By Andrea Sachs
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, June 29, 2008; P06

Among the experiences that make one go “Eek!,” tooling around Manhattan in a rickshaw ranks high, falling somewhere between a cab ride during rush hour and walking through Times Square after the theaters let out. Some of the bike-drawn buggies come equipped with seat belts; others don’t. You decide your threshold of thrill.

“There’s a real rush going through traffic,” said Jacob Press, a tour guide with the Manhattan Rickshaw Co., the longest continuously operating pedicab outfit in New York City. “We can always find a way through.”

I have explored the City That Never Stops by foot, bus and bike. But on a recent trip, I wanted to sightsee in a vehicle that was intimate with the urban landscape but didn’t require any energy expenditure. So I called Manhattan Rickshaw a few days before my visit and booked Press and his quads.

Rickshaws are pervasive in Asia, where the economical bicycles with big back seats jostle for space among mopeds, cars, beasts of burden and swarms of pedestrians. In the United States, they’re more of a novelty than a necessity but are a rousing ride nonetheless. Though passengers are not as vulnerable as the biker, they’re still thrust into the chaotic street scene.

“It’s a combination of entertainment and transportation,” said Manhattan Rickshaw owner Peter Meitzler, who was instrumental in bringing pedicabs to New York. “It’s fun and environmental and fills a niche.”

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American Express will celebrate New York City’s Tribeca Film Festival with a host of entertainment experiences, dining promotions and event services designed to delight film buffs, Cardmembers and the merely curious who attend the lower Manhattan event, May 1 – 9, 2004. In its third year as Founding Sponsor of the Festival, American Express once again welcomes fans back to downtown New York City to enjoy the international film and cultural festival that has helped revitalize the spirit of the historic neighborhood.

“American Express is a proud sponsor of the Tribeca Film Festival, and we’re committed to helping generate the energy and commerce that has helped revitalize lower Manhattan – our home since 1850,” said John Hayes, chief marketing officer of American Express. “Last year’s Festival drew more than 325,000 visitors, many of whom attended the events, shopped in downtown stores and dined with neighborhood merchants, making Tribeca a tremendous success.”

“We are delighted that American Express is returning for its third year as Founding Sponsor of the Tribeca Film Festival,” said Festival co-founder Jane Rosenthal. “With its commitment to lower Manhattan as strong as ever, American Express truly exemplifies the power of corporate citizenship. The Festival could not happen without their support, and we are deeply grateful for this wonderful collaborative partnership.”

Festival venues, activities and participating restaurants are situated throughout lower Manhattan, and, beginning May 1, American Express will provide complimentary double-decker bus service to downtown screening houses and special event locations. In addition, a fleet of three-wheeled, chauffeur-driven bicycles known as “pedicabs” will circulate throughout the neighborhood and pedal attendees to downtown stops, free of charge. The double-deckers and pedicabs will be fully wrapped in familiar American Express green tones.

The Tribeca Film Festival was founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff to celebrate New York City as a major filmmaking capital, and to contribute to the long-term recovery of lower Manhattan after the attacks of September 11, 2001.

American Express is the Founding Sponsor of the Tribeca Film Festival. Part of a multi-year relationship, the Festival is one of a series of events – large and small – that American Express is sponsoring to draw people to lower Manhattan and help restore a sense of excitement in the neighborhood. American Express is a diversified worldwide travel, network, and financial services provider founded in 1850. It is a leader in charge and credit cards, Travelers Cheques, travel, financial planning, investment products, insurance and international banking.

For more information on the Tribeca Film Festival, call the Festival box office at 1-866-941-FEST (3378), or visit the Tribeca Film Festival website at tribecafilmfestival.org.

Content provided courtesy americanexpress.com.

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