File this under our unique Philadelphia Culture.

Before this weekend, I wasn’t even aware of the existence of this distinctive and very traditional form of transportation in Philadelphia but according to the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia’s blog, pedicabs (aka bike taxis, rickshaws) have been operating in some fashion since about 2003.  I’ve seen these in New York and some other cities but haven’t witnessed them among all of the various other unusual transportation options we have here.

If the city government doesn’t take action, we might not see them any time soon.  The post on BCGP’s blog is from one of the proprietors of such an operation.  Apparently, the city code hasn’t caught up with this centuries old innovation:

Currently, Philadelphia has no regulation that deals with this industry.

We have been forced to stop operating until City Council passes an Ordinance which provides this regulation. My brother Tom has been helping me try to get this regulation passed, but we have had trouble convincing City Council that this is an important issue - so we need your help!

Check out the post for more information if this is an issue that you think City Council should take up.  Without proper regulation, it’s unlikely that the streets of Philadelphia will ever witness some of the cooler innovation in pedicab technology:

Photo from Wikimedia Commons, click on picture for link to original

Sigh…  Brasserie Perrier, one of the few nice restaurants that I’ve actually been to, is no more.  The bistro represents the significant transformation in the stretch of Walnut Street from Broad to Rittenhouse that took place in the 1990s and it’s kind of sad to see it go.
On the other hand, the fact that it’s [...]

Like I mentioned before, WHYY’s Peter Crimmins covered the parade for our radio news department and was kind enough to snap a couple of pictures of the event.  One of my favorites is this beauty, juxtaposing the “high culture” and “elite Philadelphia” represented by the Kimmel Center with the art and culture of the city’s [...]

Ok, I admit it.  I’ve lived in or near this city for 29 of my 33 years on this planet and I had never once taken the time to stake out a spot along the parade route to watch the Mummers.  In fact, the closest I’ve come were last year when I stood in a [...]

The Global No Pants Subway ride is just days (January 10th) away and Improv Anywhere has released the latest list of participating cities.
Following the Obama mold of organizing, they are encouraging interested parties to organize in their own cities.  As yet, no one has stepped up in The City of Brotherly (and Pants) Love:

Adelaide, Australia [...]

It’s the end of the year and thoughts (and blogs) turn to countdown lists and made up awards.
Not to be left on the sidelines of blog-created awards season, Adam at A List of Things Thrown Five Minutes Ago (hereafter known forever on this blog by its acronym) has his nominee for Funniest Half Hour of [...]

KYW 1060 did a quickie yesterday about the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropolgy’s decision to lay off 18 researchers even as it spends money to upgrade exhibition space and attract new customers.
Samuel Taylor of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History wonders whether Penn’s decision might be a little shortsighted:
“The reason that this [...]

Other blogs have taken up on behalf of the functions of the libraries which are set to be closed in a couple days.  With this photographic treatment, DesignPhiladelphia wants to make sure that we think about what could be lost in the historical and design significance of the building themselves.  The Carnegie libraries, as Preservation [...]

I am absolutely loving the “Postcards from…” series that Plan Philly is doing lately.  The most recent is a “Post Card from Boston” that discusses at length the effects of that city’s $15 billion “Big Dig.”   The lessons for Philly are obvious.  We have two potential “Big Digs” of our own that, when you think [...]