Some people didn't attend yesterday's Hands Off rally in Washington DC because getting there would have involved too much walking, and other people attended the protest but are now suffering worsened pain or disability as a result. Although the rally was fairly close to a Metro station, "fairly close" isn't close enough for people with certain health conditions.
A thought for future protests: It would be amazingly helpful if bicyclists operated pedicab service between public transit stations and protest sites. This could be done for free as a public service or in exchange for a modest fee. A single pedicab operator could be responsible for an additional 20 or more protesters attending a rally.
Of course, for pedicabs to increase the number of protesters, it would be essential for the availability of pedicabs to be advertised well in advance of a protest. So, protest organizers must be actively involved in organizing and advertising pedicab service.
I don't know how feasible pedicab service for protests would be in places that seldom see protests, but in a city like Washington DC that sees protests on a near-daily basis, it seems like it should be possible for someone to maintain a fleet of pedicabs then rent them out to the organizers of various protests.
The pedicab operators would presumably be bicyclists of the type who brag about how far they ride each day. I see some of those bicyclists on Mastodon. To them I say, I admire you already, but I would admire you even more if you volunteered to use your amazing muscles to help people with severe arthritis and other disabling conditions get to and from protests. :-)
Tired feet and a full heart.
