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best USA city to start messengering in?

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best USA city to start messengering in?

Old 03-30-09, 03:42 AM
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best USA city to start messengering in?

So I want to get a job as a messenger. Doesn't matter what city (in the USA or somewhere people speak English and don't hassle about taxes). Where is a good place to think about? I can use craigslist. Help me out with something the internet can't tell me.
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Old 03-30-09, 03:49 AM
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Originally Posted by 2mtr
So I want to get a job as a messenger. Doesn't matter what city (in the USA or somewhere people speak English and don't hassle about taxes). Where is a good place to think about? I can use craigslist. Help me out with something the internet can't tell me.
But we are the internet.
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Old 03-30-09, 03:54 AM
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Originally Posted by 2mtr
Help me out with something the internet can't tell me...
with a search function.
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Old 03-30-09, 04:10 AM
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Youre willing to move anywhere in the US to be a bike messenger?
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Old 03-30-09, 04:18 AM
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Fargo, ND.


You're welcome.
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Old 03-30-09, 06:19 AM
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Originally Posted by Abe Froman
Fargo, ND.


You're welcome.
thats a common misconception. its actually bismarck, nd.
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Old 03-30-09, 07:12 AM
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Originally Posted by Abe Froman
Fargo, ND.


You're welcome.
Aren't parts of fargo underwater? That'd be a blast riding in three foot deep water.
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Old 03-30-09, 08:00 AM
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Can we try and be serious here please?
But seriously... if you are that gung-ho then go straight to NYC.
Why screw around?

Last edited by jakerock; 03-30-09 at 08:08 AM.
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Old 03-30-09, 08:17 AM
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You know what, I'll answer this question seriously:

I can't really give a whole overview of all of the places in the wolrd that can still support bike messengers, but Chicago has a lot going for it in this department. It's a big enough business center to to have a full blown messenger ecosystem, has a propperly urban "downtown" area for doing all that romantic dashing between girdlocked cars and it's a pretty cool city to boot.

You must know by now that the internet has (ironically) eliminated many of the deliveries that would have been handled by couriers back in the glory days of messengerdom. You should also know that (at least in Chicago) about 2/3 of the messengers on the street at any one time have been at it for less than 6 months. There are sort of tiers of messenger companies and jobs- so expect to put in some time with a crappy company that will take anyone unless you have some sort of exceptional qualification.

Overall, dude, are you sure you want to move somewhere JUST to be a messenger? If that's you goal, I'm not going to hold it against you, but I would reccomend moving to a cool place that where you'll be happy living, messenger or not. Who knows, you might hate it!
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Old 03-30-09, 08:19 AM
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you should move somewhere to get a diploma instead.

ends up paying more in the long run.
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Old 03-30-09, 08:53 AM
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Originally Posted by sp00ki
you should move somewhere to get a diploma instead.

ends up paying more in the short and long term.
fify
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Old 03-30-09, 09:10 AM
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Originally Posted by peabodypride
fify
**********
wtf???

dose anybody now hwo too spel these days?? (sarcasm...if you can't tell).

Seriously. What is that? Fifty? Iffy? Spiffy? Jiffy?


I'll assume you meant iffy. If you did, you are horribly, horribly misinformed or joking. I hope you really don't think that there is any chance of earning more money as a messenger than with any sort of college degree.
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Old 03-30-09, 09:27 AM
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Originally Posted by artesc
**********
wtf???

dose anybody now hwo too spel these days?? (sarcasm...if you can't tell).

Seriously. What is that? Fifty? Iffy? Spiffy? Jiffy?


I'll assume you meant iffy. If you did, you are horribly, horribly misinformed or joking. I hope you really don't think that there is any chance of earning more money as a messenger than with any sort of college degree.
https://lmgtfy.com/?q=fify

Ugh.
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Old 03-30-09, 09:32 AM
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I'm not sure about the US, but right now messenger jobs are few and far between up here. Obviously the advent and exponential growth of the internet is mostly to blame. However, the services of the messenger ITTET are not in high demand.

I'd go to school if I were you.
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Old 03-30-09, 09:51 AM
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Originally Posted by fastenerpuller
You know what, I'll answer this question seriously:

I can't really give a whole overview of all of the places in the wolrd that can still support bike messengers, but Chicago has a lot going for it in this department. It's a big enough business center to to have a full blown messenger ecosystem, has a propperly urban "downtown" area for doing all that romantic dashing between girdlocked cars and it's a pretty cool city to boot.

You must know by now that the internet has (ironically) eliminated many of the deliveries that would have been handled by couriers back in the glory days of messengerdom. You should also know that (at least in Chicago) about 2/3 of the messengers on the street at any one time have been at it for less than 6 months. There are sort of tiers of messenger companies and jobs- so expect to put in some time with a crappy company that will take anyone unless you have some sort of exceptional qualification.

Overall, dude, are you sure you want to move somewhere JUST to be a messenger? If that's you goal, I'm not going to hold it against you, but I would reccomend moving to a cool place that where you'll be happy living, messenger or not. Who knows, you might hate it!
Although I agree with your entire post I just want to note that the "glory days of messengerdom" were 2004-2007 when people thought they were something awesome and super cool. No time before that was it cool to dress, act, and have a bike like a bike messenger.

To the OP. Get an education. Being a bike messenger is not a career move. It's a job. It's being a delivery boy on a bike. It takes no more skill than being a taxi driver. I mean no offense to bike messengers or taxi drivers, but that's just how it is. There is nothing about being a messenger that you can put on a professional resume (unless you started and ran the company). If you want to earn a living using your back (labor) get into construction and learn that trade.
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Old 03-30-09, 10:12 AM
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Originally Posted by carleton
Although I agree with your entire post I just want to note that the "glory days of messengerdom" were 2004-2007 when people thought they were something awesome and super cool. No time before that was it cool to dress, act, and have a bike like a bike messenger.
what about 1986
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Old 03-30-09, 10:20 AM
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Originally Posted by 2mtr
So I want to get a job as a messenger. Doesn't matter what city (in the USA or somewhere people speak English and don't hassle about taxes).
Portland, OR doesn't seem to have as many couriers as back in the mid 90s, but they're still there.

I'm not sure what you mean by "hassle about taxes". No sales tax in OR, but there are still property and state income taxes. Multnomah County gets ya with yet another income tax, so that's 3 income taxes total you'll be paying if you work there.

Must like rain.
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Old 03-30-09, 10:31 AM
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A degree is way overrated. College isn't for everyone. I know to many ppl with degrees working at jobs they hate cause they hate what they got their degrees in. Its stupid to think that just cause you went to college that your educated, and you will get all these great jobs and your life will rule, its just not true. Anyone can make a living doing things that don't need degrees,and that they love, just don't be scared to work your ass off to earn it, because there's always gonna be some ****face with a degree who thinks hes better than you because he got a D in calculus, HA.

I would not vote for Chicago BTW. F' the F'ing weather in this god forsaken city. Go somewhere warm, not chi. Granted, Chi can be cool, and it would be the biggest city in the country if, and this is a HUGE if, the winter was at least tolerable. But as it stands the winters out here are so oppressive, its hard to quantify.

But yeah, go for it man. I would just take a road trip with your bike to like 5 cities you are interested in, then you might have a good idea of what you want from a city. I vote NYC, just do it, don't be a *****.
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Old 03-30-09, 10:34 AM
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where on "Earth" is the OP from? He may already live in an ok city.
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Old 03-30-09, 10:37 AM
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Originally Posted by Meepers
where on "Earth" is the OP from? He may already live in an ok city.
Hopefully not OK City, though, hehehe.

I guess he/she could always hitchhike down to Austin, TX. They got bike couriers there.
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Old 03-30-09, 10:41 AM
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Originally Posted by Fixter
A degree is way overrated. College isn't for everyone. I know to many ppl with degrees working at jobs they hate cause they hate what they got their degrees in. Its stupid to think that just cause you went to college that your educated, and you will get all these great jobs and your life will rule, its just not true. Anyone can make a living doing things that don't need degrees,and that they love, just don't be scared to work your ass off to earn it, because there's always gonna be some ****face with a degree who thinks hes better than you because he got a D in calculus, HA.
i agree. i never finished college but adore my job and make enough to make me smile proper every other friday.

well, kinda proper anyway. until i make six figures, bike parts will still be too expensive.

which will never happen.
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Old 03-30-09, 10:42 AM
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Originally Posted by Fixter
A degree is way overrated. College isn't for everyone. I know to many ppl with degrees working at jobs they hate cause they hate what they got their degrees in. Its stupid to think that just cause you went to college that your educated, and you will get all these great jobs and your life will rule, its just not true. Anyone can make a living doing things that don't need degrees,and that they love, just don't be scared to work your ass off to earn it, because there's always gonna be some ****face with a degree who thinks hes better than you because he got a D in calculus, HA.
You are probably 19.
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Old 03-30-09, 10:52 AM
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Originally Posted by peabodypride
LOL. I was being sarcastic. Guess you didn't catch it. Sarcasm, within sarcasm. Cool, no?
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Old 03-30-09, 11:27 AM
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A degree is way overrated.
Entirely depends on which discipline and what line of work you'd like to enter.

College isn't for everyone. I know to many ppl with degrees working at jobs they hate cause they hate what they got their degrees in.
This is true. If you hated your majour, you're likely to hate your job. If that's the case, then why did these people stick with it? You're allowed to change majours if you don't like what you started out with.

Its stupid to think that just cause you went to college that your educated, and you will get all these great jobs and your life will rule, its just not true.
Freshman Comp might give people the leg-up on the competition, allowing them a grasp of the written language such that they can write a resume which will get them an interview, rather than laughed at.

Anyone can make a living doing things that don't need degrees,and that they love, just don't be scared to work your ass off to earn it, because there's always gonna be some ****face with a degree who thinks hes better than you because he got a D in calculus, HA.
Which would you rather do:
A) Make a living (I interpret this as "just getting by") busting your butt 7 days a week, potentially turning the "something you love" into "another effing job", or
B) Find a degree applicable to something you love and do much better than just making a living?

I spent 2 years as a courier in the early 90s and no matter how much I love riding my bike, I'd never consider trying to eek out a living by doing it now. Electronic signature, wire transfer and file attachments have killed much of the work which used to be available. Who needs a paper cheque when a bank can wire money direct to your account? Same with so many of the document transfers which were common back in the day. Even photography and architectural plans are more frequently being transferred electronically.
Yeah, you can make a living riding a bike these days... but for the effort you put in, is it really worth it?
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Old 03-30-09, 11:46 AM
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I was just in DC, seems like a pretty cool place to be a messenger, flat, and a logical layout too.

I'd like to be a messenger for a bit, it'd be fun.
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