Today we’d like to introduce you to Deriq Carr.
Deriq, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Being born in the city Los Angeles, growing up with the skyscrapers of Downtown Los Angeles at my front door, I began to notice the difference in the view after a good rain, so beautiful, clear, you can see the details in the buildings… But, the next day a peculiar brown cloud would engulf the buildings. Hiding that clarity from my sight… I realized that so many cars on the road had to have something to do with that. I made a promise to myself to create something that would help support my family and the Earth at the same time. Then I had a dream where I was giving a child a ride on a bicycle, but, it wasn’t a bicycle, it was tricycle, bigger, and the child was having a great time, big smile. I woke up and drew a picture of the vehicle I saw in my dream; what was it called? There was a Bruce Lee Movie where Bruce was pulling a guy on a Rickshaw, and he beat him up with the Rickshaw too, I was like, That’s it! I googled Rickshaw, and found a Pedicab, and it was as if my dream had pointed me in the right direction. I looked at the price…(SCREEECH!) $5000? good lord! I considered male exotic dancing, but there was no place that would hire a 300 pound man to get sexy. I needed to earn the cash to buy a Pedicab by most means necessary… I went to craigslist and answered an ad for a trimmer on a Hemp farm. As a trimmer, I was raking in the cash and doing more research on law and regulations of Pedicabs in The US and Los Angeles, it was not good at first. So many impossible requirements, so I decided to just buy the Pedicab and ride it around and see what happens. I found a Place in Pasadena and purchased a new single speed Pedicab and tried to ride it from Pasadena to Los Angeles, uh No. I wound up parking the Pedicab on an art school parking lot, manifesting that all would think the Pedicab was some sort of Art project that was coming up. I bought a Bull Dog Bike lock (2) JUST IN CASE and left my brand new Pedicab on the safest place I could imagine. I hired my Uncle and his Pickup truck to drive me back there and pick it up the next day… The students came out and asked us why we were taking it away, they had already started creating drawings for their potential Pedicab project. Sorry, but, no I have to move it to a different location, they wanted to know if they could buy one, then my mind clicked… I can manufacture these. I continued my research and found Pedicabs were a growing trend on the Planet, which started hundreds of years ago, before the combustion engine.
I launched my first day of business in Leimert Park on a Sunday, when the park is busy with African drums and a new Metro Train coming through Crenshaw Blvd. I sold rides for $1 to the youth and their parents, and they loved it. The children began fighting for their turn. I was like, I am tire children. Sweating like a 300 pound mammal. Something was not right, I’m wearing myself out and I only have $50, if that, to show for it. My final straw was when I had lost so much weight from riding a Pedicab my parents thought I was going through chemotherapy; I need to eat more, but I was saving up to get the insurance and meet the regulations., I had to earn more money, to eat. I decided to ride my pedicab one last time, and I got a healthy black queen to ride. She was a full figured woman with a beautiful spirit, and she needed a lift up the hill. This was the day I realized that I had been riding on flat tires my entire initial Pedicab launch, I had to get off the pedicab to push my passenger because I did not want to give up on her, even though she said it would be okay. I stepped off the cab and noticed that my rims were on the concrete, and all my tires were flat. I gave in and the kind lady gave me $20 for not giving up.
When she got off the Pedicab the tires went back to normal, I could not squeeze them, but they had never been aired up, the day I inflated them fully the Pedicab coasted, it rolled without me pedaling. I was so happy that rode to Venice Beach just to see if I could do it. When I arrived, I got a rider who needed to go to Marina del Rey, and I earned $20 on that ride. I knew then Venice was the place to be… As long as I respected the laws LAPD never bothered me, in fact they took pics with the Pedicab, always waiving AND KIND TO THE pedicab GUY. At the same time, Santa Monica was considering options to incorporate Pedicabs into the City. I was able to make it to a few meetings and saw an in for The Los Angeles Pedicab Company. Once Santa Monica made it official, several Pedicab Companies came out of the wood works, I noticed then that this competitive market was missing something that would bring it all together, and that is where LAPCCO has entered to grow the organization to a much higher level when it comes to the industry of Pedicabs. And to this day we’ve strived to achieve our goals to the fullest.
Has it been a smooth road?
Insurance was a major issue, maintenance, rust from the constant exposure to the ocean water. Storage became a problem when someone stole the seat from the Pedicab that was parked in Santa Monica. Off season down time. What to do? I was thinner, so dancing was back on the table. As a screen writer, I was able to earn a little wage off season, but that was not enough. I began to focus on advertising. I purchased a membership to an SEO app and began looking for key words that would get me higher on the google search. what a find! I incorporated the words into my Facebook page, until I could build a website. I was doing all this work myself. Content made a big difference. I started getting phone calls from the movie industry, event planning companies and they all wanted lots of Pedicabs. I said maybe I can dispatch jobs to the competition? I started following Pedicab Companies all over Southern California, and beyond, building my contacts to the point where we can now offer nearly 200 pedicabs with more coming.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with The Los Angeles Pedicab Company– tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
We specialize in green transport. LA Pedicab is now dispatching Pedicab service in the western region of the USA and building our network everyday. Our future goal is to expand to international levels. We offer wedding, branding campaigns, mobile tripod service for movie shoots and group shuttle, customizable Pedicab fabrication for our more elite clients, printing and design services. Also, we are a non-motorized vehicle that is perfect for Shabbat and Sabbath participations.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
What I like best about Los Angeles is that she is making a VALUED ATTEMPT TO EMBRACE pedicabs AND CYCLISTS IN A MAJOR WAY AND THAT FEELS REALLY GOOD. I’m PROUND OF OUR city FOR THIS.
What I least like is the car and the smog which include the dangers of breathing pollution while riding a bicycle.
Pricing:
- One hour Beach tours $75 hr two persons (schedule in advance)
- Special event rental $100 hr min 4 hours (delivery charges will apply)
- Mobile TriPod service $100 per hour Pedicab $30 per hr for driver
- Santa Monica Bar Hops $75 per hour $25 per hour for driver
Contact Info:
- Website: http://YoPediCab.com
- Phone: (213) 973-3256
- Email: lapcco@gmail.com
- Facebook: facebook.com/lapedicab
- Twitter: @lapedicab
Image Credit:
All images are owned by The Los Angeles Pedicab Company
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
