bicycle messenger

Bicycle messenger, London

Bicycle messengers (also known as bike or cycle couriers) are people who work for courier companies (also known as messenger companies) carrying and delivering items by bicycle. Bicycle messengers are most often found in the central business districts of metropolitan areas. Courier companies use bike messengers because bicycles can travel faster than automobiles, and often motorcycles, through heavy city traffic.

Continued demand

Various commentators, at various times, have claimed that technological innovation will significantly reduce the demand for same day parcel delivery^[1]^[2]. Their predictions were that the fax machine, and then the internet, would render the messenger business obsolete, but demand for urgent courier services remains^[3]. US Department of Labor statistics are reported to show that the numbers of people employed as messengers in the period 1996 - 2004 has held steady.^[4]

Some portion of the continued demand may be the need to send items which can not be sent by digital means (eg corporate gifts, original artwork, clothes for magazine photo-shoots). But legal documents, various financial instruments and sensitive information are also sent by courier, perhaps reflecting a continuing distrust of digital cryptography^[5]. Also common is the use of messengers to deliver digital content across the city on optical media or hard disks. With the introduction of high speed internet connections, the speed of delivery is no longer the main reason for the delivery of removable media, as it may have been in the past^[6]. In some instances messengers may be used purely for the air of importance the delivery method lends to a package.

Working conditions

The conditions of employment of bicycle messengers vary from country to country, city to city and even company to company. Contracts governing the relationship between individual courier and company are subject as much to customary practice, as local ordinance. In some places messengers are independent contractors paid on commission and do not receive benefits such as health insurance. In other places they will be regular employees of the courier company enjoying all the benefits thereof. Organisations representing couriers often accuse the employers of manipulating employment law to keep overheads down.^[7]

In the US, the Obama-Durbin Independent Contractor Proper Classification Act of 2007 was introduced to deal with the problem of workers 'misclassified' as independent contractors.^[8]. It is not clear what effect this legislation, if enacted, will have on the U.S. courier market. But if, as is the Act's intention, courier companies are forced to treat those workers that they previously declared independent contractors, as employees, with all the benefits thereof, then there is no doubt that costs will rise. It should be noted that this legislation is aimed at 10 million workers in the US, not merely couriers and messengers.

It is very common for the job to carry a low degree of compensation relative to the risk and effort required. In 2002, a Harvard Medical School study of injury rates amongst Boston bicycle messengers determined that the rate of injury requiring time off work amongst the sample group was more than 13 times the US average, and more than 3 times higher than the next highest, workers in the meat-packing industry. ^[9] At least one bicycle messenger is killed whilst working every year in the US. ^[10]^[11]^[12] 7 bicycle messengers are known to have been killed whilst working in London, England between 1989 and 2003.^[13]

Because payment is made at piece rates, and cycle couriers often fail to file accurate tax returns, it is hard to find good evidence of messenger income. However, it seems likely that most couriers' net income is often well below the local average income, often barely above minimum wage, where minimum wages are enforced. Yet there are few, if any, reports of a shortage of willing cycle couriers, possibly due to the freedom offered by the job and its continual romanticization.

History

Western Union bicycle courier, 1912

Almost immediately after Pierre Lallement developed the forerunner of the modern pedal-driven velocipede in 1864, people began to use the bicycle for delivery purposes. David Herlihy's 2004 book on the early history of the bicycle contains several references to bicycle messengers working during the late 19th century, including a description of couriers employed by the Paris stock exchange in the 1870s^[14]. During the bicycle boom of the 1890s in the United States, Western Union employed a number of bicycle messengers in New York City and other large population centers. In a curious foreshadowing of contemporary Western messenger culture, these couriers generally rode bicycles equipped with a single fixed gear.

The earliest recorded post-war American bicycle courier company was founded by Carl Sparks, in San Francisco 1945. According to the San Francisco Bicycle Messenger Association, 'Sparkie's went on to become Aero, which was bought out in 1998 [and] later absorbed into CitySprint.'^[15] By the late 1970s, there were well-established companies offering bicycle messenger services in many major cities in the U.S..

In Europe, the bicycle had fallen out of favour as a means of delivery in the third quarter of the 20th century. It was not until 1983 that bicycle messengers made their reappearance in Europe. London's On Yer Bike and Pedal-Pushers were pioneers of pedal over petrol, and the rest of the city's courier companies followed suit. By the late 1980s, cycle couriers were a common sight in central London and a British manufacturer named a range of mountain-bikes for them, the Muddy Fox 'Courier'.^[16] Entrepreneurs in continental Europe, some inspired by seeing couriers in the US or in London, began to offer bicycle courier services in the late 1980s, and by 1993 there were sufficiently large numbers of bicycle couriers in Northern Europe and North America that over 400 attended the inaugural Cycle Messenger Championships in Berlin, Germany.^[17]. Bicycle messengers have not become common in southern Europe, the heartland of world competitive cycling. There are very few bicycle couriers in Portugal, France, Spain, or Italy. Outside Europe and North America, there are now large bicycle messenger services in Japan—notably Tokyo—and also in New Zealand and Australia.

Equipment

Bicycle

A fixed-gear bicycle

The essential equipment of a bicycle messenger is a bicycle. Messengers can be found using many different types of bicycles, including road bikes, hybrids, mountain bikes, BMX bicycles and fixed-gear bicycles. Although not ridden by a majority of messengers, the fixed-gear bicycle is currently most often associated with bicycle messengers.^[18]

Bag

The majority of messengers use a bag to carry their deliveries and personal effects. Bags with a single strap that wraps diagonally across the wearer's chest - popularly known as messenger bags - are popular among messengers because they can be swung around the messenger's body to allow access to the compartment without removing the bag. Similarly specialized two-strap backpacks are also available for messengers. These must be at least partially removed to access the storage compartments, but distribute the weight of the bag across both shoulders.

Clasps which can be adjusted with one hand (ideal for riding), clips, pockets and webbing loops on the strap for holding a cell phone or two-way radio and other equipment also feature on purpose-built messenger bags. Messenger bags generally have large capacities (up to 50 liters or 3,000 cubic inches, large enough to hold a box of ten reams of paper). Baskets and racks, mounted on the front or rear of a bike, can also provide carrying space, and at least one messenger service (in New York City) equips its riders with specialized three-wheel cycles (sometimes known as cargo-trikes), which have a large trunk in the rear for carrying items, in lieu of bags.

Communications

Messengers communicate and are dispatched to assignments via hand-held communication devices including two-way radios, cell phones, and personal digital assistants. Many of the larger messenger services now equip their riders with GPS tracking devices^[19], for ease of location.

Lock

Most large cities are plagued by bicycle theft^[20] . To protect their bikes from this menace, most messengers carry a lock to secure their bike during deliveries. Simple chain and padlock systems are used by many messengers, who wear the locked chain around their waist like a belt while riding. U-locks (also known as D-locks) are also popular as they are sturdy locks as well. For further security, some messengers are known to paint their bikes in ugly, clashing colors to make them less attractive to potential thieves.

Tools

Messengers typically carry basic tools to deal with mechanical problems they might encounter, weather-proof clothing and a map of the city or town in which they operate.^[21]

Messenger culture and influence

A Texas bicycle messenger doing a hands-free track stand while juggling at CMWCXIII NYC.

Events

The Swiss cycle messenger championships under way in 2004.

Some messengers see their occupation as a sport as well as a job. Starting in 1993, Cycle Messenger Championships have taken place at national, continental and world levels. In addition to these international races, bicycle messengers organise events of many kinds. These range from weekend events featuring multiple competitions^[22], to roller races^[23] held in bars, to alleycats and social rides. These events are held as much for fun and messenger networking as for competition. Bicycle messengers also take part in formal cycle competitions at all levels, and in all disciplines. Nelson Vails, silver medallist on the velodrome in the 1984 Olympics, worked as a bicycle messenger in New York City in the early 1980s. Ivonne Kraft, who competed in the 2004 Olympic cross country mountain bike race, is a multiple former Cycle Messenger World Champion, and worked as a bicycle messenger in Germany for a number of years.

Media

Messengers have been used in fiction media as symbols of urban living, and have been the subject of novels^[24], memoirs^[25], feature films^[26], television series^[27], comic-books^[28] and sociological studies^[29]. Mexican artist José Guadalupe Posada created a popular icon of a marijuana-smoking bicycle courier everyman in his 19th century engravings.

News media have made portrayals of messengers ranging from innocuous urban libertines to reckless, cliquish nihilists. The latter portrayal is often sparked by local incidents involving bike messengers in collisions with other road-users or run-ins with authority figures^[30]. These incidents also occasionally lead to proposals for, and dispute over, new ordinances and regulations on messengers and messengering.^[31] ^[32]

Fashion

The influence of bicycle messengers can be seen in urban fashion, most notably the popularity of single-strap messenger bags, which are a common accessory among people who do not ride a bicycle regularly. The rise in popularity of fixed-gear bicycles in the mid-noughties, complete with affectations such as spoke cards (gathered from "alleycats" typically), is attributed to bicycle messengers.^[33] Some messengers disparagingly refer to persons sporting these affectations as 'fakengers'.^[34]^[35]

References

^ Seaton, Matt (2007-07-05). Two Wheels column. Guardian Media. Retrieved on 2007-09-17.
^ Tomasson, Robert (1990-03-19). Fax Displacing Manhattan Bike Couriers. New York Times. Retrieved on 2007-09-17.
^ Soft Pedal. The Economist (2006-06-29).
^ Hendry, Joe. Bicycle messengers are pedaling uphill against the Internet. messmedia. Retrieved on 2007-09-17.
^ Authenticity and Integrity in the Digital Environment. Council on Library and Information Recources (2000-05-01).
^ Sneakernet Redux: Walk Your Data. Wired Magazine (2002-08-26). Retrieved on 2007-09-19.
^ Des Patchrider. Self-employment my arse. Kat Sharpley Library. Retrieved on 2007-10-20.
^ Obama introduces pro-labor legislstion today. BarackObama.com (2007-09-12). Retrieved on 2007-10-20.
^ Dennerlein, Meeker (2002-02-06). "Occupational Injuries Among Boston Bicycle Messengers" (html). Harvard School of Public Health. Retrieved on 2007-09-17.
^ Mark Brown (2007-08-19). Messengers pay tribute with 'ghost bike'. Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved on 2007-09-23. “Death of one of their own shows group's tight bond”
^ Emily Vasquez (2006-08-11). Manhattan: Bike Messenger Killed. New York Times. Retrieved on 2007-09-23.
^ Thomas McBride. Messenger Memorial (1999). Retrieved on 2007-09-23. “d. 26.April.1999 murdered by Carnell Fitzpatrick, driver of a Chevy Tahoe.”
^ 'Buffalo' Bill Chidley (2005-10-13). Dedication. Moving Target. Retrieved on 2007-09-23. “London Bicycle Messengers killed whilst working: Joe Cooper, Calvin Simpson, Paul Ellis, Edward Newstead, Mark Francis, Reidar "Danny" Farr, Sebastian Lukomski”
^ Herlihy, David V., Bicycle: The History Yale University press
^ A History of Bike Messengering in San Francisco (html). San Francisco Bicycle Messenger Association (September 1996). Retrieved on 2007-10-01.
^ Value Judgement (html). The Washing Machine Post (1998-04-11). Retrieved on 2007-10-01. “When I entered the grand world of cycling in a proper way instead of playing on a terrible ten speed racer, i bought a Muddy Fox Courier for £300 [sic]”
^ A Short history of the Cycle Messenger World Championships (html). International Federation of Bicycle Messengers and Associations (October 1998). Retrieved on 2007-10-01. “500 messengers showed up, raced, drank beer, smoked and hung out. The Cycle Messenger World Championships had been born.”
^ Don't kill the bike messenger. NY Times News Service (2005-06-11).
^ Chidley, 'Buffalo' Bill. The End of Bicycle Messengering As We Know It?. Moving Target. Retrieved on 2007-09-17.
^ Bicycles stolen every 71 seconds (html). BBC News (2007-04-27). Retrieved on 2007-09-24. “The hotspots for [bicycle] thefts are central London”
^ Chidley and others, 'Buffalo' Bill. How to be a messenger and not get stitched up, nicked or runover. London Bicycle Messenger Association. Retrieved on 2007-09-17.
^ Berlin Annual International Cycle Courier Team Trophy. Retrieved on 09/17/2007.
^ Rollapaluza, the London messenger roller race. Retrieved on 09/17/2007.
^ Gibson, William (1994-10-06). Virtual Light. London: Viking Press. ISBN 978-0140157727.
^ Reilly, Rebecca (2000-08). Nerves of Steel : Bike Messengers in the United States. New York: Spoke and Word. ISBN 978-0970342607.
^ Quicksilver, 1986 film about a stock broker who becomes a NYC messenger
^ Streetwise, a UK childrens TV series about a cycle courier company. Retrieved on 09/18/2007.
^ Jones, Jay (w), Jones, Jay (p), Messenger 29 vol. 1, #1 September 1989 September Press
^ Fincham, Ben (2007). "‘Generally speaking people are in it for the cycling and the beer’: Bicycle couriers, subculture and enjoyment". The Sociological Review 55 ((2)): 189–202.
^ Messenger mayhem. messmedia.
^ McNulty, Timothy (1999-09-08). Messengers don't like Council's signals. Pittsburgh Post Gazzette. Retrieved on 2007-09-19.
^ An Ordinance Concerning The Registration Of Commercial Bicycle Services And The Licensing Of Commercial Messengers, 2000. City of Boston. Retrieved on 2007-09-19.
^ Ryan, Singel. Fixed-Gear Bikes an Urban Fixture. Wired Magazine. Retrieved on 09/18/2007.
^ the track bike, Ephraim. Ask A Track Bike. San Francisco Weekly. Retrieved on 09/18/07.
^ Chidley, 'Buffalo' Bill. Fakenger. Moving Target. Retrieved on 09/18/07.

External links

Cycle Messenger Championships

Messenger associations

The International Federation of Bicycle Messenger Associations

USA Messenger Associations

Miscellaneous sites

Bicycle Messenger Emergency Fund, provides financial assistance world-wide to bicycle messengers who have been injured whilsts working.
Messenger Memorial Site, records the names of dead bicycle messengers world-wide.
The Messenger Institute for Media Accuracy, archive of media featuring bicycle messengers.

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