A Fare Life
Kathmandu, Nepal
The mystique of the rickshaw has long captured the imagination of the Western world, bringing to mind colorful images of being transported through exotic markets and narrow alleyways clamoring with life. But for a boy growing up in Kathmandu, driving a rickshaw for a living is anything but glamorous, especially with the prospect of peddling for an entire lifetime. Ironically, rickshaw rides have become the latest fad in public transportation in New York City, where they have taken on the Westernized name pedicabs. However, unlike the modern 21-speed cruisers coasting down the streets of Manhattan, the ones in Kathmandu have only one gear, making a days work for a 15-year old boy all the more difficult.