Ah so many issues so little time.
I think its a great idea, our advocacy committee however is currently
short on members. What we need is a champion to help us shepherd the issue
through the bureaucracy. It might be easier to work with the individual cab
companies instead of the PUC.
I have taken a cab with my bike from 30th St several times without any
problem. It may be a different story though when you call for one though.
They are also common on Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket (of
course).
Some Airport Shuttle vans will also take you to 30th St.
The bike racks you see on buses will take smaller frames, I have seen
many BMX and Children's bikes being carried. The problem seems to be with
longer frames. We tried to load a Bike E recumbent and found it to be too
long.
Sorry I can't be of more help, its an issue that I think we should pursue
John
----- Original Message -----
From: Ann
Martha
Sent: Saturday, July 27, 2002 7:17
PM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Going to the LAB Rally
I have reserved round trip tickets on the Vermonter for
myself and for my
bike. Amtrak has a great option for this train,
but the problem is getting
to the station with a heavy
suitcase. Although mine converts into a
humongous back pack, I
find it impossible to wear and bike. It's too
dangerous! I don't want racks and panniers on neither my
racing road bike
nor my racing atb, and for this reason I have no
braze-ons! My stuff
weighs too much for a clamp on seat post
rack, so don't make suggestions
that require investing in more bike
equipment that I will never use
again. Riding the bike to
the train is not an option. So I called
several taxi
companies. The answer is the same -- straight handlebars and
deep dropped handlebars are taboo! If the bike fits inside the
fully
closed trunk of a Chevy Caprice, you're in luck. Cabs are
not allowed to
have open trunks held fast with bungee cords while half
a bicycle dangles
over the bumpers. Some busses have racks
nowadays, but not the ones I
use. My bike might be too small for
the bus rack -- they look like they
fit size 52 cm frames and bigger --
mixtes, WSD's, and kid's bikes won't
work.
Years ago, when I
lived in London, UK, I rode with my bike and my suitcase
in the back
seat of one of those black Austin taxi cabs -- the cars that
like
oversized Chrysler PT Cruisers. Those British taxis were a bit
smalller but much roomier than gasoline swilling Chevy
Caprices.
So I have a proposition for you, John. Can the
Greater Philadelphia
Bicycle Coalition propose a scheme to make the taxi
cabs of Philadelphia
more bicycle friendly? Indeed, the cabbie can
be a hero for the commuting
bicyclist who suffers a bicycle mangling
traffic mishap. I wish I could
have hailed a cab that day
when I double flatted in the pouring rain. I
wish I could take my
atb to the LAB Rally instead of my road
bike. Sometimes I wish
transportation in Philadelphia was thorough as it
was in
London.
Philadelphia's cab companies can buy a few hundred roof racks and
thue help
travellers with suitcases and bicycles get to their hotels or
hostels or
college dorms. Why not?
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