Tuesday Word: Motorela (belated)

[theidolhands.livejournal.com]

mo·to·re·la [ˈmōdərˈrɛlə]:
origin: [1964] Philippines; motor= motorcyle + rela= tricycle (may have 4 wheels); invented by Rafael Floirendo, Sr.

noun
We live in a world where alternate modes of transportation are regularly being explored...as well as making those machines smart enough to decide if they should break for us or not.

Anyway, in the Philippines, they have a device that looks like a bus had relations with a motorcycle, then gave birth to a motorized rickshaw. This contraption is known as a "Motorela"; it's like a motorcycle with a car shell built around it and can carry from 4-16 people (which is the point of turning a motorcycle into a bus). Not to be confused with Motorola = the phone company.

Motorelas can also carry goods inside or outside (including the roof) and just come really in handy. They are also known as "the mini jeepney" (a ramshackle minibus). Motorelas can also be fancifully decorated by the owner in a similar manner to jeepneys, though not necessarily.

So, why don't we make these things in the United States?


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