We have them here in Columbus. Most people consider us to be "Midwest." There are a lot fewer now in part because a lot of the courts and government agencies the messengers used to file things with now accept electronic filings.

I find it hard to believe that nearly 1/3 of those responding to the poll have never seen a bike messenger.

I can't walk a block at lunchtime without seeing a few.
Every company I have worked for in SF uses them several times a day. I work for a real estate developer, and even though I make more money than they do and have better benefits, whenever I see them go by through the window in my cube I wish I was out there riding instead of sitting at my computer. :(

i got the same thing...but it posted for me too

Steve

Here's the page for the CMWC (Cycle Messenger World Championship)

http://www.nybma.com/cmwc2005/

Sometimes I pretend to be a messenger on my fixie with my jeans & messer bag on my commute to work.

How do you "pretend" to be a messenger?

....by riding my fixie in my jeans & messer bag on my commute to work.

Lots in downtown San Diego. Easy to spot. They're all riding fixed.

I've seen both in the flesh, but neither in Indiana.....being a small town hick, I gawked at both :)

I once saw this guy on a bike &....... oh wait! That was me! :eek:

never seen one

kind of a scary neighborhood if messangers are being hit by swinging dead chickens :roflmao:

Lots of them. I linve in New York City. There are thousands (actually, I have no idea how many there are, but there must be a lot).

They mostly ride fixies. Some ride single-gear bikes, track frames, but have a freewheeling single cog in the back and a front brake only. Often the frames are completely wrapped in old inner tubes. The seat is usually about a foot higher than the handlebars.

They're amazingly fast.

Oh, yeah. I forgot to mention that my younger brother worked as a bike messenger for a couple of years. This was a long time ago -- at least ten years ago, maybe more. I'll have to ask him.