Originally Posted by dnuzzomueller

So one story I have is in the first week and a half of my job, when I am still in my "trial period" (which is two weeks) I am doing what we call "The world tour" which involves picking up two interdepartmental mail bags and bringing them to two bank branches, getting the return bags and getting back to the main branch. This whole run is nice because it gives you a total of 4 runs but involves alot of biking in some of the less bicycle friendly areas of Boston (For those of you who know the city it goes from seaport, to southie to shallow dorchester). On my way back from the run on the return to seaport I get a call from my dispatcher.

Dispatch: "Dan, where are you RIGHT NOW!?"

Well as any courier knows this sort of direct question over the radio prompts an "Oh ****!" moment in your brain.

Me: "On D and 1st".
Dispatch: "I need you to go to 200 Seaport RIGHT NOW, get the bag going to 1 lincoln, it needs to get there by 4:00pm, I know this might not be possible but we've gotta try"

*Look at watch, 3:45pm*

I still need to cover about a quarter of a mile to get to the pick, then I need to get through some of the most congested streets to the drop. Well regardless I turn on the afterburners, come flying into Seaport, the client throws me the deposit bag and simply says "You have done this before, just GO!". And I take off like a bat out of hell, cut a few lights, nearly get nailed by an 18 wheeler (slight exaggeration, I more cut behind him in a turn really close) and come screaming into one lincoln. As I get there and go running into the security dock the new security guard yells at me to stop (Normally an older guy is there who knows me and has never given me any trouble), the new guy is this large well built young guy who proceeds to say: "I think your on drugs, open your bag and take off your shoes". Basically just wanting to get the delivery to the dock master ASAP I pop my shoes off (Yay for Lake I/O Boa lacing shoes!) and open my bag, he does the chemical swab wand on all my stuff, waits for the machine to spit out a negative, glares angrily at me and lets me go inside, I sprint up the ramp, hand Srey (Dock master) the bag and he goes "Oh, they are sending a second one today?" the time was 3:57. Later that day, my dispatcher who is notorious for always having a bit of a smart mouth says: "Oh really nice job on the delivery by the way Dan". The next day the client at Seaport tells me: "That was a 14 million dollary check you rushed yesterday, my boss called your boss and said 'If you want our continued business you will gaurantee this by 4pm' to which your dispatcher had said 'not possible' ".

Story of the newbie earning his stripes I guess.