Meet pedicab driver Terry Walker

s a pedicab driver in downtown Detroit, Terry Walker serves as city transport and tour guide. It’s a trusted position, but for a native Detroiter who knows the city like the back of his hand, Walker says his job is nothing short of a “dream.”

“People enjoy them,” he says of his peddle-powered chariots. “I meet great people, I stay exercised and it’s fun!”

Walker’s passengers include everyone from locals looking to hitch a ride to work or a Tigers game to tourists wanting to see Detroit for the first time. And occasionally, he even gets a celebrity. Last summer, Walker picked up billionaire Sir Richard Branson and his smiling stewardesses for a ride to Comerica Park, where Branson was to make the first pitch at the Tigers vs. Indians game.

“Sir Richard Branson was definitely the coolest person I’ve picked up,” he says. “His staff was amazing. He doesn’t travel with a lot of people, but he uses a lot of women on his staff,” Walker adds with a smile.

Walker started Rickshaw Detroit Pedicab Service in 2004, balancing it with his military career. The service grew to be the first licensed pedicab service to operate in the city of Detroit in 2007.

“It was a three-year process,” says Walker, a master sergeant at a military base in Warren and Detroit Public Schools officer on military leave. “The first pedicab I bought, I was in Iraq. I didn’t see it until I came home.” Pedicabs generally run about $3,200-$4,000, and Walker operates his business with four pedicabs and one peddletruck. A considerably low overhead cost, he says, for a business that keeps you healthy and meeting new people. “I am 56 and this keeps me young,” Walker says. Soon he hopes to give Rickshaw a permanent hub in Greektown, where pedicabs will be regularly available. But for now, pedestrians may reserve a pedicab online, find them by the People Mover or just wave them down.

“It’s nice to have your own business,” Walker says. “(And) it’s nice to do something that doesn’t feel like work.”

Thinking of alternative transportation downtown? Walker and his team at Rickshaw Detroit Pedicab Service offer rides just for tips. Tours run $20-$50 and wedding rates are available upon request at rickshawdetroit.net.