Pedicabs are growing in popularity – city streets are lined with bikers peddling their services (quite literally). But, while they’re popular in the modern area, they’re not a recent invention.
Where did Pedicabs Come From?
In North America, pedicabs first debuted at the World’s Fair in 1962 Seattle. Other things that debuted at a World’s Fair? Wrigley’s Gum, the Ford Mustang and the Fax Machine (which shockingly debuted back in 1851, one hundred and thirty years before it truly had its shining moment in the magical decade of the 1980s).
After their debut, some of the major US cities (like New York) adopted the concept and welcomed pedicabs with open arms (and rested legs). They were an ideal way for locals to get from point A to point B but, more importantly, they were attractive to tourists. The latter proved especially profitable as people in town on vacation were more likely to splurge than locals used to fighting crowds on the way to work.
Nowadays, different cities mandate different regulations. Denver requires companies to hold business and tax licenses (as well as insurance policies) while Boston requires pedicab operators to register with the city. In Las Vegas, pedicabs are not allowed on the Strip: rickshaws bad, roulette good.
Of course, pedicabs did not start in the United States (or North America for that matter). They came from Asia, specifically 19th century Japan. One theory credits an American for their invention: Jonathan Scobie, a US citizen who was serving as a missionary in Japan. Other theories contest this and credit others.
How did Pedicabs Become so Popular?
Regardless of where the proverbial lightbulb first appeared, Japan is the country that perfected the idea and brought it into prominence. By the 1870s, Tokyo already had around 40,000 rickshaws rolling up and down the city streets. They weren’t peddled; they were pulled.
From Japan, rickshaws grew in popularity, spreading all across Asia (through China, India, and Bangkok). Different cities referred to them by different names. Rickshaw was the Trishaw in Malaysia and Singapore; it was the Becak in Indonesia; it was the Xyclo or Cyclo in Vietnam and Cambodia; and it was the Samlor in Thailand.
The invention of the bicycle in 1885 turned rickshaws into pedicabs or sometimes referred to as pedal bikes. The caveman or cavewoman who originally invented the wheel while on break from a strenuous schedule of hunting and gathering deserves some acknowledgement: mimicking a bicycle and adding an extra wheel to the rickshaw changed everything; it led to modern day transportation.
How to Advertise in Pedicabs?
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