Commuting - Anyone else play "messenger" on the commute?

I don't know why exactly but since I was about 12 I've been obsessed with urban bike messengers, and I find myself fantasizing in traffic that I'm hammering through some packed stretch downtown, messenger bag slung over my shoulder, dodging in and out of cabs, skitching off the back of a cube van, swerving around fares getting out into the street, avoiding peds and outrunning the cops. Back to reality, there IS no traffic on my commute and the most excitement I get is when a sorority girl pulls out in front of me. But hey I can pretend, right?

Well, I sort of live the fantasy myself, as I ride a fixed gear, and throw my stuff in a Timbuktu bag, and ride my butt the 25 miles to work, and another 25 home. I don't do much traffic riding, as my route has several bike lanes, and commuter paths. Tomorrow, Saturday, it will be a different story. The bike paths will be full of no minds weaving all over the place, unless the rain we need comes a long. My fantasy is usually being a domestique for Lance on Mont Ventoux.

I have the bike messanger fantacy as well.

Ironically, in new york city if you commute by bike, half the time you have no choice but to play messenger. I find in midtown traffic, the safest thing is to stay in the middle weaving around traffic. Staying to the side will guarantee you get doored or you run into pedestrians.

I don't know, I always feel like a pirate. I'm moving across the countryside under my own power. And when I get to school I can look to the mountains to see where I came from. I have no idea why I thought "pirate" from this. I always thought it was odd that people think that motorcyclists were tough. They sit, we move ourselves. Eh, I'm a pirate. Peace.

I'll admit to feeling somewhat the daredevil. Silly, because I always opt to follow the rules to the letter, and where is the devil-may-care in that? But I suspect that the average motorist finds the act of bicycle commuting either foolhardy or courageous, and that's good enough for me.

Because I travel off the beaten path, of roads, on the rails to trails, some of the trails are crushed limestone, and are kind of rustic. I can often slip into a fantasy of being a spy, or part of the French Resistance, riding the back roads to avoid the Nazi forces. It is the one bike fantasy that I seem to gravitate to, so maybe I actually was some sort of resistance fighter that rode a bike, in a past life.

I took inspiration from Lucas Brunell's videos of alley cat races in NYC and Baltimore, so I tend to be very aggressive riding through crowds of people and traffic. I often "play messenger" on a saturday or sunday here, where I ride all around the smallish town of BGSU. BTW, here's Lucas's website. Dude is nuts. www.digave.com/videos

Every once in a while, especially in bad weather, I become a domestique with Lance on my wheel, dragging him back from a wheel change, coming back through the support cars, up to the back of the pack, through the pack, to the front. As fantasies go it's pretty minor, but it comes to me sometimes.

In heavy traffic, my fantasy is that I won't get hit by anyone.

I took inspiration from Lucas Brunell's videos of alley cat races in NYC and Baltimore, so I tend to be very aggressive riding through crowds of people and traffic. I often "play messenger" on a saturday or sunday here, where I ride all around the smallish town of BGSU. BTW, here's Lucas's website. Dude is nuts. www.digave.com/videos

Those videos are INSANE! First intersection (in NYC of all places) and these folks plow through them without even looking-- at least Brunell doesn't turn his head because the camera mounted to the top of his helmet would show it. How they deal with traffic is crazy! They all should be dead many times over. These videos make me feel like the biggest wimp. I blow through stop signs on residential roads, they go against traffic on 6 lane divided highways with semis honking like mad.

Crazy crazy CRAZY!!!

Wow!

Chuckie

That style of riding comes with the need to get somewhere fast. When I still lived in Toledo I was as forceful in my riding as I needed to be. I live in Boston now and I delivered for a few years and I guess the only way I can describe it is that you kind of use the force. Stupid description? sure. But thats what it is. I still love to put the headphones on and go out and dodge traffic. I do have to give the NYC riders all the credit in the world, to ride in Manhattan traffic is just kooky. I think I would need a good month of daytime riding to get the balls to ride that town like I ride mine.

i'm getting a messenger bag.... but that's it... i like to be safe.

I like to be alive even more. lol

I wouldn't let videos like this influence you too much. It'd be like going to a website on skateboarding tricks and being ignorant of how many times the person fell and injured themselves attempting it.

And with goign against traffic, you woudln't need to "screw up" too many times before somethign serious happened.

Not defending or promoting that type of riding, but just try to make a living doing messenger work without riding that way. It's nigh impossible.

Not defending or promoting that type of riding, but just try to make a living doing messenger work without riding that way. It's nigh impossible.

I'm curious, how does the messenger buisness work? I have no idea. Does a company have their own messengers are they independent or like a taxi service? How are they paid? If speed is that imperative how does someone decide to use a mesenger? "Jones! We need this at the midtown office in 14 minutes!" So Jones does..... what?

Chuckie

Drag race was pretty wild. Yowzers.

The companies that I worked with paid me 50% of each delivery. Clients would call him up and tell him where to pick up at and where to go. It didn't always work that way but in theory thats what happens. So being the delivery guy you would have to haul ass so you could get clear and get more work. Now you didn't always have just one package, sometimes my bag would be so full that I would have to turn work down. Some of the funny aspects of the job were the hypocrits that would publicly bash the messengers but then turn around and use us to deliver jewlery, porn, hair peices and a whole bunch of crap. Some of the funniest things I delivered was forskin, breast implants, 9 computer monitors(at one time, just not on my bike), a Curious George costume(which I did put on and ride to the delivery spot), booze, just name it and it's been delivered by me or someone I know. But in the end I screwed myself with my taxes. So if you or anyone you know is thinking about doing it, be sure to do your taxes in some way each year.

Oh and by the way, I just went to NYC a couple of weeks ago. The messengers down there should have everyones respect. Those guys are just plain kooky to deliver in that town.

I swear everyday I'm more tempted to quit school and become a messenger. Stupid school.

But is Bike Messanging still as good a job like it was, maybe -- 20 years ago?

But is Bike Messanging still as good a job like it was, maybe -- 20 years ago?

I didn't think it was ever a good job.

Here's a good read for cyclists, and especially for wannabe messengers: http://www.ebookmall.com/alpha-titles/Immortal-Class-Culley-Random-cr.htm

Here's a good read for cyclists, and especially for wannabe messengers: http://www.ebookmall.com/alpha-titles/Immortal-Class-Culley-Random-cr.htm

Read it... great book, but it could have stood to be longer!

I don't know why exactly but since I was about 12 I've been obsessed with urban bike messengers, and I find myself fantasizing in traffic that I'm hammering through some packed stretch downtown, messenger bag slung over my shoulder, dodging in and out of cabs, skitching off the back of a cube van, swerving around fares getting out into the street, avoiding peds and outrunning the cops. Back to reality, there IS no traffic on my commute and the most excitement I get is when a sorority girl pulls out in front of me. But hey I can pretend, right?

You don't have my sympathy. I fantasize about riding in crystal alpine air while I suck diesel fumes and try not to get squashed by cars during my commute. :rolleyes:

Oh and by the way, I just went to NYC a couple of weeks ago. The messengers down there should have everyones respect. Those guys are just plain kooky to deliver in that town.

I just wanted to say that I love your signature. Very Tenacious D. Peace.

Everyonce in a while in manhattan, if they're going my same direction, I like to tag along with the messengers. They're definitely not all as crazy as you would think they are in the videos. Some do get pulled over by cops and I heard from someone that cops even setup stings sometimes and just pull over a whole bunch of people and threaten to charge them to anything from running a light, sitting on the cross walk, not having a bell, and no reflectors.
Sometimes they'll blow the light and sometimes they won't. The ones that have been caught before will usually stop at the light, just in case. One bad light, one bad cop, and one $100 ticket is all it takes to ruin your day, especially when you're already living day by day.

BTW: It's not as dreamy when you're riding around town looking like this :)

Oh I know all about the stings that the cops set up, I used to deliver here in Boston. The signature is more of a homage to Tolkien and the one ring.

Oh I know all about the stings that the cops set up, I used to deliver here in Boston. The signature is more of a homage to Tolkien and the one ring.

I'm just curious, while I never tried, what prevents you from just bolting into heavy traffic down the alley?

Bolt into traffic? I tried to do that whenever possible. I always figured that I would let everyone know I was there as quickly as I could.

I meant when the cops pull you over.

Oh that. Well they usually had a motorcycle cop or two right down the street from them plus Boston is kind of a small downtown. We would usually just try to do the smokey and the nadit thing by getting on the radios and telling each other where the cops were. Word travels fast.

I think that box should fit into that guys bag. If not he is holding it all wrong. Oh and one more thing, bethechange I thought you meant the other one. The devil thing is an old joke a friend of mine would always say.

Not much traffic on my commute to work, I would say that my attire is messenger inspired as the small webfirm I work for has no dresscode. :)

I often feel like some sort of western train-robber...but that's just because I run by the local light rail....and sometimes beat the thing :D