NYCPOA Member's Corner

Featuring the comments and transparent pricing policy initiative of member Laramie Flick.

As I see it, each transaction is different but I believe there are three different pricing scams where people get on the pedicab without knowing an exact price and get charged rates that are double or triple than the more reasonable, historical "standard.".

1. *The Fine Print Con:* Plenty of people ask the price beforehand and are directed to the sign by a driver who suddenly has bad English. Most rate signs have a very small 'per person' clause at the very bottom of the sign. This is designed to trick people. None of the bikes that have a $10 initial charge and $2 per block, $5 per avenue pricing scheme have this clause prominently displayed. Yes people should be smarter but people shouldn't have to go through life constantly on guard, thinking everyone they meet is going to try to deceive them out of their money.

2. * The Surprise Scam:* There is no set price for a pedicab ride. Period. The price varies from day to day and ride to ride depending on a variety of factors. If after the ride you confidently tell someone what the price of the ride is, you are lying to them. The only honest way to handle this situation is to tell people what you usually get for the ride and ask them to pay what they think is fair. If the price you charge after a ride is dramatically higher than the price you charge if someone asks the price beforehand, you are a con artist - you took the foolish confidence someone had in you when they got into your bike and lied to the people to get more money. This smaller the amount, the more benign the crime.

3. *The Clarification Scam:* When people get on the bike they are told $1/block. When they get off, they are told this is per person and then directed to a rate card. What would have been perhaps a $10 ride from Times Square to Penn Station is suddenly a $25 or $35 ride. The tourists could battle this but often they just hand over their money in disgust and walk away. The signs again make it easier to do this.

In each of these cases, these rates are *then* often exaggerated. The twenty feet from 7th to Broadway is calculated as an Avenue. Mysterious avenues are added along the way and ghost passengers as well. 2 bikes from Radio City Music Hall to the Plaza were charged $90 each. Try and figure out the math of that one. The signs require such an intimate knowledge of NYC geography, that they make it easier before and after a ride to get more money from people unfairly. I would like to see this practice come to am immediate end. See my sample informational flyers to hand to NYPD and hotel door people. Also, see the links on this site to Dept. of Consumer Affairs' (a) online complaint form and (b) business license instant online license check.

- Laramie Flick

draft NYCPOA flyer to hand out to hotel door workers (PDF)

draft NYCPOA flyer to hand out to concerned NYPD officers (PDF)

Mission Statement of the NYCPOA

Encourage pedicab owners to run their operations in accordance with the agreed upon Code of Practice for Pedicab Owners.

Lobby New York City to regulate the pedicab industry in a workable manner.

Represent well the interests of pedicab owners.

Ensure the safety, sustainability, and integrity of this form of transport.

Ensure positive reputations with each stakeholder (including customers, road users, pedestrians, police, sponsors, drivers, and legislators).

Assist in obtaining group insurance at a competitive price.

Help expand the industry.

Educate the public on the benefits of the pedicab industry.
Train and monitor our drivers.

Thank you Contributors!

and Friends of NYCPOA