In the same way that gasoline powers an automobile, alcohol fuels the Capitol Pedaler. Patrons utilize their drunken strength to furiously crank on the bicycle pedals beneath their seats, propelling the 2,000 pound contraption up and down State Street.
But alcohol and exercise are a bad combination. No one knows that better than Capitol Pedaler wheelman Andrew Myers. Whereas automated engines emit exhaust, the humans that power the Capitol Pedaler spew vomit. Gallons of it. And it’s Myers’ job to empty the vehicle’s puke buckets whenever possible.
“Every night, I put my gloves on and get ready for the worst,” Myers said. “Whenever we pull over at a bar, I get all the buckets together and dump them right in the sewer.”
The Capitol Pedaler seats 14 people, and there’s a puke bucket for each one of them. When they feel the urge to vomit, they simply lean over the bar and let loose. But sometimes 14 isn’t enough, Myers says.
“Depending on the customers, the buckets can fill up pretty fast. It’s hard to keep up on long trips,” Myers said. “That’s why we installed the ‘Mega Bucket’ right there in the front.”
Some trips are worse than others, Myers says.
“Sometimes, you get these people that think they’re speed-demons,” Myers said. “I hear it all the time, ‘Let’s see how fast we can go!’ I just hang my head and get ready for the puke storm that’s coming.”
According to the capitolpedaler.com fact sheet, 90 percent of customers puke at least once during the journey. And puking often leads to more puking, Myers says.
“The first person will puke, and then the smell will hit the rest of the group,” Myers said. “Then there’s always this chain reaction of puking.”
A trip down State Street on the Capitol Pedaler is a grueling experience, Myers says.
“I’ve never seen the same group come back twice,” Myers said. “Puking over and over in front of your friends is a mortifying experience, and it takes a physical and mental toll on everyone.”
Myers doesn’t mind the dirty work.
“I get puked on all the time, sometimes it gets in my hair or on my face,” Myers said. “But it’s honest labor, and I’m used to the smell.”
Capitol Pedalers are tough people, Myers says.
“I have never seen puking and rallying on this scale anywhere in my life,” Myers said. “And I used to be an R.A. in Sellery Hall.”
