Friday, July 29, 2011

Urban mining on a bike

It seems that the citizens of Ottawa throw away a lot of stuff that easily converts into money. Some wise people take advantage of this. I have seen several urban miners on bikes but this guy is the champ so far.

A Pic for Ottawa bike guy blog

27 comments:

  1. Urban miners, haha. Your photographs are cool. +following

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  2. I love your blog! I just bought a trek road bike and love it;I'm competing in 50 mile race this month! I have a health blog! I think you'd like it- http://eatsimplylivehealthy.blogspot.com/

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  3. Well, I don't bike muck but I've been thinking I need a little more exercise. What do you suggest for a newbie?

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  4. Wow! Fantastic image... but how does he balance... and is that even legal? Thanks for many interesting posts.
    Jane Gray

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  5. ottawa bike guy: Hello OBG.This is alex from malaysia. nice postings. WOuld like to bike around town, but there is serious lack of lanes for bikes.

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  6. Haha -- dude, that's awesome. Like seeing things I've never understood before.

    I saw a very old Chinese couple in Georgetown, Seattle, WA the other day and they were jingling around with bags almost as large as themselves behind their backs.

    "We collect cans!" they said to me with a big grin as they skittered onwards.

    I think I understand now.

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  7. There is no better method of transportation than a bike. There are many parts of the world that promote their usage, unfortunately I don't live in one of them...

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  8. congrats on being named a Blog of Note. if this photo is any indication, I'm in for a good ride here! thanks!

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  9. My father and I took about 10 dog bags of aluminum cans to a recycling place in okc and got $111.73!!! Considering walking down the highway and picking up all these cans (and bottles since i'm out there already) it's a win win!

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  10. That must be exhausting. very cool ! :)

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  11. Hi that's a cool pix. Reminds me of these guys who collect papers and bottles here in SL. Anyway I recall waiting for the bus some time back and saw this rather ragged looking guy fishing in the garbage cans for cardboard which I assume he was gonna sell.

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  12. great blog - I found your blog being featured as 'blog of note' on August 3rd

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  13. Cycling the " Pro Tour Race Cycle routes " in Europe i come across a variety of efforts to improve the infrastructure available to Cyclists . Not all are welcomed but then there are those who oppose change regardless of the good that it can do .
    Picked up your blog thru the " Blog of Note " today and perhaps after you have a read of mine you will arrange links so as to help others with "Cycle Safety Issues ".


    Great photos and enjoyed commentary !

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  14. Haha, I knew a couple of guys like that when I worked at Wal-Mart.

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  15. Congratulations on making the blog of note, you have a really nice blog mate! :)

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  16. Bikers forever and congratulations for beaultiful blog [...]

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  17. This is true. Japanese kinda have the habit of throwing things away even if it only has a slight malfunction. They don't like fixing things since they can easily buy another one.

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  18. I would consider him low tier miner here in NYC...Sometimes a person is carrying so much I cant see them !! Cool pics !!

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  19. Collecting can using his bike . . . Aside from a very cool photo. I commend the man in the picture of helping our environment. He makes sure that cans are recycled and he uses bike which is not contributing pollution.

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  20. Wow, this is too cool :] How does he even stay balanced?

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  21. I want to buy a bike, specially because I live on the coast (Brazil), summer is around the corner, it's a pleasant exercise, doesn't pollute and the traffic gets worse each day. But here people don't respect the bikers and I'm affraid of having an accident because of that. I wish things could be different here someday.

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  22. It's crazy to think how much of that goes to waste, when it can be properly reused. Good on him. BTW congrats on your blog of note status. That's how I cam across your blog! :)

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  23. Wooow, its a beautiful thing! This means there are places in the world in which people recycle actively, paid or not, is a method to begin cleaning the world

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  24. I do my fair share of dumpster diving on bikes!

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  25. do these urban miners leave a mess when they go through trash cans like some people do here in the philippines?

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  26. dan, no, they are pretty good about it.

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  27. Viewing the world from the seat of one's bike rather than from behind a windshield and steering wheel is a far richer experience that offers far more insight into the world around you. Cool stuff.

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