Computer Programmer Turned Bicycle Messenger
#1
Newbie
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Hillsboro, Oregon
Posts: 2
Bikes: Redline Conquest Tour
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Computer Programmer Turned Bicycle Messenger
A former computer programmer who quit his job and became a bicycle messenger posted his experience on Kuro5hin. You can read it here.
#2
On Your Right
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Warner Robins, GA
Posts: 1,422
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Interesting read, thanks for the link.
__________________
"You never fail, you simply produce results. Learn from these" - Anonymous
"You never fail, you simply produce results. Learn from these" - Anonymous
#7
2-Cyl, 1/2 HP @ 90 RPM
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: NYC
Posts: 15,762
Bikes: 04' Specialized Hardrock Sport, 03' Giant OCR2 (SOLD!), 04' Litespeed Firenze, 04' Giant OCR Touring, 07' Specialized Langster Comp
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 4 Times
in
4 Posts
Too bad he wasn't a stock trader / wall street guy...
Still... as long as I get to ride 2 hours to work everyday pushing like a time trial, I'll take that over the romantic image of being a messenger that this guy presented. I make more money sitting around eating lunch and breakfast all week than most messengers take in on average. Not to mention riding around at 15mph all day isn't quite my thing. Most messengers ride at a pretty slow pace since they have to do it 8 hours a day. I only have to do it 2 hours a day so I can push all out and make it exciting.
Still... as long as I get to ride 2 hours to work everyday pushing like a time trial, I'll take that over the romantic image of being a messenger that this guy presented. I make more money sitting around eating lunch and breakfast all week than most messengers take in on average. Not to mention riding around at 15mph all day isn't quite my thing. Most messengers ride at a pretty slow pace since they have to do it 8 hours a day. I only have to do it 2 hours a day so I can push all out and make it exciting.
Last edited by slvoid; 03-23-05 at 10:46 PM.
#8
Senior Member
Originally Posted by operator
Posted before... in fixed forum.
I am laughing my head off at slvoid's post. Poor guy has yet to see the light outside the corporate corridors!
#9
2-Cyl, 1/2 HP @ 90 RPM
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: NYC
Posts: 15,762
Bikes: 04' Specialized Hardrock Sport, 03' Giant OCR2 (SOLD!), 04' Litespeed Firenze, 04' Giant OCR Touring, 07' Specialized Langster Comp
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 4 Times
in
4 Posts
Originally Posted by Rowan
I am laughing my head off at slvoid's post. Poor guy has yet to see the light outside the corporate corridors!
#10
Site *****
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: NSW Australia
Posts: 503
Bikes: 1960 Malvern Star
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I quite enjoy reading personal stories like this. I did one of my knee replacement surgery. It gets a lot of hits.. about three per month... probably accidents.
#11
Senior Member
Originally Posted by slvoid
I've seen it. I used to work at a materials science lab where I had enough time waiting for samples to be tested that I went out to a lunch and matinee movie before going back. Else I'd go back to my office where I had a tv and vcr in it, a home made fridge made of a styrofoam box and dry ice that I smugged from the chemistry lab. I could go in any time between the hours of 8-11am and no one cared. Time sheets were filled out by us and my boss didn't even look at it, I'd frequently just fill out 8-8-8-8-8 at the beginning of the week. If it were a nice day out, I'll stay out for 4-5 hours and just run a few more tests and analyze them either at home or the next day. I can't even count the number of times I was so bored I took the left over liquid nitrogen from the electron dispersive analyzer to make ice cream from frozen yogurt. At that time I made about a hundred bucks over what messengers averaged. I can't imagine a job with as much freedom as I did. Best of all, it was goverment funded half the time, so the more money we spent, the more we got.
#12
Interocitor Command
The guy in the article probably didn't quit. He probably got canned and had his job outsourced to Bangalor just like I did. They don't just weave Madras anymore.
At least I'll say this, he's making lemonade out of lemons. Gotta give him credit for that. Kudos Transient0.
At least I'll say this, he's making lemonade out of lemons. Gotta give him credit for that. Kudos Transient0.
#13
cab horn
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Toronto
Posts: 28,353
Bikes: 1987 Bianchi Campione
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 42 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 26 Times
in
19 Posts
Originally Posted by Rowan
Not everyone frequents the fixed forum. Odd that it should be posted there, too... the guy rides a non-fixed bike <index fingers crossed, held out front and hissing noise>
I am laughing my head off at slvoid's post. Poor guy has yet to see the light outside the corporate corridors!
I am laughing my head off at slvoid's post. Poor guy has yet to see the light outside the corporate corridors!
And isn't it a girl?
#14
2-Cyl, 1/2 HP @ 90 RPM
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: NYC
Posts: 15,762
Bikes: 04' Specialized Hardrock Sport, 03' Giant OCR2 (SOLD!), 04' Litespeed Firenze, 04' Giant OCR Touring, 07' Specialized Langster Comp
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 4 Times
in
4 Posts
Originally Posted by operator
It was my imgaintatino that it was a singlspeed MTB. At least it looked that way in the picture?
And isn't it a girl?
And isn't it a girl?
And that's either a girl or very femanine dude. S/he's kind of cute.
#16
Warning:Mild Peril
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Seattle Refugee in Los Angeles
Posts: 3,170
Bikes: Cilo, Surly Pacer, Kona Fire Mountain w/Bob Trailer, Scattante
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times
in
3 Posts
Originally Posted by slvoid
I've seen it. I used to work at a materials science lab where I had enough time waiting for samples to be tested that I went out to a lunch and matinee movie before going back. Else I'd go back to my office where I had a tv and vcr in it, a home made fridge made of a styrofoam box and dry ice that I smugged from the chemistry lab. I could go in any time between the hours of 8-11am and no one cared. Time sheets were filled out by us and my boss didn't even look at it, I'd frequently just fill out 8-8-8-8-8 at the beginning of the week. If it were a nice day out, I'll stay out for 4-5 hours and just run a few more tests and analyze them either at home or the next day. I can't even count the number of times I was so bored I took the left over liquid nitrogen from the electron dispersive analyzer to make ice cream from frozen yogurt. At that time I made about a hundred bucks over what messengers averaged. I can't imagine a job with as much freedom as I did. Best of all, it was goverment funded half the time, so the more money we spent, the more we got.
__________________
Non semper erit aestas.
Non semper erit aestas.
#17
Senior Member
Oops, my mistake on the fixed gear (I'll cover up the gender confusion by saying guys seems pretty universal for both these days, like in "Hey guys"). Back to comprehension classes for me.
Still a neat story.
Still a neat story.
#18
2-Cyl, 1/2 HP @ 90 RPM
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: NYC
Posts: 15,762
Bikes: 04' Specialized Hardrock Sport, 03' Giant OCR2 (SOLD!), 04' Litespeed Firenze, 04' Giant OCR Touring, 07' Specialized Langster Comp
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 4 Times
in
4 Posts
Originally Posted by Treespeed
It's so much more than the money or freedom. ...better yet, the look of pure envy on the office drones during one of those rare sunny days when they are all stuck inside and they know that you are outside riding a bike for a living.
I had the freedom to go outside on a "rare" sunny day (85% of all the days in NYC are sunny in the summer usually) and take a 4 hour lunch break and do damn near nothing and I still got paid. I think that's even MORE freedom than what messengers have.
Forgive me if I think that while someone's stuck "having" to deliver stuff back and forth to get paid on a sunny day, I can be out riding where ever the hell I want outside the city on nice roads with fresh country air and I *still* get paid whereas if a messenger did that and stopped delivering, they *won't* get paid.
Maybe you can help me cause I'm really confused on this issue. Are you trying to say that it's better to be riding through dense traffic everyday for 8 hours hauling packages and being paid more to pretty much do absolutely nothing more than throw in 2-3 hours of analysis time a day is somehow WORSE?
Not everyone sees a stressful 8-6, 51 week, $350,000/yr job as the end all to happiness.
Not everyone sees a dangerous, 5 days a week riding through dense traffic making $35,000 a year if you're lucky as the end all to happiness.
But if someone's paying double that for 20 hours of work a week while you can pretty much sit on your ass (or saddle) and do whatever you want, I'm sure most people here would gladly take that over the 35k/yr job.
#19
Senior Member
It's not about the money, for heaven's sake, and how much work you do (or don't do) to get it.
I think that's the point of the article. Pay cut, sure. But a lifestyle that's active and exhilirating and with some camaraderie, and challenging with no real boss except yourself.
I don't know whether bragging about four hour lunch breaks and getting paid for them really substantiates your position. Seems to me that your life revolves entirely around money. And there is not much challenge to getting that money.
Some people want some challenge in their lives. Makes it much more interesting.
I think that's the point of the article. Pay cut, sure. But a lifestyle that's active and exhilirating and with some camaraderie, and challenging with no real boss except yourself.
I don't know whether bragging about four hour lunch breaks and getting paid for them really substantiates your position. Seems to me that your life revolves entirely around money. And there is not much challenge to getting that money.
Some people want some challenge in their lives. Makes it much more interesting.
#20
Banned
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Maryland
Posts: 5,155
Bikes: rockhopper, delta V, cannondale H300, Marin Mill Valley
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 5 Times
in
5 Posts
Slvoid, most people would rather do little or nothing for twice the pay. You're "normal". Bike messengers have a different kind of work ethic. At least we can take some pride in our work. We aren't wandering around the city waiting for our samples to get tested. I wouldn't want a job like yours.
#22
2-Cyl, 1/2 HP @ 90 RPM
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: NYC
Posts: 15,762
Bikes: 04' Specialized Hardrock Sport, 03' Giant OCR2 (SOLD!), 04' Litespeed Firenze, 04' Giant OCR Touring, 07' Specialized Langster Comp
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 4 Times
in
4 Posts
Originally Posted by qmsdc15
Slvoid, most people would rather do little or nothing for twice the pay. You're "normal". Bike messengers have a different kind of work ethic. At least we can take some pride in our work. We aren't wandering around the city waiting for our samples to get tested. I wouldn't want a job like yours.
SO that's not a good thing right?
#23
Senior Member
Originally Posted by MERTON
why the shizzle would he drop a fuzzle good job for a bad one? he's a dizzle idiot!
#24
Senior Member
Originally Posted by operator
Obviously everything revolves around money. No money means no beer, girls, sex, roof, bikes, girls.
Let's see, eliminate beer, girls and sex, and substitute tent for roof, and you've got yourself a happy touring cyclist.
#25
Senior Member
Originally Posted by slvoid
I was very very stress free and happy.
SO that's not a good thing right?
SO that's not a good thing right?