Tourists taken for a $500 pedicab from Times Square to (hoo boy!) Coyote Ugly

And, well, the three tourists from Michigan are pretty pissed about it.

The Post has the story today. It happened back on June 14 when the three women (first time here – welcome!) traveled the 2.9 miles from Times Square to First Avenue's home of boobs, denim shorts and beer. And shots.

And when they arrived?

The driver initially demanded $163.60. Jennifer’s friend, Mary Simons, 40, was stunned by the fee, but said she would pay and then fight it when she got back home.

After Simons paid, Halladay said the driver snapped that it was that much per person, not for the three of them.
“We couldn’t believe it,” Halladay said. “We were standing with our mouths hanging open.”

Good for a $500.80 tab! (Good thing the beers are cheap at CU!)

Long story, but the women paid the tab and figured to fight it later. If I read the piece correctly (possibly not), then two of the three women received a refund from their banks ... and they tracked down the pedicab driver (Ibraiym Denizov) ... and filed a complaint with the city Department of Consumer Affairs.

And what's the lesson here?

[Pic via]

Pedicabs now officially a profession

Under new citywide regulations that went into effect this weekend, pedicabs must now be insured and inspected for safety. The Times notes how the pedicab biz started hereabouts...

New York City’s pedicab business, by most accounts, began on an East Village side street circa 1995, as a close-knit collective of tricyclists squeezed into a garage next door to the Hells Angels. Tap dancers, undertakers and striptease artists were among the first drivers.

But as the business grew, so did its troubles. Hundreds of new bike operators arrived, pestering tourists and testing the city’s tolerance.

Wide load?

At Second Avenue and First Street.