Multimedia Report: Pedicabs give "short trips, just tips"

By Kye Haina, Anna Horton and Mark Silverstein

Wanting to recover, being able to speak to everyday people again, and getting physical activity in his life motivated Billy Oxford to start Arizona Pedal Cab Co., he said.

 And, he did it in Phoenix, a Sonoran desert city known for its hot summers.

 “I went to Tempe and saw a pedicab, and it was love at first sight,” said Oxford, known as Billy O. on the pedicab circuit. “I knew what I was going to be doing then.”

 Billy O. started offering pedicab rides at football games and bar scenes in Tempe in 1993, but he was starving by the end of the season.  A friend told him to go to Phoenix to work the basketball games, he said, but he was unfamiliar with the business end.

 “I had no idea what to charge, but I had a cool bike,” Billy O. said.

 When people asked how much he charged, he told them they could decide, he added.

 “I found out that people were a lot more generous when you gave them an opportunity to be,” Billy O. said.  “They would give you more than they would want taken.  That’s when I learned the difference between giving a ride and taking a ride.”

 When he founded Arizona Pedal Cab Co. in 1996, he built on that philosophy and created the motto, “Short trips, just tips.”

 "We believe that if people give us what they feel the ride is worth that they’ll probably ride more than once, and they’ll never be dissatisfied with the service because of the price,” said pedicab driver Loren Loomis, an independent contractor with Arizona Pedal Cab Co.

 The company offers 20-, 40- and 75-minute tours, though they accommodate the customers with whatever they want. But during the Phoenix summers, Loomis takes precautions against heat stroke for himself and his customers.

 Armed with his vented floppy hat, plenty of water, and common sense, Loomis makes sure to stop to get water for tourists before long tours, he said.  He also has several points in the tour that can get them all in the shade to cool off, so they can enjoy the entire pedicab experience.

A sign on the side of Loren Loomis's pedicab advertises the company's philosophy. (Photo by Kye Haina)

Billy O, owner of Arizona Pedicab Company shows how he deals with the Phoenix heat. (Photo by Kye Haina)