Whether they ’re ferrying us home from festival , play chauffeur on our late - night pizza pilgrimage , or helping out when we seriouslycan’twalk another auction block in heel , cycle rickshaw drivers are the unknown wedge of the night . They play an integral role in making Austina more fun , safe metropolis to live in or visit .
But while they ’re tear their rump to get passengers from Point A to Point B ( and despite the fact that they swan most passengers are really somewhat great ) , sometimes all they have to show for it at the ending of the night are bruises , rotten hint , and some seriously worrying stories . To serve you realise the struggle , we ’ve gather the strangest and most disturbing client anecdotes from Austin pedicabbers . say on … and do n’t be that guy .
Don’t mess with Wonder Woman
So I dress up as Wonder Woman – I ’ve been doing that for five years in Austin .
One time , I picked these guy cable up outside of Rio , and I had negotiated a price ( $ 10 each ) to take them back to Brazos and Sixth . We go down the back street , and as soon as we do , one of the cat slaps me on the butt .
I said , “ Dude , that ’s not coolheaded . I ’m your machine driver , keep your hands to yourself . ”
Daniel Fishel/Thrillist
I ’m on Sixth , get up the hill , and the other friend does it . I said , “ This is ridiculous . I ’m going to drop you off here , ” and they ’re express mirth , and the other guy slaps me again really hard .
I pronounce , “ This time , y’ all are playing me 20 bucks for each one , and I ’m dropping you off by the police force . ” I ’m trying to make it past the light , and I can sense these guys adjusting , and I know they ’re go to run for it . One was quite a act tall than the other , and the marvellous one was on the left field and the other was on the right . The tall one take off , and I catch the other one by his shirt and wrench it around in my grip so he could n’t get out .
Meanwhile as this hombre ran , there were 15 people from every which way in Austin who tackled him . Then I saw a taxicab driver get out and taser him . The other guy , while I had him , punched me in the face . He bring forth out of my grasp and he ran , and – you should ’ve seen – there were like five guys on top of him . All these people were yell , “ Do n’t mess with our Wonder Woman ! ” and kvetch him . He fill out his wallet and throws some money at me and I yell , “ Never hump with Wonder Woman ! ”
Courtesy of Patchen Preston
It showed me that the people of Austin take concern of the pedicabbers – we really are part of the culture and a lot of the local anaesthetic take us and treasure us , and that ’s really nice .
-Sarah Y. ( @wonderwomanATX)Pedicabbing : 5 years
Tickle, tickle
Back in the day when West had n’t blow up and engender all California yet , Kung Fu was our red-hot smirch to get ride during what we call Power Hour ( the hour between 2 - 3am when everyone ’s depart the bar ) . These two guys walked out and said , “ Take us to Kingdom . ”
I get them in my cab and I ’m necessitate them to fourth St and there are n’t any lights , it ’s really dark , it ’s the end of the night so I ’m really trite . I ’m leaning forrad on my handlebars , and I find a tickle on the small of my back , so I deform around really fast , and they were just leaning back in their seats with their branch folded , act like they were talking to each other . I ’m like , “ OK , I wonder what they ’re doing . It ’s morose , I do n’t experience secure … ”
I change state around and 15 seconds elapse and I find the tickle . I reverse around and the guy has a rolled - up banknote and he ’s sample to do a stemma of coke off the small of my back . I was super - sweaty , so they knew the coke was going to stick to me – I do n’t know what the thought process was , but they were trying to do blow off me .
Alfie Photography/Shutterstock
I was like , “ What the fuck are you doing ? ! What the fuck are you doing ? ! ” and I stop and I go , “ You postulate to get out of my cab right now . This is freaking me out , I ca n’t do this . ”
And they ’re like , “ Motherfucker , you ’re going to take us to Kingdom or we ’re gon na kick your ass and throw you in a dumpster and ai n’t no one gon na receive you . ”
And I was like , “ Oh god , OK , I well take them to Kingdom . ” So I finish the ride , I take them to Kingdom and they ’re refusing to pay me . Back then there was a real comradeship between pedicabbers and there were a numeral of cabbers just sitting around so I gesture wildly and they move over and got them to pay me .
I felt a little violated after that .
-Michael T.Pedicabbing : 4 years
Acting trashy
This little girl gets on my bike and she ’s try out to flirt with me , so I ’m just being a good sport , going with it . Then this cat get on , and it turns out it ’s her husband . She keeps hitting on me , try out to grab my shag – full scoop – right in front of her hubby . At this degree , I ’m stress to neglect it and do the drive .
So , we get to where she require me to bring her and says it ’s not the spot . This happen like two more times – “ Oh no , this is n’t it either . ” intelligibly , they had no idea what they were doing . Then she starts arguing with her husband and punch him in the face . I told them to criticize it off or I ’ll kick them off the bike .
Finally , we pull over at the fourth blank space she require me to go after take her up this giant mound . I allege the drive ’s over , and the fille actually refuse to get off my cycle . wrench out it ’s her hubby ’s birthday , she ’s punching him , and it take another 10 minutes for her to get out of the taxi . I say her I was cash in one’s chips to call the fuzz , and she finally father out and ends up leaving a bunch of trash there , and $ 128 and a Macy ’s gift card in the pile of trash .
Then I see to it her the next twenty-four hour period with another guy .
-Larry O.Pedicabbing : 4 yr
Tuck and roll
I foot up this guy , and he says he ’s a state of war veteran , and he does n’t front too in high spirits , but he ’s by all odds a fiddling bit fucked up , and he say take him to the nearest tattoo parlor so he can get his devoid tattoo . Once I set out going , he goes , “ Wait ! I got ta go blame up my friend ! ” We break and get his friend , and I keep asking him , “ What tattoo shop ? Where do you want me to go ? ” And he say , “ I do n’t do it , just go ! ” So I ’m peddling , but not very quickly .
We were headed towards Hotel Van Zandt , and he dips out of the cabriolet , tucks and rolls into the center of the intersection point , and initiate running . The other hombre was like , “ I have no idea who that guy rope was . ”
unearthly night .
-Scott D.Pedicabbing : 6 months
“We think she’s on bath salts”
So , I ’ve hear of bathing tub salts , but never really encountered anyone on them . Thanks to pedicabbing , I now have a firsthand experience .
I was doing my last rill , and I get to Sixth and San Jac and turn south to go home , when outside of the bar was a gorgeous girlfriend model by herself on the pavement , which is always a cerise flag for me , with two guys . I pull up , and the two guys in cowboy gear straightaway total over to me and say , “ We want to check that she ’s OK . Can we compensate you to take her home ? ” I turn down the money and am strain to estimate out what ’s going on with this girl . She gets up and is make out up to me talking incoherently , and her oculus are covered in eyeliner and composition and it ’s just lean down her human face .
That ’s when the bartender come out and state , “ Oh , by the style , we think she ’s on bathing tub salts – she tried to claw someone ’s eyes out earlier . ”
The guy wire think these two other girls are her friends , but they do n’t seem to care about her . I need to figure out how to get her home base because she ’s by all odds break to get arrested . She wraps her hands around my bicep , claw my tegument with these foresighted nail . I tell her to rent go , and she backs up , then finally starts to claw me again , and I convert her to get in and baby-sit down . Finally , I have her and her not - quite - friends in the cab . Crazy girl is squall and wailing about something and not making sentience , and we start pedicabbing .
I hold it and finally we get to this car that ’s await for them with two girl who search stock and annoyed .
tub - saltiness young woman is stand up , and I ’m seek to estimate out how to get her out of my cab and into the automobile . I come around and wrap her physical structure into a fetal position so I can get under her knee joint . I find fault her up and put her in the backseat behind the driver , and put the child lock on .
Then I get back on the cycle rickshaw , and hear this flash screaming . I look back in the car and she ’s just claw the face of the driver . Then I ’m in military mode and force her to bring out the driver ’s aspect , get her arms in , and brawl her under the seat belt .
They drive off and I learn the taillight , like , what just happened ? That is formally the unearthly asshole that has ever happened to me . There were a bunch of people who watched it spread out , and I casually looked over and say , “ Do n’t do drugs . ”
-Danielle D.Pedicabbing : 4.5 years
Instant karma
I was picking up a drive from Trinity and Sixth , and I had a real asshole who want to go from Downtown to West Campus . He kept say stuff like , “ Oh , I ’m pop off to pay you lots of money . ” I ram him all the way , and when I get up to Rio Grande , when I draw to 18th , he just jump out and ran for it , and as before long as he did , he got strike by a taxi and he flew up and went into the curb . It was instant karma , so I consider in it .
-Dominic Z.Pedicabbing : 6 years
Tip for the tip
These girls came up to me and they ’re like , “ Hey , will you do something ? ” I involve what , and the girl goes , “ Show us your penis ! ” I ’m like , “ No , I ’m not going to show you my member , but one of these guys is unquestionably start to . ” I look over , and one of the guys is already taking off his drawers . He ’s thinking this is his chance .
They end up getting into my cab , this is going to be my last ride , and they keep ask me , “ Show us your penis ! ”
And I ’m like , “ Psh … I ai n’t no holmium . ”
-Tom F.Pedicabbing : 2½ age
Total shitshow
This past New Year ’s was going gravid , I even meet Cory Matthews [ Ben Savage ] and pose a delineation with him . It obtain to be late and I ’m about to head to the shop class when I see the great unwashed outside Eddie V ’s . One of the young woman has her scarf enclose all around her head , which I think was very unusual . I call for the guy if they need a drive and he says they desire to go to the W. He picks up the daughter with the scarf wrapped around her head teacher , and she ’s sandwiched in the cab between .
She ’s shinny to stay upright , and I start heading toward the W , and I get this waft of … shucks . So I think to myself , “ Did I consort over it ? Did one of them step in shit ? ”
I ask about their night and everything . The guy wire seems Edward Durell Stone - cold sober and says it ’s been an awesome Nox , so I assumed everything was fine , and we get to the W , where the gentleman’s gentleman arena is very dark . I fell them off and the guy helps the female child out of the taxicab , get her up and leans her against a place at the valet area , he pays me and I ride off .
Later , I ’m at a stoplight and under a streetlight , and I look back in my hack and I see there ’s shit smeared on the car seat . This missy was wearing a dame , so she did n’t rat her pants – she shit her chick .
I think it materialize beforehand , and she had this scarf joint wrapped around her head because she was abase . Looking back , I think they just ask a drive and tried to take on it off , because plain I would n’t have contract them . I think that was really dick of them to not tell me what happened . Then , at the remnant of the night while everyone at the [ cycle rickshaw ] storage warehouse is drinking beer and telling account about the night , I ’m left to clean up the shit .
-Garren H.Pedicabbing : 3 years
No refunds
It was two years ago , and I was at the W , in good order outside the gentleman’s gentleman , and a guy and girl amount up to me and asked if I could take them to Star Bar . At first I just thought they were a twosome , depend back she definitely was set provocatively .
So they become in my cab and bulge niggle – the tone was very tense , and it ’s give away that the guy rope is really thwarted , and postulate her , “ Hey , why ’d you leave me ? ” She say , “ You ’re acting like a jerked meat , I want to meet up with my friends , ” and he say “ You ’re on my time right now – I paid you . ”
They ’re talking like I ca n’t listen anything , and eventually it ’s unwrap he pay up her $ 1,000 and she already has the money , and he ’s trying to win over her to come back with him to the W stripe . We finally get to Star Bar , and he pays me double what I ’d ordinarily get , and I stick and continue to watch out the fundamental interaction . She become in with her friends and he follows . Then he comes out a few minutes by and by , front around like , “ Shit ! ”
He hails a taxicab and goes back to North Austin . She got the money , he did n’t get his destruction of the pot , and he take off . I guess it was n’t a ugly customer service – because I got yield – but listening to their fundamental interaction , yeah , that was mad .
One dollar? No dice.
This was the Sunday of F1 maybe three year ago . I pick up this guy , and he was getting kind of handsy . I ’ve buzz off a organization : the amusing , snap - a - joke warning ; and then it goes directly to “ No , I demand your respect , I do n’t need your money . ” If they do n’t behave after that , they get the boot .
I give him the even warning , like “ Do n’t make me wrench this fomite around ! ” and joke and pull that card . He was moderately out of it , and after a few times of him hit my fanny , I force over and enunciate , “ This is the end of your ride . ”
In a stupor , he said he did n’t have any money . I secern him to pull out out his wallet to prove it , and run into his reference cards . I tell him I take credit menu , and I tried to be as favorable as I can , but he basically reject to pay me . I aver , “ Do you want me to call the police force ? ”
Then he pulls out a $ 1 pecker and consecrate it to me , and I was so pissed . I crumple it up , confuse it in his face , drove away … and ran over his foot .
-Kasey H.Pedicabbing : 4 days
Crack up
I had a 60 + -year - sure-enough cleaning woman dipstick her finger into my sweaty asscrack right before I drop her off at one of the nice steakhouses Downtown . I recommended she wash her hands before the appetizer hits the tabular array .
I ’ve also had not one , but two couples on two freestanding occasions , decide to get a divorce in the back of my cab . I do n’t think it was anything I say , but it did make for the longest , most uncomfortably silent rides of my career .
-Adam F.Pedicabbing : 4 years
Pissed off
I was giving a drive to a pair of girls one night , and the more inebriated of the two girls continue making these variety of lewd passes at me , basically propositioning me . The thing is , she had a huge stone on her finger’s breadth – this huge chunk of trash of an engagement ring , and she really just gave no fucks .
This was in the daylight before Square and other mobile card payment options and they had no hard cash , so I was swinging them by an ATM machine before take them to their final goal . The other young woman , who , while still not sober , was a turn more together , steps off the pedicab to go to the ATM . Now the potty - mouthed young woman with the pension fund on her mitt trip out and squats down near her acquaintance , at an ATM machine that is right off of Dirty Sixth . I opine to myself , “ She looks an awful lot like she is taking a piss , ” but then I realized there was no agency , we were in front of tons of people on a interfering street and she is wearing blue jeans , no way is she doing that !
The slimly more unplayful miss has now , after several tries , finally finagle to successfully operate the ATM machine and is render to my cycle rickshaw . She calls to wasted McRockhand to get up and get back in the hack . I ’m calling to her too , in full - on babysitting musical mode at this peak , " get on girl , time to go . " She at long last stumbles into an upright place , and it ’s at this stop that I realize that her perfectly jibe designer jeans are completely soaked in piss ! Apparently this girl decided to protrude a doodly-squat justly in front of God and everyone with not a charge in the world that she was still wear down knickers !
At this point , I ’ve gone from slightly annoyed to a not - at - all - happy camper , yet before I have a chance to protest , she is already back in the seat of the pedicab . I ’m now carry them to their final finish , and even though this girl is so far live she does n’t think to displume down her jeans before taking a piss , she is apparently hip to my mood . She manages to slur out , " Tha ' fuck izz wrong with you ? Why do n’t you wanna fuck me ? ! "
Girl , I ’m not even going to begin to count the reason …
-P.P.Pedicabbing : 12 years , on and off
Watch your back(pack)
It was close to around 2 am at The Ranch on West 6th when three guys jumped in my cab and told me to head to a very nice apartment / condominium complex near Zilker Park . I was relatively new to pedicabbing and , rather than using a fanny pack to keep my money and phone closely to my person , I had a rucksack where I stored all my valuables . The guys were funny and seemed nice , so I had no ground to worry that anything tough might happen . Halfway through the drive , they call for I transfer the medicine . I pulled open my backpack , selected a different play list , and put the phone back . self-aggrandizing mistake .
Going up the walking bridge deck over Town Lake towards South Lamar requires a lot of energy – standing up , moving around , not really cognisant of your environment – just pore on get to the top of the bridge . The guy were very unruffled for this portion of the ride , and I would presently discover why .
When we at last arrive at their destination , they require the price and then they handed me a debit entry card . I gain into my backpack for my Square reader and phone , and they ’re not there . My billfold containing all the money I had clear that night is go as well . I then find one of the guys starts suspiciously walking in the opposite counselling of the residence and , without hesitation , I take off after him . He roleplay it cool and acts like I ’m overreacting and that my wallet and phone must ’ve fallen out .
I was a year into the business – I ’ve never mislay a dollar or a pushpin . What materialise next was my keep grace . I have a distinct ringtone / text tone . I see my flavor and look to see the guy ’s pocket light up .
" That ’s my telephone ! "
He reaches into his pocket .
" Oh yeah , I found it on the ground and was gon na give it to you . "
" Please just give me my wallet , and I ’ll let you guys have the drive for free . "
The next half time of day basically consisted of them arrogate they did n’t soak me , me threatening to call the cops , them explaining to me that they were high - up Army officials so who are the cops gon na trust , and them finally giving me something to compensate for my lost earnings when the cop were minute away . The fuzz point up and asked if there was a problem , and I sheepishly put my head down and allege no . Needless to say , I got disembarrass of the backpack and now ride with a fanny clique to protect my valuables .
-Ben H.Pedicabbing : 2½ age
Kiss and tell
One nighttime I had this girl come up , it was one of the cold night , and she wanted to go to Lamar near 24 Diner . I got her in the cab and we started to ride . She was in a decent mood , kind of jovial . I enounce , “ Do you remember me ? ” and she says no , and I evidence her about how she ’d made out with me last week . And she said , “ I kissed you ? ” and she set off crying and says , “ I ’m a big soul . My beau is gon na kill meeeeee . ”
So I told her to tranquillize down and took her to Lamar , and it call on out she ’s way by MoPac – way out of my range – but I take her . She ’s confused ; I just want to get her out of her taxicab . That ’s easily a $ 40 - dollar drive , and she gets out and say , “ Oh , wow , ” and agnise she did n’t have her phone or her billfold . That happens all the time .
-Mario V.Pedicabbing : 2 years
Slaphappy
I was waiting at Summit , and this guy was being pluck out by the bouncer . in all likelihood early 20s , they ’re kicking him out , and he ’s like , “ I need a drive , bro ! ” Those are the customers you do n’t like , but I ’ll take his money , whatever .
I get him in the cab and he ’s still hype up , and the intact drive , he ’s yelling at the great unwashed : “ The sin with you!” … “Fuck you!” … “Your girlfriend ’s horrifying ! ”
I enjoin him to model down and be quiet , but you ’re out there enough , you recognize something ’s going to befall , and he does that all the way to the Sheraton . About three blocks before the Sheraton , there are some guys , and he say , “ Hey bro , ” and greets them , and then throws out a mates merry epithet .
We keep horseback riding , and I look back , and these guys are chasing us . Then one catches up , and he discontinue right as he get to the taxi , and just slaps the shit out of him .
It was one of those uncanny things – and that guy cable got him bad .
Puncher’s chance
One of the worst ones I can remember , it was these two guys I picked up , and I did n’t have to take them far , but they were pretty stumble - y. I get them to the place and they endeavor to stiff me . I said , “ Hold on , that ’s not coolheaded . ”
Anyways , they do n’t wish that much and one decide to take a swing music at me but it was this intercellular substance - like affair and really tedious . I just stepped out of the fashion like a karate master , and he stumble and gets really mad . Then , these two dudes endure outside the club take the air up to me like , “ Hey man , is everything cool ? ” I turn around , and it ’s these two guys I know from high-pitched school , and they kind of restrain the one cat and the other hombre who was trying to stiff me into have me more money .
Pretty much immediately after , this other guy flags me down and gives me a ridiculous amount to take him back to his hotel way and wait for him while he suffer weed or something , and that totally made up for the two motherfucker who attempt to stiff me .
-Jedidiah R.Pedicabbing : 5 years
Sign up herefor our casual Austin email and be the first to get all the food / drink / fun in Ithiel Town .
