubt it will continue to grow much further without some basic fare rules and even safety rules in place (are lights too difficult to put on a rickshaw?).

[eevee]

Originally Posted by It'sAutomatic

That's more than I'd charge personally but it's on the driver whether he wants to put forth the time and energy for the ride for a certain cost. Some people would prefer to charge more and get fewer rides. Prices are always negotiable and riders will give you different quotes but bear in mind that a chariot ride is a premium service. If someone downtown wants to go two miles across a bridge over the Chicago River and only wants to pay $10, I tell them to catch a cab because I'd be killing myself AND still poor doing rides like that all day.

It seems like it's more of a ambiance thing where it's less about getting there and more about the experience of getting there. IDK, there's nothing particularly scenic about Wicker Park, Wrigleyville, or the Loop, the 3 places where I most often see pedicabs. It would strike me has being a more harrowing experience considering the traffic and road conditions. Maybe more along the lakefront, but I personally would prefer to walk along that (maybe split the difference and offer pedicabs rides to Navy Pier???). I just don't think Chicago is the best market for this idea-too congested and dense in parts, too many cars on the road, too little real bike infrastructure, plenty of taxis partly preying on the same demographics, and on top of that, you're also competing with the CTA which nicely services all the main hot spots. So yeah, I'm getting the pedicab allure; it seems like it would be the equivalent of taking a horse drawn carriage from the clubs.

[baileyvpotter]

Originally Posted by Jesse69

This would be a great job for me as I can under report my income and still collect my SSDI and Medicare. If I owned my own pedicab I can work only peak hours and in good weather if I chose.
It's a bit embarrassing to do this job because people would look down on you. I got laughed at a couple of times when I worked as a downtown bike messenger back in May 2005.

Originally Posted by Jesse69

Under report income + get SSDI and Medicare = big win. I would report a net income of $1000 per month and pay SS and Income taxes because paying those also increases my SSDI yearly. I just need to buy a used pedicab cheap from Craigslist. I saw one a long time ago but I thought of it as "interesting."
Might give it a try leasing one to see how it works out, but right now I'm busy and might go to school in Sept or Oct.
Also, you can do this job and collect unemployment at the same time, if you own a pedicab. Just don't report your income!
But sometimes I think that is a sin and God would look down upon you. But God hasn't helped me in my 5 years of unemployment now.

A couple of us are reading this right now. If the government is spying on us, I hope they read this and
send you to prison for tax fraud and stealing from the American taxpayer.

[Jesse69]

Originally Posted by baileyvpotter

A couple of us are reading this right now. If the government is spying on us, I hope they read this and
send you to prison for tax fraud and stealing from the American taxpayer.

I didn't even do this act yet, so you can't get me because I'm not guilty of anything except conjecture.

If I owned a pedicab I'd put a bicycle computer on it so I can get my speed and distance traveled. 4.8 miles is a lot when that's like the distance from Wicker Park to Chicago downtown.

I actually wonder how fast you can go on a pedicab.

Pedicabs might suffer business from those new DIVY bike rentals everywhere.

As for me, I'd never ride in a pedicab. So it really makes me wonder if this is a good business.

[eevee]

Originally Posted by baileyvpotter

A couple of us are reading this right now. If the government is spying on us, I hope they read this and
send you to prison for tax fraud and stealing from the American taxpayer.

Yeah, I'm doubting that. I would hope that there are more important things out there to worry about than a rando on an online forum talking about earning extra money under the table.

[chet everett]

Originally Posted by eevee

Yeah, I'm doubting that. I would hope that there are more important things out there to worry about than a rando on an online forum talking about earning extra money under the table.

I've never really seen Jessie but I suspect a big dude dressed like a women, riding bicycle (or a trike / rickshaw...) would be super duper easy to track with all those surveillance cameras. It could be Dark Knight meets Bourne Legacy with maybe some Hairspray thrown in. I'd pay good money for that...

[It'sAutomatic]

Originally Posted by eevee

It seems like it's more of a ambiance thing where it's less about getting there and more about the experience of getting there. IDK, there's nothing particularly scenic about Wicker Park, Wrigleyville, or the Loop, the 3 places where I most often see pedicabs. It would strike me has being a more harrowing experience considering the traffic and road conditions. Maybe more along the lakefront, but I personally would prefer to walk along that (maybe split the difference and offer pedicabs rides to Navy Pier???). I just don't think Chicago is the best market for this idea-too congested and dense in parts, too many cars on the road, too little real bike infrastructure, plenty of taxis partly preying on the same demographics, and on top of that, you're also competing with the CTA which nicely services all the main hot spots. So yeah, I'm getting the pedicab allure; it seems like it would be the equivalent of taking a horse drawn carriage from the clubs.

How is there nothing scenic about those areas?? Most people who get in are doing it ~50% for the thrill, sort of a "hanging out while moving" thing, and anywhere with lots of people is ideal for that.

You're thinking of it as a more relaxing type of activity, while truly relaxing areas actually don't have many people, and thus don't have much business for pedicabbers, and thus you won't see any of us there. Congestion and density is a perfect environment for pedicabbers because there is more business and we are viable competition with taxis and busses over short distances because we can maneuver through traffic faster than them.

I make about half of my money at Soldier Field and the former Charter One Pavilion, actually. The Museum Campus area is inconvenient for pedestrians and gets shut down to taxis and busses during events, so the only way to get anywhere with speed is on a bike.

[baileyvpotter]

Originally Posted by Jesse69

I didn't even do this act yet, so you can't get me because I'm not guilty of anything except conjecture.
As for me, I'd never ride in a pedicab. So it really makes me wonder if this is a good business.

Yes but.......your intentions are to abuse the system and talk about it on a large forum with
so much information about yourself (where you live, your photo, your degree).
Or is this just a joke?

[MassVt]

Originally Posted by chet everett

I've never really seen Jessie but I suspect a big dude dressed like a women, riding bicycle (or a trike / rickshaw...) would be super duper easy to track with all those surveillance cameras. It could be Dark Knight meets Bourne Legacy with maybe some Hairspray thrown in. I'd pay good money for that...

Might be a good marketing ploy, though---the cross-dressing rickshaw driver...

[eureka1]

If you have to cheat you're not really making a living. Back to the drawing board.