NEW YORK—Columbus Circle was quite busy on Monday morning. At rush hour people hurried to get to work on time. People poured out of the subway station in pulses: a swarm of commuters flowed out, then none, another swarm, and then silence again. The nearby coffee shops were full of New Yorkers going in and out like bees high strung on caffeine.
Not far away lies a kingdom of serenity. Its subjects, joggers, squirrels, and dog-walkers seem to have a different pace than the nearby commuters. There, at the outskirts of Central Park, Baristun Cer stood near his pedicab, waiting for customers.
Business is not so good this time of year said Cer. In the summertime, at Christmas, or in spring—more people ask for rides on his bicycle-powered rickshaw. Even though not many clients come so early in the day, some turbulence in his personal life has Cer out and about early in the day. Being at work early gives him something to focus on.
Cer is 28 years old. He came to New York from Istanbul, Turkey, to study. He lives in Astoria and studies International Business at La Guardia College. His pedicab business is a way to help him pay for school.
He got interested in the business after a friend suggested it to him. Convinced, he bought his own rickshaw and started pedaling passengers around Central Park. This kind of jobs has many benefits, he says. “I have my own schedule so whenever I want, I work. Whenever I want, I take a day off.”
He likes the night life in the city. “This city is beautiful. I love it,” he says. In many ways, New York reminds him of his hometown. “[Istanbul] is the same like New York: There are traffic problems. Its crowded” he says, but added, “I likes the busyness.”
For many people who come to New York from overseas, the diversity of the city is striking. It is also for Cer. “This city is very beautiful, everybody comes with something, with some nationality,” he said. As he spoke he articulated his words carefully, making sure he was understood. “We can see that people can live in peace [with each other] in New York. There is no discrimination here. That is why I love the city.”
Not far away lies a kingdom of serenity. Its subjects, joggers, squirrels, and dog-walkers seem to have a different pace than the nearby commuters. There, at the outskirts of Central Park, Baristun Cer stood near his pedicab, waiting for customers.
Business is not so good this time of year said Cer. In the summertime, at Christmas, or in spring—more people ask for rides on his bicycle-powered rickshaw. Even though not many clients come so early in the day, some turbulence in his personal life has Cer out and about early in the day. Being at work early gives him something to focus on.
Cer is 28 years old. He came to New York from Istanbul, Turkey, to study. He lives in Astoria and studies International Business at La Guardia College. His pedicab business is a way to help him pay for school.
He got interested in the business after a friend suggested it to him. Convinced, he bought his own rickshaw and started pedaling passengers around Central Park. This kind of jobs has many benefits, he says. “I have my own schedule so whenever I want, I work. Whenever I want, I take a day off.”
He likes the night life in the city. “This city is beautiful. I love it,” he says. In many ways, New York reminds him of his hometown. “[Istanbul] is the same like New York: There are traffic problems. Its crowded” he says, but added, “I likes the busyness.”
For many people who come to New York from overseas, the diversity of the city is striking. It is also for Cer. “This city is very beautiful, everybody comes with something, with some nationality,” he said. As he spoke he articulated his words carefully, making sure he was understood. “We can see that people can live in peace [with each other] in New York. There is no discrimination here. That is why I love the city.”
