Wacky ride for 'Whacker Man'

Rasbert Turner, Sunday Gleaner Writer

Vroom! vroom! As Wayne Foster navigates the busy streets of Spanish Town, St Catherine, people stare in awe at the pile of iron he sits astride, as well as the trailer with lawnmowers and 'weed whackers' - as the handheld grass trimmers are commonly called - behind it.

"The man pon di funny bike a come!" mischievous schoolboys said to each other.

Foster, commonly called 'Mr Whacker', has been cutting grass for a living over 20 years. His improvised ride is the latest in a line of two-wheel vehicles which the Trelawny-born Foster has used for work. He said he had a bicycle previously, so this is an upgrade for him.

"Let me tell you something, it is dirt bike mi get and improve pon it so it carry mi tool around," Foster said, while braving the afternoon sun.

He outlined the modifications, including an elevated seat and tyres with a bicycle's 16-inch tube, doubled for reinforcement. Foster's innovation is evident, as he uses only nuts, bolts and parts of a bicycle frame to make additions.

"I don't use any welding as that weaken the frame and I want it to be strong to do the work," he said

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Roller-skate bearings, instead of the bicycle hub, are utilised in the wheels of the trailer that is attached to the bike.

Foster told Automotives that after leaving Central Branch All-Age School, his only job has been cutting lawns. However, his ability to put his bike together, despite not havig formal training, has not gone unnoticed.

"As long as I know him is lawn mi see him cutting. Then mi see the sample bike so mi see him as a great person," Rose Charles, a resident on one of Foster's regular work routes, said.

Foster, who was born 47 years ago in Albert Town, said he has a vision of teaching persons how to fix whackers and other small machines.