Cycling Without Age Medicine Hat
~ Passenger Stories ~
Cycling Without Age Medicine Hat
~ Passenger Stories ~
As volunteer pilots of the Cycling Without Age Medicine Hat trishaws, one of the joys of our "job" is getting to know our passengers. We cherish the moments when they reminisce about the past, share their joys, and pass on their invaluable advice. It's not just a ride; it's a heartwarming journey through stories and connections that make our volunteering experience truly special.
Here are some of the stories that the pilots would like to share . . .
Passenger: Norma
Pilot: Carolyn
Norma lived in the country near the town of Irvine. Her best memory is going for week-long trail rides in a large group. She and her husband rode and camped in their camper to the US border. Norma has vision problems, but she appreciated and commented on the surrounding nature during our 45 minute ride. She loved the trees, the flowers, the bushes. She loved the ride and her wide, happy smile made the ride so much for me too.
Passengers: Colleen and Alma
Pilot: Vern and Carolyn
These two ladies are great friends. At 92 years old (young), they said that their doctor told them they can do and eat whatever they want! Colleen grew up in Medicine Hat, and Alma in Redcliff. Alma knew the pilot’s (Carolyn) mom and dad, and she went to school with her mom. She told lots of stories about Carolyn’s mom and dad. Delightful ride indeed!
Passenger: Linda
Pilot: Brent
Linda is a well-known, accomplished Medicine Hat artist. She started as an artist painting watercolor landscapes, but soon realized that most artists were doing the same thing. So, she began to paint feathers. She used to live in the Queen Charlotte Islands in a very isolated community. (So did the pilot, Brent). Sometimes, she had to wait weeks for supplies such as groceries.
Passenger: Don
Don is 86 years old. He worked for Harry Veiner, our city’s past mayor and well-known personage back in the day.
Passenger: Sandra
Sandra moved to Medicine Hat from Estevan, Sask. She was the manager at Superstore. But her real love is stock-car racing. She raced for 15 years and she said she loves to go fast!
Passenger: Aubrey
Aubrey brought his nephew along for the ride. Both thoroughly enjoyed themselves (especially the ice cream.)
Passenger: Gord
Pilot: Dan
Gord worked as a millwright. He worked with the pilot (Dan) on some of the same industrial sites. He got natural gas poisoning, which greatly affected his health. He has 3 daughters. He likes to bring dog treats along the ride. Lot of puppy love stops along the way.
Passenger: Idabelle
She did a “back-to-back” ride. Her second ride was with Lori, her daughter. Two ice cream cones for Idabelle in one morning. Amped up joy!
Passenger: Doug
Pilot: Carolyn
“I could do this all day!” Doug said repeatedly during the ride. “I could fall asleep in here.” He said. At least a dozen times, he said how much he appreciated me volunteering for the ride. So nice to hear the profuse thanks.
Passengers: Lorraine and Fran
Pilot: Chris
“Got a big hug from Lorraine and Fran after the ride”.
Passenger: Marilyn
Nice ride. DQ stop included. Talked about the old days and how simpler life was.
Passenger: Doug
I took Doug to the pickleball tournament at the Big Marble Go Centre. He enjoyed the ride.
Passenger:
Pilot: Tara
We had a late start due to the riders waiting to be filmed by CHAT TV. The segment is called "Pitch-In". The two beautiful ladies were enthusiastic, and dressed in their western gear.
Passengers: Jenny and Dorothy:
Pilot: Chris
Great fun. Hugs all around. They must have thanked me a gazillion times!
Passengers: Eileen and Mel
Pilot: Larry
Eileen was a bit nervous at first but soon realised this was going to be a lot of fun. Mel also enjoyed the ride and told me jokes along the way. It was a good ride. And we also stopped for ice cream.
Passengers: Pat and Darlene
Pilot: Julie
Darleen and Pat are two buddies coming from a long way. They used to work together for years, and they are still friends now. They were so appreciative to get to see all the cacti blooming in the prairie. They had all sorts of stories bringing them back to their mothers, one who touched a flower and pricked herself, or another where her mother took a prairie cactus and planted it outdoors in Ontario and it thrived, etc. They wanted me to take pictures of them with a blooming cactus in the background. It was so refreshing to hear them share their excitement. They said that they could go for a ride everyday. They will tell more people about booking rides as they hope to see rides also being offered on the weekends because there are no other activities on those days and a bike ride would be amazing. Pat asked me to take pictures so she could show it to her daughter. Darleen was excited to let her daughter know that she had been on a bike ride this morning.