TAKOMA PARK, Md. — John Salmen wanted to do good in his community. The Takoma Park resident was looking for the perfect way to pitch in while also focusing on his own health — and getting more use out of his tricycle.
So when a bike-friendly delivery route opened up in his neighborhood with the non-profit Meals on Wheels, Salmen had an "aha!" moment.
“I realized this was a way to kill a bunch of birds with one stone,” Salmen said. "It was the perfect solution for what I was looking for in terms of fulfilling time that also helped me."
A little finagling was all he needed. In order to successfully deliver meals to 10 of his neighbors in need, Salmen rigged his tricycle with an attachment cart to hold food coolers, adding electric assist features to make it easy to ride up hills while pulling the cart.
"This is a little bit more inconvenient for me than just jumping in my car and going," he told WUSA9. "But man, the good things that it does are just out of this world."
So what makes three wheels more special than two, or four? Well for starters, there are well-known environmental and economic benefits to ditching a gas-powered car.
But beyond that, the proud septuagenarian said trike-ing around town relieves weight from his shoulders, elbows, and wrists — areas of the body that are typically used to hold a bicyclist up by the handlebars. This allows Salmen's energy to go into driving the tricycle, rather than trying to support himself. Another perk: a trike rider can’t tip over like a bike rider. Plus it is easy to maneuver, start and stop.
"It’s good for the recipients, it’s good for the community, it’s good for me, and It’s good for the earth!” Salmen said.
It's not just food Salmen brings door-to-door during his deliveries. He's usually also bringing an extra side of joy.
“When they see him coming, it brightens their day and adds an extra conversation piece," Ruth Masterson, Executive Director of Meals on Wheels Takoma Park/Silver Spring, said. "We are so honored when our Meals on Wheels volunteers go the extra mile–literally–and John is a true example of that.”