November 08, 2005

Resident says 7-person PartyBike terrorizes 8th Ave.

Tourists might be giddy over the 7-person PartyBike available for rent in Times Square, but some of the nearby residents hate it, the Post reports.

One Eighth Avenue resident who the Post calls "Sammy G," says the bike "captain" encourages the tourists to yelp and scream while on the bike, sometimes race other bikes down the street, play chicken and at least once plow through a group of pedestrians warning "Get out of the way, we can't stop!"

Don Domite told the Post his 20-bike operation does no such thing. "I don't know anything about racing; there's never been an accident, and it's a safe operation," he said.

Earlier this year, the city's largest pedicab company closed after it lost its insurance following a crash that injured two tourists. Pedicabs aren't required to have insurance, but the owner said he didn't want to operate uninsured.

PartyBike rentals cost $150 an hour.

Earlier: City's biggest pedicab company selling entire fleet
Pedicab company sidelined in insurance dispute
Pedicabs ticking off taxis and horse carriage drivers

November 8, 2005 09:37 AM in Transportology

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