That wasn’t an order — you don’t have to, but three brave Aussies are about get into a rickety rickshaw to do just that, for charity — and with a twenty-first century technology twist to go with their dilapidated drive. More after the jump.
The concept of the charity fun run is nothing new, but a charity fun drive… in a 1/2 horsepower, 40kph rickshaw… for 5,000km across India? That’s a mixture of bravery, insanity and plain old Aussie guts, and it’s exactly what the team behind Right Place At Right Time are up to. They’re doing it to raise funds for clean water projects in India as well as Indian workers in Dubai, who often end up serving additional prison terms for accidents that come with “blood money” payments that must be met.
(Quick ethical disclaimer: This was sent on to me by a third party, but one of the team, (Blogger Andrew Hughes) was at the same high school as I was 20 years ago. My jaw dropped when I spotted him, although it doesn’t look like he’s changed much.)
So where’s the tech angle, I hear you cry? It’s not like they’re travelling in a high-tech bamboo rickshaw, after all. There might be some hackery involved in keeping the rickshaw going, and I am curious as to how they’ll keep their tech gear powered; I’m waiting back for a response on that question.
Updated: And they’ve responded! The tech load-out the team will be taking comprises two macbook pros, an iPhone, Blackberry phone, Canon HD video camera, GoPro HD Camera, 2 Canon DSLRs and a powerboard. They’re not sure where they’ll be able to plug in the powerboard to charge everything, though.
But the real technology angle for this particular trip is more online. It’s not enough to simply ask people for donations for fun runs any more. You’ve got to entertain them as well, something we noted with the Stormtrooper-clad walk of Jacob French for the Starlight foundation.
The Right Place At Right Time team is promising to upload their adventures via YouTube, their web site and Twitter, “whenever they find phone reception or an Internet cafe”. Given some of the terrain they’ll be driving… or possibly pushing… the rickshaw through, that could be an adventure in itself, so they’ve uploaded some of the adventures in simply getting preparations underway to get things started.
You can watch the team’s adventures on their YouTube Channel, follow them on Twitter or sign up for the newsletter at the official web site — and of course, you can donate there too, something that we’re told may help to relieve your own financial stresses.
Aside from being a really cool (albeit potentially very dangerous) idea, I think it’s a great way to show how you can integrate very old school technology in the drive itself alongside more cutting edge stuff. What do you think — does the prospect of being entertained via YouTube make you more inclined to donate, or not at all?
NomenclatureMayhem
Monday, August 29, 2011 at 10:25 AMBut it’s not a rickshaw (2 wheels, human powered), it’s a tuk tuk (3 wheels, motorised).
(Name goes here)
Monday, August 29, 2011 at 4:34 PMI agree with Doipayon Halder that tuk tuk is thailand
Karan
Monday, August 29, 2011 at 4:53 PMIn India, it’s commonly called an Auto-rickshaw.
Karan
Monday, August 29, 2011 at 4:58 PMSorry! that’ll teach me to read comments first.
Alex Kidman
Monday, August 29, 2011 at 10:43 AMA good point — although the trail they’re taking is confusingly called the Rickshaw Run…
Doipayon Halder
Monday, August 29, 2011 at 12:41 PMWell actually, its called an auto-rickshaw (or auto) in India… :) Tuk-tuk is a Thailand nomenclature.
Nitin Reddy
Monday, August 29, 2011 at 3:08 PMPerhaps they should consider taking a bike with a sidecar. It’s way more environment friendly than an autorickshaw (tuk-tuk) or most cars.
BTW, a rickshaw has 3 wheels and is human-powered. An autorickshaw is a 3 wheeler and is powered by a petrol, diesel, CNG, or LPG driven engine.
Steve
Monday, August 29, 2011 at 6:20 PMAlready done by the Two Fat Ladies.
Chris
Monday, August 29, 2011 at 4:49 PMWell, no, as NomenclatureMayhem pointed out, it’s two wheels. At least all the traditional ones in Japan (and China) are. And we get the word rickshaw from the Japanese jinrikisha, or human powered vehicle/car.
Steve
Monday, August 29, 2011 at 6:19 PMIs this for real? These Aussies, for charity, are driving around India in a ‘Rickshaw’, described as “mixture of bravery, insanity and plain old Aussie guts”
So to prove their ‘bravery’, a couple of privelaged Westerners do what millions of Indians do on a daily basis as part of their lifestyle? They’d impress me more if they were pedaling a REAL rickshaw.
/white people problems
Alex Kidman
Monday, August 29, 2011 at 7:32 PMNot sure if you’re trolling or not – but I’ll bite.
They’re not doing it to “prove their bravery” to speak of — they’re doing it for exactly the same folk you’re talking about, as mentioned in the article. They’re removing themselves from privilege in order to do so.
I’d say driving for over 5,000km on some of the readily acknowledged worst roads on the world takes a measure of bravery, no matter the colour of your skin; it doesn’t reduce the fact that others do it by trying to improve their lot by doing so, does it?
Steve
Monday, August 29, 2011 at 8:34 PMI don’t like belittling peoples’ goodwill, but I also don’t think heralding their antics as some zany, death-defying feat helps either.
Especially when such activities are considered du jour by people like us who are fortunate enough to voluntarily step in to what millions live every day with no respite. It feels like those Survivor/Amazing Race specials where the ‘challenge’ is for the pampered American cast to do or eat something considered ‘horrible’, but is totally normal for locals, while we applaud their bravado from behind the TV screen.
Melissa
Tuesday, August 30, 2011 at 3:50 PMYou’ve got to be kidding me Steve…you’re going to criticize these guys over a word choice. No mention of course that they along with a bunch of other teams are raising money for some great charities to help try and make a difference in someone’s life. That despite stepping out of their comfort zone to do this, not only are they supporting a great charity, but helping to support local economies too… Let them “hearld their antics” if it helps bring awarness to the cause. Get you’re head out of the sand and realize that comments like those don’t do anything help anyone and just make you look small minded.