On August 31, 2009, former attorney general for Ontario, Michael Bryant, killed cyclist Darcy Allan Sheppard in one of the most violent and horrific cases of road rage in Toronto’s history.

The attack and killing were captured by surveilance video and witnessed by many who were willing to share their accounts. A special prosecutor, Richard Peck, with ties to the liberal party and a propensity to avoid prosecuting those in powerful positions or law enforcement worked with the defense team to document and publish Mr. Bryant’s version of the events.

Even though the prosecutor had a history of refusing to take these types of cases to trial it still came as a shock to Ontarians when he refused to prosecute his fellow BC born, boxing politican and lawyer.

Since then Mr. Bryant has announced a publishing deal to repeat his version of the events in book form and has sought out every opportunity to appear before the cameras. Not once has he taken any responsibility for a death caused by his deliberate and reckless actions.

On March 29, 2012, Michael Bryant, champion of the 1%, will once again seek the spotlight. He will be speaking at the Royal Ontario Museum, RBC Foundation Glass Room discussing policy options for the Liberal Party of Canada followed by an opportunity to mingle and have drinks at the exclusive Bedford Academy, 36 Prince Arthur Avenue.

There is a call to protest Michael Bryant’s appearance here.

Meet at the ROM at 5pm on March 29.

Many people got their start as a messenger and then moved on to something else. The flexible nature of the job allows messengers to pursue other passions while earning a living.The freedom of the job leaves room for inspiration.

The list of ex-messengers is as diverse as the list of current messengers. They include actors, artists, writers, singers, rappers, entrepreneurs, athletes and inventors. Some left the profession long before they achieved their dream. Some were already famous while still working as messengers but all were affected in some way by the profession.

The list of famous ex-messengers was originally hosted at messengers.org. It’s now hosted at the Mess Archives.

The incomplete and ever growing list of famous ex-messengers

This is very sad news.Moving Target is reporting that London bike courier Henry Warwick was killed February 3rd while working.

From Moving Target:

As reported by BBC News, a cyclist was killed after a collision with a coach on Wormwood Street last Friday (3rd February 2012). Various posters on the Moving Target forum expressed their concern that it was a courier, and Rico Logistics have apparently confirmed that it was Henry. If this is the case, then Henry would be the 9th London bicycle messenger known to have been killed whilst working.

There will be a ride for Henry Warwick this Friday February 10 in London.

Henry is the bike courier who showed Ed Robertson around London in the Episode of Ed’s Up:

Last Messenger Appreciation Day (October 9, 2011) California Governor Jerry Brown signed Senate Bill 459 (SB 459) that imposes strict penalties on employers who willfully misclassify workers as independent contractors as well as advisors (excluding lawyers) who knowingly counsel employers to engage in willful misclassification.

This new law came into effect on January 1, 2012. It adds Sections 226.8 and 2753 to the California Labor Code.

Section 226.8 prohibits the willful (“voluntarily and knowingly”) misclassification of a worker as an independent contractor. It also prohibits employers from charging misclassified individuals for items such as  materials, space rental, services, government licenses, repairs, equipment maintenance, or fines arising from the individual’s employment.

Penalties include fines of $5,000 to $10,000 for first the violation and up to $25,000 for repeat violations.

It also includes other penalties such as ordering an employer to post a notice on its website for a year, stating that the “employer has committed a serious violation of the law,” has changed its business practices to comply and   The notice must be posted for a year and must invite misclassified employees  to contact the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency.

  Continue reading →

By Joe Hendry

“Hey, there’s blood on this envelope!” said Mary, the receptionist.

“Sorry about that, it’s mine,” I answered, pointing to the blood dripping from the knuckles on my right hand.

“But the cheque is here in plenty of time, right?” I said, in a plea for some appreciation.

After all, I almost died getting that multi-million dollar cheque to Mary in less than twenty minutes because she forgot to call it in sooner.

“Yes, plenty of time,” she said as she signed my manifest.

I didn’t blame Mary. It’s the nature of my job as a bike messenger. My job is to deliver one hundred percent on time, all of the time, with no exceptions and no excuses. I never seek appreciation but this one time I hoped for just a little.

Continue reading →

2011 Markus Cook Award recipient Stephanie ‘Papillon’ Bartczak

The International Federation of Bike Messenger Associations (IFBMA) is pleased to announce that London’s Stephanie ”Papillon” Bartczak has been awarded the 2011 “Markus Cook Memorial Award” (MCA) for Services to the International Messenger Community. The IFBMA has awarded the Markus Cook Award (MCA) since 1998 to the person who has inspired and empowered the wider messenger community, and who put all messengers before themselves.

From Moving Target:

After being nominated for the 2nd year running, Stephanie ‘Papillon’ Bartczak has been presented the Markus Cook Award for services to the messenger community. Papillon is well-known within the messenger community for being very active within the organisation of the London Courier Emergency Fund, which exists to give financial assistance to London’s bicycle messengers and couriers who suffer injury whilst working. She helped found the Fund in 2007, and has worked to build it up constantly since then.

Read the full article at Moving Target

Dandy Blog, September 28, 2011

by Colleen Kirley
designs by Dieter Janssen

Dieter Janssen, architect and former professor at the University of Toronto, wanted a custom bike and went to La Carrera Cycles. One day, while he was in the shop, he overheard owner Nadir Olivet talking about having the Cycle Messenger World Championships (CMWC) in Guatemala. Janssen had recently taken interest in racing tracks – he visited the 333-metre outdoor velodrome in Cuba and has ridden the Forest City velodrome in London, Ontario – and when Nadir mentioned the figure 8 track, he was immediately interested in being involved.

Janssen was up for the challenge. He enlisted some students and created a work-study program out of the track. “It’s a complex geometry,” Janssen said. “Because of the physics of that geometry – we really needed to get right in terms of making this track function properly.” On Janssen’s website, you can view just how complex this work was – pages and pages of diagrams and equations map out what will ultimately become the track. “We worked with a mathematician who recommended some people who were also interested in the project. Very quickly, we had a team together.”

More…

Dandyhorse, September 2011 

by Tammy Thorne with files from Colleen Kirley