[imagesource: Jake Lewis]

The classic Pimp My Ride vibe has taken on a whole new meaning in Central London 2021.

Who needs cars (or the clubs, for that matter) when a two-seater chariot awaits, “blasting a Eurotrance version of Black Eyed Peas’s ‘Where is The Love'” and other wild tunes?

Even if you do take an Uber or a bus, you are likely to stumble upon a pimped out, “fairy-light covered” rickshaw in the city centre.

It is post-lockdown in the big city, and the hustling is in full swing.

Here’s VICE‘s Ryan Bassil explaining what these pedicabs are exactly:

Think: a hooded-couch for you to sit yours and more arses, with a driver up front to cycle you between destinations. Think: pop-tunes and a roof coated in tinsel.

Think: supposedly being charged a fuck-tonne per incredibly brief journey, like this big £206 bill to crawl one mile along.

Bassil spent an evening trying to find the kind of people who would spend a small fortune on these “kitsch-cum” rides, while also trying to get a grip with the most expensive fare, and the reason business seems to be booming:

Image: Jake Lewis

He crossed over a version described as”sex-club sadness on a furry bike”, “a shit-yourself-gold number” pumping drum and bass, and many others zooming by “at the speed of a light jog”.

Image: Jake Lewis

Image: Jake Lewis

Image: Jake Lewis

Somehow, though, the rickshaws were more prevalent than “London’s pedicab riding super-fans”, taking Bassil on a wild ride from Leicester Square (apparently, home to London’s fiercest pedicab crew) all the way to Chinatown.

Finding no fans, he resorted to chatting to the drivers:

“Hello – who are the worst tourists for throwing up all over your vehicle?” I ask. But before my interviewee can get the words out his mouth, one of his irate working companions comes over. “No talking,” he growls.

Discussing rickshaws is risky, it seems. Over the evening I slide up to over 40 different drivers, none of whom will chop it up about their business on record. Of course, given the pedicab’s history of largely operating without a license, their lack of chat is hardly surprising.

At £10 a pop for a 10-minute ride, it seems crazy that they are even a thing, but:

When far more sinister acts of exploitation take place across London’s city on a daily basis, it’s hard to fault the bike drivers. As girl bosses and media bros promote hustle culture in a very expensive city, it’s fair enough that rickshaw-drivers are making their packet too, even if it means charging the odd cash-rich tourist a 20x mark-up on their travel.

Not sure if it is bucket list-worthy for your next trip to London, but anyway, now you know there are other choices available to you when you need to go from A to B.

[source:vice]