New York City’s bike messengers remain a fixture on the streets, having
weathered the advent of the fax machine and, of course, e-mail. Now,
with the cost of gas pummeling courier companies that rely on motorized
vehicles, a few enterprising cyclists are using the opportunity to
generate more business.
A small but growing number of pedal-powered messengers are outfitting
their bicycles and, in some cases, tricycles, with boxes and flatbeds
on which they can load hundreds of pounds of cargo.
“Eighty percent of the jobs done in a van I can do,” said Hodari
Depalm, the owner of Checker Courier, a cargo messenger company in
Manhattan that says it can move up to 200 pounds of documents by bike.
Mr. Depalm said his two-man messenger business had increased by 20
percent within the last year.
Auckland
City Harbour News, Friday, 15 August 2008
2008 Cycle Messenger World Champion Jenna
Makgill
The St Lukes resident was the best woman rider in the Cycle Messenger
World Championships held in Toronto during June. The 22-year-old, who
works for Urgent Couriers, says she wasn’t expecting to come away a
winner. But riding around the hilly streets of Auckland gave her the
edge on the competition.
"Auckland is one of the hardest cities to courier in. Here couriers are
more aggressive and people aren’t used to having bikes around," she
says.
The competition involved riding a set course for three hours dropping
off and picking up packages at different checkpoints, while locking up
her bike in-between deliveries. And just to make things that little bit
more difficult, Jenna had to deal with unpredictable weather.
Atlanta's bike messengers count about 10 of
their kind on the roads.
They ride Downtown to Midtown sometimes a dozen times a day to deliver
documents with the urgency of e-mail and the gravity of paper. Some
couriers say they expect business to go up to keep gas costs low. Some
say their workload will shrink as more businesses and government
agencies figure out how to do their work online.
For now, this is their job security: cars can handle the long haul and
fragile cargo, but in Atlanta traffic, a bike gets there faster.
Ottawa's 2ndNorth Side
Polo Inviational (NSPI) takes
place August 2 - 4, 2008. Here is the Gobal National
story
on Bike Polo featuring Ottawa's Mallets of Mayhem
and Los Marcos.
Ten years ago
on July 23, 1998, Toronto messenger Wayne Scott made tax law history.
For the first time a court decision made it possible for bike and foot
messengers to deduct their extra food expenses as a business expense
equivalent to "fuel". After a lengthy 18-year battle, the court
ultimately agreed with Wayne's argument that the extra food required
by messengers to perform their jobs was similar to the gas required by
car couriers to perform their jobs.
The orginal court decision allowed couriers to deduct $11 per day as a
fuel expense for food. As of 2008 the current deduction permitted is
$17 per day. The automatic deduction is based on the number of days
worked and it is not necessary to submit supporting receipts unless the
courier attempts to deduct an amount greater than the daily limit.
Revenue Canada underestimated Wayne's grit and determination. After
losing early battles in the Tax Court, he appealed to the Federal Court
of Canada where he was finally successful.
The current limit amounts to a tax deduction for food of about $4,250
every year
for every bike and foot messenger in Canada.
Two lines of four people square off across the parking lot, each
balancing on their fixed-gear bikes with only the heads of their polo
mallets resting on the ground.
This is urban bike polo, a game that's hijacking empty lots, basketball
courts and sometimes parking garages across the country and world. Here
in Sacramento, it's played twice a week in the parking lots beneath the
freeway on X Street.
Here is a great pitch
reel for New York City's
CycleHawk
Messengers . This is a demo reel for a proposed TV series about the
world of a New York City based bike messenger company. Produced by
Steinway Productions.
The few, the proud, the otherwise unemployable. Welcome to the chaotic
world of bike couriers on the rugged streets of Toronto . See the
cumulative effects upon this invisible minority after years of working
too hard for so little. Experience the desperation, the humanity, the
fear and the dreams of Silver and Stinky. These two characters view
society from down in the underground economy. It is not always a
pleasant viewpoint, but still, they find ways to have fun. Watch as
they wrestle with issues, both personal and world-changing. Silver and
Stinky are veteran bike couriers. Theirs is a nine-to-five job for
misfits. This play marks the first time actors Kelly Fanson and Greg
Dunham have worked together.
Ottawa police
are stopping outlaw cyclists after an elderly man was knocked down by
one who was riding illegally on a Pretoria Bridge sidewalk last week.
Constables Steven Lewis and David Zackrias were downtown yesterday
handing out warnings, fines and information pamphlets to cyclists
breaking a myriad of rules.
CMWC 2008 was the longest weekend of my life - almost 2 years. It was a
roller coaster ride of hope and optimism that caused me to witness some
of the most inspiring and some of the most disappointing behavior
during my life in the messenger community.
But now that it's over I can't help but think about the best and worst
of CMWC. The best part of CMWC is always the people. Messengers from
all over the planet carry the party from country to country every year
inspiring more of the same to join the trek. People like
Switzerland's Luk Keller and Porno Steve whose positive attitudes and
infectious smiles spread not only throughout CMWC but around the world
too. It's no wonder they both seem to look younger every time I see
them. And people like Martin Banan who showed up three months
early to help, just in time.
But for everything that has a best there's also a worst and CMWC is no
exception.
The moment the fresh batch of competitors
walked their bikes to the starting line, spectators could tell that
this group of cyclists were not quite the professional bikers who were
racing earlier in the day. These riders had tattoos of pirates and
skeletons covering the length of their arms. Some wore cut-off shorts
instead of spandex. And all of them had canvas work bags slung over
their shoulders as they clutched their handlebars, ready for their race
to begin.
When they are not busy delivering packages, most of these New York bike
messengers see the city streets as their unofficial playground, and at
times, their illegal racetrack, facing-off in street contests they call
"alley cat races." But on June 15, they participated in a different
kind of race — one that did not involve dodging pedestrians or weaving
through rush-hour traffic at 25 miles-per-hour. There are differences
between the messengers and the pros. The street riders' pre-race diet
is often beer instead of energy drinks. It was also alien locale. The
race, part of this year's Harlem Rocks 35th Annual Skyscraper Cycling
Classic, was held in Marcus Garvey Park, up by Fifth Avenue and 120th
Street. Many bike messengers rarely travel above 100th Street since
most of their business keeps them downtown. Still, says James "Speedy"
Hines, a Harlem resident and a bike messenger for two decades: "It
feels phenomenal, man. Just to be racing amongst the pros — I feel like
a pro biker."
Toronto's bike couriers have ganged up to give
themselves a smoother ride on the job.
You might've seen Cheryl Douglas, 57, weaving in and out of the city's
busy intersections before, but she's doing it with health benefits and
better wages now that she's a part of Courier Co-op Toronto.
"We did the math and said 'this is ridiculous,' these guys work hard
for just a few dollars," Douglas said yesterday while at the Cycle
Messengers World Championships on Toronto Island's Hanlan's Point.
Officials with the co-op, with just five members and in its seventh
week, were busy promoting themselves yesterday amidst other bike
messengers competing in races and bike polo competitions.
"(Bike couriers) make under minimum wage as it is and we wanted to
change that," said Shane Murphy, 39, a courier for the last 16 years.
"We want the courier to feel he's making what he's worth."
The 16th annual Cycle Messenger World Championships
are taking place June 13-16 in Toronto. In addition to all the official events for registered
participants there are many unofficial and underground events
happening that are free and open to everyone's participation.
Saturday, June 14th
8pm - Navid Presents: Goldsprints Finals and Block Party. Qualifiers at
8pm, Finals at 10pm. Maple Syrup giveaway! Prizes! 625 Richmond Street,
back alley, See
Map
Sunday, June 15th
12-3pm - Bike Union Social Bike ride: Meet at Little Norway Park (End
of Bathurst St., South of Lakeshore) See
Map
Evening- Island Social - Bring your own Firewood. Contact Navid for
details. See Map
for ferry boat. The dock is at the bottom of Bay St. Schedule
Monday, June 16th,
8pm- Navid Presents: Ken Stanek and Luke Styles' collection of NY Short
Films. Cine Cycle - 129 Spadina Avenue. Coach house behind 401 Richmond
st. After party and BBQ!, See
Map
Harlem Rocks with messenger racing as part of the 35th Annual
Skyscraper Cycling Classic on Father’s Day, Sunday, June 15th, at
Marcus Garvey Park in New York City. Four-rider teams will compete in a
“package pass” relay race on a specially modified racecourse. The race
kicks off at 3:30 pm, just before the professional men’s start at 4:10.
Squid, the iconic New York City messenger and owner of Cyclehawks
Messengers stated: “This is a great opportunity for messengers to show
their positive impact on the city and to get a chance to share the
stage with the pros.”
The messenger teams
will compete for a $1,000 prize list and a track frame offered by
Affinity Cycles, technical advisors on the messenger event. For
registration information please contact: jay@jaypeg.net
Live coverage of
Harlem Rocks will be available for free on WCSN TV and to a worldwide
audience via WCSN’s broadband network www.wcsn.com.
Spectators will enjoy the live coverage on a jumbotron positioned just
beyond the start/finish line on West Mt. Morris Avenue and 121st Street.
A bicycle messenger who had recently started his own delivery business
was killed Wednesday when he was hit by a pickup next to Alamo Square,
San Francisco police said.
Kirk Janes, 35, was killed at 10:55 a.m. at Fulton and Steiner streets
at the northeast corner of the square. Janes had recently co-founded
the business American Flyer and was also known as an artist, filmmaker,
photographer and fencing enthusiast.
Janes was heading east on Fulton toward downtown in a bike lane when
the pickup driver, headed north on Steiner, struck him in the
intersection. Police Department spokesman Sgt. Wilfred Williams said it
is unclear who had the right of way at the intersection, which is
controlled by signal lights.
Veteran bike messenger has ring side
seat for city circus
Kevin Bolger refers to the 16 years he's spent
as a bicycle messenger in Manhattan as "16 winters," because the cold
months are when work is abundant and the weather takes its toll.
Bike Bondage! Check out our installation of art bikes beautifully bound
in rope in the shibari tradition. Artfully done by Lord Morpheous. (http://www.lordmorpheous.com/)
Bike films, visuals and sexy surprises to come!
Celebrate Navid's birthday with a race and a drink! See how fast you
can race! Dance your ass off! Do it at the same time!!!!
5$ at door
Free admission if you are dressed like a
bicycle! :)
see you there!
Radio
Interview with Kurt Boone - March 24, 2008
Veteran New York messenger,
author, poet, Kurt Boone will be interviwed today (March 24,
2008) at 8:30pm (EDT) with ScreamingWoman.com.
This may come as old news to some, but H&C received phoned
confirmation today from Canada Revenue Agency superviser Rick Wilson,
that the daily rate for active transport (foot, bike, transit)
messengers has been raised from $15 to $17 /day worked.
Again, the information is slow in reaching us as this change took
effect at the beginning of 2006 !!!
We've been advised that those who have already filed will have to
refile to see any rebate.
As the CRA readily admitted to me, they have had a tough time finding
this information in their system. I've been talking with them for the
better part of a week. They now will try to make this sort of info more
accessable, in the future.
When written confirmation arrives, we will forward it.
-Wayne Scott
PS - And a round of thanks to Steve Beiko for the tip,
eh?
New York City's best messenger service Cycle Hawk Messengers
is
presenting its third annual Velo City Tour
where the fastest
track racing messengers and city bikers compete for prizes including RETURN AIRFARE TO TORONTO for the
16th annual Cycle Messenger
World Championships.
Last year's winner Peter Bradshaw of Boston went on to win the 2007
Cycle Messenger World Championships in Dublin, Ireland.
It's a new year and that means it's time for the annual end of bike
messengers article.
The media is obsessed
with promoting the myth that bike messengers are
disappearing. They have been predicting the demise since at least
1991. Messenger numbers go up and down with the economy. The
effect of the internet on the messenger industry was felt almost 10
years ago yet journalists make it sound like it just happened. In
1999 we had the dot.com bump which temporarily increased the number of
messengers. It's not just messengers everything in America was
healthier before the selection of George W. Bush in 2000.
There was an AP story about the Internet ruining the messenger
industry in at least 75 publications in May 2005. It was also on
the front page of Yahoo as one of the top stories. The article is
basically the same with different headlines like "Bike messengers
fading fast", "Bike messengers ride into sunset", "Message is bad for
bike couriers", and "Bye-bye to bicycles"
The USA is about to go
into a recession so expect more artilces like this when it does.
Fortunately for messengers it's print journalism that's likely to
disappear long before bike messengers do.
Number
of messengers in the US: according to the US department
of Labour
