The Great Pedi Cab Race of 2006

I spent Labor Day at home in Austin. My dear friends Mike and Molly came to visit from the Big Apple. I went to law school with Molly while Mike, Molly’s husband, was in grad school, and then was fortunate enough to clerk at the Supreme Court of Texas with Molly. With the return of Mike and Molly, spent the weekend together eating, reminiscing, eating, go out, eating, and . . . eating.

On Saturday night we ate (shocker) at Flemings and then headed out for a night in the Warehouse district. We checked out the new hotspot, The Belmont (I will give you my Belmont review soon). Side bar: Mike is the best dancer in the world and I like to show my appreciation for his skills by imitating his dance moves.

As the night wound down, we were hard pressed to find a taxi cab. We decided to find a Pedi cab. A Pedi cab, aka a pedestrian cab is a bike connected to a small carriage for no more than three. Mike and Paul were gracious enough to let Molly and I take the Pedi cab. Molly and I hopped on and didn’t really think about how Mike and Paul were getting home. So Molly and I were enjoying the leisurely stroll through the alleys of downtown Austin, as we watched the bartenders dumping cans of trash into the dumpster. Smelly!! As our Pedi cab took at turn out of the alley and back on the main road, Molly and I found ourselves smack dab in what would later be known as THE GREAT PEDICAB RACE OF 2006.

Much to my surprise, our Pedi cab was riding right next to a Pedi cab carrying Mike and Paul. Where did they come from? I guess I figured they would wait for another Pedi cab or maybe even walk, but I did not think they would end up right next to us. Without saying a word, Mike, Molly, Paul, the two drivers, and I all knew it would be a race to the death or rather to home. Our driver, let’s call him Speedy went into hyper drive. If there were cars on the road, I didn’t see them because Speedy was well, super speedy. As we came to an intersection, Team Testosterone went one way and we went another. Team Testosterone reappeared moments later cutting us off and taking the lead. Just when I thought it might be over, Speedy dug deep, found a burst of energy, and gained ground. Speedy rallied. As we passed Team Testosterone, Speedy chanted, “G-R-E-G GREG,” who I can only assume was the name of the other Pedi cab driver. With the rally chant, it was all over. The guys were toast.


The last stretch of THE GREAT PEDICAB RACE was totally uphill. This was the final element of our big win. Speedy made it up the hill relatively well, but Team Testosterone’s Pedi cab didn’t make it up the hill at all. Now I am not sure if the cab broke, if the guys threw in the towel, or if Greg took one look at hill and the guys and decided the pain wasn’t worth it, but the Pedi cab stopped at the bottom of the hill and walked the rest of the way. Our victory was complete.

As the co-champion of THE GREAT PEDICAB RACE OF 2006, I would like to thank Speedy for his endurance, Molly for being the best team mate a girl could have, and my little sister Rochelle for always believing in me. ;-) Hail to the Victors!

Good Times.
- RXW