Adventures in finding employment - Galway style

Xiney

So, in today's advertiser there's a tiny little speck of an ad that says "rickshaw riders wanted". Figured it was those bikes with the seat in front that say "promo cabs" (turns out I was right)

I say to myself, sounds cool - get a bit of exercise, meet people, no need to buy fancy clothes or wear stupid shoes.

Anyway, texted the number and went down to meet yer man. Turns out there's no hourly wage, you earn "tips" (no set price per ride) and it costs 10 euro per day to rent the bike & you've gotta give him a 50 euro deposit in case of "damage".

Sounds like a good way to waste your time, and have some dude attempt to make off with your 50 euro if the bike breaks whether it's your fault or not.


Just figured I'd warn anyone who was considering it.

PopeBuckfastXVI

Sounds like the ad should have been 'Rickshaw Rental' instead.

Xiney

Yeah, and it should have been in the "self employment" section so that I could ignore it along with all the direct marketing shite (Avon, etc)

corribdude

Eh, I think you underestimate how much cash the guys on those bikes are pulling in. I had a friend who did it last year. People generally give a minimum of a fiver for a ride that takes 10 minutes tops. Then the guys that are going it late at night get even more as people with a few pints on them dont care about money at all. It'd be a fair slog doing it 8 hours a day 5 days a week but if you were able for it you'd be taking home a tidy sum.

Most people however are content just to sit on their holes and take in 204 a week on the dole. By the way, speaking of the dole, any cash you make giving people lifts off the bikes is considered tipping, as they don't have to give anything at all, so you basically get to keep your dole aswell while doing it.

Xiney

You don't get to keep your dole, not legally anyway, since you are not "available" for work.

Also, if you are receiving a means tested payment such as jobseeker's allowance, your means change as well with any income you have, whether it is technically "tipping" or whatever.


The guy is recruiting for morning drivers. I don't see much potential business in the morning, bar maybe weekends. I still think it's sketchy as hell what with the 50 euro deposit and 10 euro rental fee and all.

ScumLord

Xiney wrote: »

Anyway, texted the number and went down to meet yer man. Turns out there's no hourly wage, you earn "tips" (no set price per ride) and it costs 10 euro per day to rent the bike & you've gotta give him a 50 euro deposit in case of "damage".
.

Well if he's going to be like that about it injure yourself with the bike and sue him.

It's not to bad of a deal, it's like the free walking tours you see in some cities around Europe, most people will give you more than you'd think if you make the trip entertaining enough.

Fey!

Does the rental include him providing lights so that drivers can see them, and insurance in case a passenger gets injured or you drive the rickshaw into something, like a car?

Xiney

Fey! wrote: »

Does the rental include him providing lights so that drivers can see them, and insurance in case a passenger gets injured or you drive the rickshaw into something, like a car?

I doubt it. Didn't ask though.

Jugs82

Housemate was going to meet a guy today about this - i think he's at the stage where he'll just do it for the sake of doing something!!

Morning drivers though - cant be much $$ in that

Xiney

That's the thing - mightn't be too bad on a weekend evening, you'd at least make back your 10er outlay I'd say.

But I'm not in a position where I can gamble 10 euro (even 60, if we count the deposit, and I'm super wary on that point) on the off chance that I'd see some work out of it.

If there wasn't a rental fee/deposit then I'd do it until I got something normal.

kraggy

Xiney I don't really see what you see wrong with it.

I was wondering only the other day how much the guys are paying in rent and now you say it's only 10 euro!

The deposit is 50 euro. It's a deposit so you get it back. So that's not an additional cost.

And the tips are in fact a fare in real terms. So someone asks you for a lift down to the Roisin from the Dew Drop. They ask how much. You say "arra, give us a fiver". They say fine.

Do that over 6 or 7 hours and you'd be making a nice little sum.

Plus, as was said above, most people who are pissed will give a lot more. And the guys who are doing it have been doing so for a while. So it must pay.

At night that is. Can't see it working during the morning/day though.

Xiney

maybe it's just the fact that I'm way too cheap to pay someone to wheel my ass from the dew drop to the roisin that I can't see the potential for earnings then :P

ScumLord

kraggy wrote: »

Plus, as was said above, most people who are pissed will give a lot more. And the guys who are doing it have been doing so for a while. So it must pay.

It the yanks you want, just bring them around Galway as a tour, you don't even have to know what your talking about. I've brought Americans around Galway and just made stuff up to make myself seem all knowledgeable, they don't know any better but have a great time. Give them the ol Irish charm and you'll be raking it in

Xiney

I'm Canadian though.

I haven't got any Irish charm and listening to the American accent makes eviscerating soft, fluffy baby bunnies seem preferable...

ScumLord

Xiney wrote: »

I'm Canadian though.
.

Put on the begora hollywood accent, their Americans they'll believe anything.

Also remember Irish charm includes getting abusively drunk and crashing into things.

edanto

Sounds pretty cheap to me, renting something like that for a tenner a day. I'd be surprised if you were insured, but you should be.

Xiney

LOL

hell. maybe I'll just set up in Eyre Square and give guided tours hourly for tips.

...anyone got a list of galway trivia/landmarks?

edanto

Go for it!

Xiney wrote: »

...anyone got a list of galway trivia/landmarks?

Don't worry about it, just make it all up as you go, it's way more fun for you.

"And here on the right we have the house which was originally the very first theatre in all of Britain and Ireland. Shakespeare was brought here as a child and it's thought that his love affair with the stage was sparked by that summer with his cousins in Galway."

ScumLord

Eyre sq. That's where JFK drank 40 pints in the space of one night, they renamed it eyre square after he got lost and spent the night saying to everyone "eyre, wherezz me square I left me pants up there"

axiom32

Xiney wrote: »

LOL

hell. maybe I'll just set up in Eyre Square and give guided tours hourly for tips.

...anyone got a list of galway trivia/landmarks?

the wall at the side of st nicohlas's church lombard st,.....
... was caused by the first ever irish reccesssion of 1368, due to a fall off in prices of mud huts in the claddagh fishing village the construction company could not finance the rest of the building.......

FuzzyWool

I'd say those guys make a fair bit. A few months back me and my girlf got on one on Shop St, asked him to bring us to Dominick St. We were pretty mouldy so we were asking him if we could have a go.. so he got in beside me, and the girlf cycled it up Dominick St.! We were pissed and in stitches laughing, so when we got off we paid him around 8euro!

KevinVonSpiel

Enterprising thing is 'hard sell' it (for the day/week/eternity) for anything more than 60 quids... anything over & above is pure profit...

Jugs82

Housemate starts at 2 today -its a 2 - 9 shift and not allowed down Shop/Quay until after 8

Be interesting to see what he makes of it..

ScumLord

Jugs82 wrote: »

Housemate starts at 2 today -its a 2 - 9 shift and not allowed down Shop/Quay until after 8

Be interesting to see what he makes of it..

Is it self assembly? Lets hope it turns out to be a rickshaw or his been screwed.

Xiney

I'll be interested too. I hope he makes a bit anyway.

pablodunlop

Slightly OT but anyone else slightly annoyed by these guys going out on the roads? Was driving through town late at night last weekend and a couple of them pulled out in front of me on Eglinton street and continued at granny pace :mad:

Xiney

Well, you're downtown. If you expected to be getting anywhere fast, you'd have to have your head examined. (and no, "it was night and there was no traffic" isn't an excuse - if it's night you should be even more careful since there's drunks staggering onto the road and if you're going fast you might hit them)

pablodunlop

Xiney wrote: »

Well, you're downtown. If you expected to be getting anywhere fast...

I drive a 92 Micra, fat chance of that! :P

Mrs OBumble

pablodunlop wrote: »

Slightly OT but anyone else slightly annoyed by these guys going out on the roads? Was driving through town late at night last weekend and a couple of them pulled out in front of me on Eglinton street and continued at granny pace :mad:

I'm amazed that no one has been hurt by them yet: The number has vastly increased, and I've seen 'em on Shop Street when there are lots of pedestrians: the driver (sitting behind the passengers) can't see what's happening in front of him, whether pedestrians are out of the way etc.

I'm guessing these guys have to drive for tips, because if they had fares they'd need to have PSV licences. Wonder how long it will take for the taxi drivers to start moaning about the unfair competition (only 1/2 here)

At least we've got hardly any horse-drawn vehicles like they have in Ballydung (Killarney).

Jugs82

He made around 18 quid profit yday but seemingly it was a slow day

Its out again today from 2 and should make a bit more

inisboffin

1.14 an hour..:eek:

I imagine the money is way better on Shop St etc at night though.

Wonder are they allowed on the Prom, anyone see them there?

Xiney

Jugs82 wrote: »

He made around 18 quid profit yday but seemingly it was a slow day

Its out again today from 2 and should make a bit more

how many customers was that?

Jugs82

Just under a 100 quid today - not bad!!

Xiney

yeah, that's not bad at all