urbanMSP

Two hurt when PedalPub tips over in downtown Minneapolis

The traveling table-on-wheels reportedly tipped over while rounding a corner.

Two people were injured Thursday afternoon when a PedalPub vehicle traveling around downtown Minneapolis tipped over, police said.

The vehicle — a roving bar on wheels — tipped over onto three of its patrons about 3 p.m. as it rounded a corner close to 105 W. 5th Av. S., near Mill Ruins Park. Two people were hospitalized.

The popular PedalPubs are slow-moving party vehicles steered by an official driver and carrying up to 16 people who pedal away as the vehicles move on prescribed routes downtown or in Dinkytown. Users bring their own beverages, including alcoholic ones, and snacks.

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Out of curiosity, what do people think about Pedal Pubs? I've been on them several times and didn't know that a lot of people were against the whole concept until relatively recently. I like fun. Also, who doesn't tip? Who does that??

As for blocking traffic, please. Just pass.

I've got a friend that lives downtown that hates them because of the noise. Though he's also kind of elitist and hates when anybody that doesn't live in the city comes downtown, so I pretty much put that opinion in the "wrong" category. Another posted on Facebook in response to this saying that they don't follow traffic laws and are unsafe for anybody, no idea what that means.

It's hard for me to think pedal pubs aren't the worst, but this piece from Bill Lindeke may have swayed me: http://tcsidewalks.blogspot.com/2013/02 ... l-pub.html

You see, people from the burbs (especially young ones) aren’t really very good at knowing how to act in a civilized place like Minneapolis. They grew up in sheltered 2000 sq ft sensory deprivation homes, surrounded by fences and endless lawns where their only access to the outside world was the Jersey Shore on TV. For most of them, an "urban experience" was going to the Metrodome. They don't know how to behave in a real bar, they don't know how to get around the city. (This is one of the reasons why first- and second-year college kids are about the worst neighbors on Planet Earth.)

In related news, the clock may be ticking on pedal pubs in Amsterdam:
http://www.treehugger.com/cars/pedal-po ... anned.html

And:
http://translate.google.com/translate?h ... S:official

Articles from three plus years ago are not very compelling either. I have been to Amsterdam since these articles have appeared and saw plenty of pedal pubs.

And for some reason, they're "controversial?" I swear, next year, I'm gonna get a job driving one of those things and blog about it...

I've got a friend that lives downtown that hates them because of the noise.

Hey, I'm all about being a snob too (got dragged to Stella's a couple Saturday nights ago and complained the whooooole time) but I've just never seen any reason to dislike people on Pedal Pubs. I've gotten "wooOoooOooOOOooo!'s" a few times but worse things have probably happened on Nicollet Mall.

And for some reason, they're "controversial?" I swear, next year, I'm gonna get a job driving one of those things and blog about it...

Last time I saw one of their job postings, car ownership was a prerequisite.

Still, they are 1000x less annoying than party buses, the average motorcyclist, or American Burger Bar.