Welcome to Indego’s Passholder of the Month series! This is only awarded to (12) passholders each year. So, it’s a pretty big deal. The ones who ride often and/or share their Indego adventures to social media get this kind of special treatment.
Once crowned, the winner gets a grand tour of the Indego wheelhouse, hangs out with the team, gets a lot of swag and so much more. Meet our March winner, Breandon Shank!
Name: Brendon Shank (@bshank)
Occupation/Interest: VP of Social Media and PR at Domus, Inc.
Neighborhood: Graduate Hospital
Favorite thing about Philly: Definitely the people. Those people and their passion for the city make Philly a fantastic place for my two boys to grow up.
When did you become a Passholder and why?
I think it was when it was first introduced (founding member here! woot!). It was around Bike to Work Day two years ago. The weather was beautiful and I remember riding for the very first time. It totally brought me back to the freedom and fun of when I used to ride bikes as a kid, except it was part of my commute.
I was hooked right away. Since then, it’s been a part of my commute and preferred way to get around the city.
Do you ride Indego to work? If so, how’s it going?
Yep. I love a bike commute. It’s a great power-up that starts off my day with focus, adrenaline, and passion for my work.
Best of all, it’s faster and more flexible than any other way.
What views do you see on your commute? I get to ride straight through Graduate Hospital, so I see the faces of neighbors and friends.
On the way home, I ride past one of my favorite views of the city. It’s of the parks at the Marian Anderson Rec Center. The ballfield is surrounded by row homes with a backdrop of the skyline. The big waving American flag is the icing on the cake. It’s a great mix of all the things that makes Philly awesome: the diversity of the neighborhoods, the growing skyline, and the eternal hope of a baseball field.
Any tips for new Indego riders? Enjoy it! Always be mindful of safety and don’t forget to take in all the sights and sounds of the city when you’re biking. It’s a different perspective. On a bike in Philly, you get all the speed of a car (probably more so), so you get to see a lot, but it feels more integrated into the neighborhood than when you’re in a car.
Also: Don’t ride on the sidewalk. Nothing annoys me more than when people ride bikes where people are walking. Like, flames on the side of my face annoyed.
What do you love most about Indego?
It’s definitely the flexibility. Not having to use a bike or car of my own means that I always have options when I get around the city. I can bike to work, but then take a carshare home. Or, I can meet up with my family at a park quickly on an Indego without having to worry about parking or a bus.
Oh, also, it’s super-fast compared to just about any other mode of transportation. I get SUPER smug about passing cars that are stuck in traffic while I’m in a bike lane.
There’s also just the feeling of riding a bike in the sunshine with a breeze. It’s one of my all-time favorite experiences. I’m thrilled that I get to share that feeling with my boys here in the city (like during Philly Free Streets). Indego makes that possible and easy.
One other random note: when my younger son was four, he loved pointing out the Indego bike stations in our neighborhood. But, for whatever reason, he called them “Bike Hungs” instead of stations; no one (including him) knows why. The name has kind of stuck in the family, so we still call them Bike Hungs. I hope you’ll reconsider re-naming them. 🙂
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