This would be the last event to end Bowl Week, starting with the Champs Sports Bowl and then New Year’s Eve in Downtown Orlando. Luckily, there was a day off between the latter and this game which allowed time to rest which doesn’t always happen when pedicab driving and definitely didn’t happen last year when this game happened the next day after New Year’s Eve and I was working both. Didn’t get much for sleep at that time and that cost me. This time, being well-rested, I came out a lot greener than the previous game. It wasn’t as lucrative as Champs because attendance wasn’t as high but it was still a good day.
I overslept a bit, arrived just over 3 hours before the game started at 1pm (I wanted to get there 5 hours before), and parked in a different location downtown. I like to experiment to see what’s more convenient and safe. The weather was warm but not hot and that’s always good when on a pedicab. Cool weather is better but not cold. Since the shuttles were at the Amway Center, I passed by to see if there were any rides to be had. There weren’t. I didn’t pick up any rides along the way to the Citrus Bowl either. I realized I had arrived at the right time because unlike Champs, there was nothing open and nothing to do downtown for Capital One bowl attendees. I don’t know why that is. Tens of thousands of people in the area and businesses don’t open or plan anything for them? That’s stupid. I understand that it was a holiday but if I ran a biz downtown or was a city official, I’d have something going on to get more of their money.
This was very slow compared to Champs. Parking lots weren’t as full, traffic wasn’t as bad, there wasn’t as much foot traffic, and certain roads didn’t close. Looking at the stands in the stadium during game time, the upper bowl was looking kinda empty. I had an expectation of what I wanted to make for the day and it wasn’t very high but I still exceeded it so that’s a good thing. I had one rider who was looking for a portable toilet. We ended up riding on the grass in the parking lot next to the Jones High track to find some and it was tough riding in the grass. I went there based on what the rider and parking lot attendants told me. Turns out there were some toilets underneath the 408 overpass which would have been a lot easier. On top of that, McDonald’s was right next to the lot where I picked him up. It was a return trip and when I dropped him off back at his car, his peeps explained that Mickey D’s was right there within walking distance. No complaints here. I got a good tip out of it.
Sometimes you gotta know when to make a trip seem like more than what it is if the rider doesn’t know their way around. A longer, tougher trip can equate to a bigger tip if you can make it seem that way when it’s not. There’s more to pedicab driving than just hauling people around. It takes brains to make more money. There is the psychological and strategic aspect and you gotta know when to use them. There were 2 big guys, probably 400 pounds each, that were headed to McDonald’s and wanted a ride when they got out. I ended up getting a ride from someone else. Good for me! Just because I can fit them doesn’t mean I wanna take them. With a pedicab like mine, and with a game like this, you don’t wanna overexert yourself. You wanna conserve energy when and where you can.
I made sure not to pass Gore Street because I didn’t want a repeat of the Champs game when they closed down Rio Grande and didn’t allow me back in, causing me to have to ride out of my way to get back in. When I went down that way looking for rides, a cop wouldn’t just let me turn around like all the others do. She made me make a right turn and said I had to do a legal u-turn because I’m considered a vehicle too. That’s true but damn, I’d assume she knows how we operate. I ain’t hatin’. She was doing her job. I went down that way because rides were pretty scarce compared to Champs that was busy for the entire day. There was definite downtime where us drivers had to sit around waiting for passengers. Some of us. I got tired of waiting in line, and I was in the back of it, so I went out to seek rides.
I went down Anderson Street and I usually never go down there but it was the only street with traffic and people still going to the game. I picked up some people who were pretty happy to be on a pedicab. The chick of the group was talking about how they were going upstream like salmon. Sounded like song lyrics to me. A lady and her family took a ride. It was her and her hubby and baby. The bitch was drinking from a wine glass and spilling it. Keep in mind this was when she was walking. Way to set the example for your kid there, toots. I made sure to not run over any bumps when I had them on because I didn’t want to clean anything. Plus they said they were good tippers, and they were, and a good ride ensures that. She said she felt safe the whole time. I aim to please.
I always wear my permit and have a badge for my business cards too. And at night, I’m well lit. They’re part of my tools to show how safe I am and that I’m more legit than the other guys who aren’t lit well for safety and who look like schmucks. Professionalism in voice and appearance goes a long way. I got another group who said they’d take a ride for 4 bucks. Considering how slow it was, I couldn’t say no. They ended up tipping me a lot more after I dropped them off. Other drivers would probably have said no to them because they’re greedy. When I’m serious about making money (sometimes I only ride on weekends for some quick cash and I take my time), I know when to say no and when to say yes. I rarely quote a price. Telling people I work for tips works out better because some people will say no to a ride if you solicit them with too high of a price. You don’t wanna lowball it either. I let the customer determine how much the value of the ride is and I do try to give high value. That translates into more rides and more money for me.
I managed to capture some video of the Nebraska team being bused into the stadium. I was also there when the players were entering their locker rooms but I didn’t feel like taking video. Didn’t wanna waste too much time from giving rides. I got the Budweiser horses too. My goal was to capture footage of the guys who scoop up the horse shit. It’s just too funny when imagining what their job description is. The cops were pretty strict when the horses were being guided down the street and rightfully so. I fucked up and rode into the procession. The shit scoopers got on my case and a cop hit the sirens to let me know to move. Further down the road, a guy in a car did the same thing and some bike cops were talking shit to him, calling him a retard. On a different occasion, a traffic cop was telling a guy to go but he kept hitting his brakes. She made some sarcastic comments at him as he drove away. When the horses were still on the street, we talked about the shit scoopers and she said she’d rather be doing that than directing traffic. I thought that was hilarious. They were hard on people because they didn’t wanna spook the horses. Plus being a traffic cop means dealing with idiot drivers. I can understand her frustration.
I did take a break, because it was dreadfully slow, and I wasn’t pleased that the portable toilets didn’t have sanitizer. My hands were dirty for the entire day. I know, money is dirty as shit but I’d still like something to keep my hands at least a little clean. I’ll have to start bringing my own from now on. The ticket scalpers weren’t too happy on this day because there were more than plenty of tickets available for this game for less than what they anticipated selling them for. I’d heard that some drivers went to Jacksonville for the Gators game, thinking it’d be better, but it wasn’t. It was a disaster. It didn’t make sense to me anyway why they’d spend the money on gas and waste the time to get there; when you factor that in, they’d probably have done better at the Capital One Bowl. But hey, less competition for me. I did good on this day.
I mostly stuck to the stadium when I went to seek rides during the game and I got them. If I’d have waited in line with the other drivers, I’d have been in close to last place out of a 7-bike long queue. I couldn’t do it. People, mainly cheerleaders, were leaving the stadium during the game and I scooped some of them up. When I got back to the stadium after those drop-offs, the line never moved. Same guys waiting for a ride. That technique works at certain types of events and conventions but this ain’t one of them. There are always people everywhere. You gotta go to them. You can’t sit back and wait for them to come to you all the time. I took rides to downtown, convenience stores on Orange Blossom Trail, and the shuttle bus pickup area amongst other places. Money doesn’t just come to you all the time. You get back what you put in and because I put in the effort that I did and not settling for last place or blending in with other drivers, I came out green. You gotta set yourself apart in this business to make people choose you over someone else. In some ways, it is a competition but we still all worked together.
One driver told me that I should get a better bike and I ignored what he was saying for the most part. I just told him I’d keep what he was saying under consideration. Now though, I’ll be in the market soon for a bike with no suspension because now I believe giving rides would be easier on my body with better equipment. I came to this realization on my own, not from what anyone told me. That’s just how it’s always been with me. Not that I don’t take in what people tell me but I learn better from personal experience and observation.
There were some people visiting the area for the first time and going to their first bowl game. Apparently one of the teams was successful last year for the first time in probably a long time. A lot of people had questions about the stadium. Main one was who plays in it. Totally valid question. Why else would a 70,000 seat stadium exist? Well, the answer to the question is no one plays in it. That’s fucked up, right? I don’t think Orlando can support a major football team (lingerie and high school football don’t count) with the Citrus Bowl being located where it is and in the condition it’s in. Plus Tampa, Miami, and Jax already have NFL teams. Not far to drive to any of them. Orlando is ass out. I do think we can support major soccer and baseball teams (I’m not talking about bush leagues). Only problem there is Tampa has an MLB baseball team so geographically, that might not work. The Citrus Bowl is more of a facility used for special events, not one used for regular play of any sports team. It’s pretty much not in use for anything major for most of the year. I think the stadium is a big, old, raggedy piece of shit and not one penny should be put into renovating it. Orlando needs a brand new retractable roof stadium that can house any type of anything, including pro sports and concerts, and they need to put it where the old Amway Arena is.
At the stadium, I saw some refreshments on a cart that were being loaded onto a bus. They were clearly leftovers. I seriously considered going over to ask if I could have one because there is power in asking. I didn’t do it but I did see a bus driver who was obese. He could barely walk. His walking stance looked as if he was in the air after a ski jump. He had his arms to his sides behind him and his upper body leaning forward. He had a waddle to him too. He had a hard time getting back into the bus. It was hysterical watching him move. It baffles my mind how the hell he can even drive if he can barely move his big ass. Would you trust a guy like that with your life? I honestly don’t get it. Sitting on his ass for hours is probably what led to his conditioning. I think these guys should be required to pass a physical annually. Back in the day when I was a shuttle bus driver, it was required to get the job. It should also be required to keep the damn job. Hey, I’m just looking out for your favorite football players and cheerleaders. Their lives are in the hands of people like him.
The game was coming to an and. One of my last rides was a fat Precious-looking chick and her friend. They asked me if I was insured. The reason for that is likely because she was so damn big, I’ll bet she thought my pedicab might not be able to handle her big ass. I always assure fat people that I’ve got them covered. And even heavier groups of people, I take care of them and they usually take care of me. The alcohol was flowing but not as much as Champs. The talent wasn’t as high either. I say that because the chicks for this game, one, weren’t anything special to look at and two, didn’t dress too much like tramps. Some were attractive, don’t get me wrong, but I can’t think of one that stands out. The funniest thing that the fans could say to each other was “Go Cocks.” They were just saying the shit and not thinking anything of it. Non-fans with a dirty mind like myself saw the humor in it.
My very last ride was 3 guys who were waiting for a taxi to go downtown to their hotel. There were a lot of people waiting for taxis but the thing is, taxis are at the mercy of traffic and there were none available for a long time once they picked people up. The 3 guys were waiting for 30 minutes and asked me how much it would cost to get them to their hotel. I gave them a realistic figure and they agreed to it because they got tired of waiting. I took South Street like I did before with another group of guys. This time, cops were on the street directing traffic. A guy in a truck was in a turn lane. The cop told him to turn. The truck went straight instead. The cop gave a loud GRRRR in frustration but then saw me and wouldn’t let me keep straight in the bike lane. He told me I had to turn and that’s when we encountered the Church Street traffic that I was trying to avoid. South Street didn’t have that problem. Again, cop doing his job. Had to obey the law.
We made it to their hotel and they tipped me more than what I asked for. After, I stopped at a bar to take a piss and wash my hands. I just don’t see what the allure of a bar is. Loud music so you can’t talk to people, second-hand smoke, crowded so you can’t dance, no real food, dirty public areas, and stupid drunks. Not the cleanest or healthiest environment to be in. I don’t get it. I wouldn’t wanna bang anyone in or from establishments like that. The type of place someone hangs out in is a good reflection of the type of person they are. Bars I can do without but I did find some change on the floor so I actually made a profit by going in there. This one wasn’t busy at all but there was a time long ago when I went to bars and clubs with friends. It just never appealed to me and no matter how you paint it or if you stick a word like wine, blues, or piano in front of it, a bar is a bar. Period. That was the first time I stepped foot inside of a bar in many years. I only went into it because it was close and open. Alcohol is more available than water it seems.
I stopped on Orange Avenue to put the lights on my bike. A guy that used to drive for a pedicab company that’s no longer in business asked me about mine. I’m happy to answer any questions unlike some people. I went back to the Amway hoping for rides back to hotels but when I got there, people were just walking to the parking garage. And when what was one of the last shuttle buses came, it only had one person on it. While downtown, I saw other drivers with no one on their trailers. I saw 2 more coming from the stadium. I asked if there were still rides down there. They said there might be but not for them. What that meant was there weren’t enough people left to justify cruising around for a fare. On top of that, the mad dash of people that usually walk downtown after a game weren’t there. Plus traffic was non-existent. Things cleared out pretty quick and that was my sign to call it a night.
A cold front was moving through that night and I could feel the nip in the air. I was going home right on time. A little earlier, 2 guys asked me where there was gonna be a bowl party. I told them that doesn’t happen for the Capital One Bowl. They were expecting hordes of people like Champs and for places to be open and accommodating. Downtown was dead with barely any people around. They couldn’t believe it. Seems like they came for a good time but were a few days too late. When the Capital One Bowl ends, it ends. Those people don’t go anywhere to party, they just go back where they came from. The city doesn’t create anything for them and that’s a shame. They’re losing money by not recognizing the needs of football fans. They want an evening tailgate with other fans but it just never happens for them. I told the guy when he sees empty cabs and pedicabs, that means nothing is going on anywhere.
I hope they keep that extra day between New Year’s Eve and this game intact. It gives us the opportunity to rest up but I’m sure the needs of a pedicab driver aren’t on their agenda. This game had its slow moments, a lot of them, but with a good hustle you can still make some good money. I did. I’m not complaining about my haul at all. I’m glad I chose riding a pedicab as my business. I found something I like and it pays. It’s the American dream in full effect and I’m ready to do it all again next year. I had fun, made money, the weather was good, and my body held up after 3 big events. Can’t ask for much more than that. Well, yes you can, in the form of dividends and tang but you know what I mean.
