news from tokyo...

cmwc2009tokyo...

it's not time but it's almost time. hope you cats have been saving up...sh*t, i hope you cats have your tickets already. looks like the kids over and tokyo are putting on a race to be talked about for years and years to come...check out the jerseys...

click here to enlarge...

along with a great race, party, and so on comes an opportunity for people to show off their art skills. Lord knows the messenger community is filled with artists with all kinds of greatness and tokyo has acknowledged it by putting together an art rush...

Please send us your original work.
Print, hand drawn, stitched, re-make, the format does not matter.
Use a T-shirt as your canvas; entries are open, as long as the image is related to messenger.

check out all details here. also, don't forget to not only register but also pay up. remember, the earlier you pay the cheaper it is...

Entree fee paid by end of June: 7000Yen
Entree fee paid between July and by end of August: 8000Yen
Entree fee paid between Sept and by the day of race: 10000Yen

*The price will vary depending on the day of payment,
not the day of registration!!!
*Your registration will be finalized by the payment.

keep an eye on their main site and the blog. good luck to any and all who show up and play in tokyo. wish i could join you cats...peace.

congratulations...

this isn't really a congratulatory story but you'll see where im headed in a few. anyway...before i begin please know that not all our messengers are as special as this man. to keep it even more safe i won't say his number but for the sake of argument we will refer to him as dan? yeah...that works.

so...i didn't receive the call but was around when the other order taker was telling us the story. a customer called to complain about one of our drivers. before i continue i would like to say that thank God it was one of our drivers and not our bikers. although we have special bikers our drivers are a bit more "unique"? i'll continue...the customer had a couple complaints about dan. first, when he showed up to the pick up he immediately, without asking permission, went around the counter and treated himself to some water and used the sink to rinse his arms and hands...wtf?! what a maniac. i know it's hot out but at least ask permission. im sure the ladies would have been more than gracious to help dan out.

he finally leaves and im sure the ladies would have let that slip if it wasn't for the next half of the story. at the drop he delivers flowers, sorry, forgot to mention he picked up flowers. anyway...he delivers the flowers and in a raised voice says..."congratulations, you have a package". i know, i know...you don't get it yet...whats wrong with that? first off, it's kinda silly to say congratulations. i understand that they are flowers but why say anything beyond..."i have a delivery for so-and-so"? well...turns out the flowers were for someone who just had a death in the family...oops! who the f*ck says congratulations to someone who is mourning the loss of someone?!?! i told you we have "unique" drivers. i have no idea what will happen to the driver but i know it won't be pretty.

will this be a lesson learned? i have no idea but i hope all you messengers who actually read this silly sh*t learn to not be a jerk like dan...peace.

did the world stop?

no it did not. it kept turning and turning just the way it's supposed to but...for a few minutes, it felt like it stood still. no, i take that back...things were still moving. calls were still coming in for orders. we were still dispatching orders. we were still on top of things but we were all glued to the tv or internet waiting to hear if it was true. i apologize if you thought this was a bike messenger story...michael jackson has passed...



so many hits to chose from...so many memories. my mom even called me to tell me the news and she started telling me stories about how i had the red jacket. how i used to steal buttons from my sister to take to girls at school. how i practiced the moonwalk time and time again. i understand that many don't care but i do...why? memories i guess. im a sap? who knows...i just felt like saying something. R.I.P M.J...peace.

heat warnings are funny...

it's that time of year when things go from complaining about the cold weather to complaining about the hot weather. personally...i've always enjoyed hot, hot, hot weather. 90+ feels good to me but then again...i am no longer riding so who am i to say anything. that being said, the weather people in the chicagoland area have issued heat warnings...

Temperatures are expected to reach the mid-90’s Wednesday, and the heat index could climb as high as 105 degrees, the weather service said.

To avoid illnesses, drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room and stay out of the hot, sweltering sun.

check article here...

i always loved how the news would always report to stay inside on really cold days and really hot days. what if your job consist of being outside for 90% of the time? sure there's down-time and Lord knows it's been slow but messengers still have to go out there. can somebody call discovery channel and them to do a show about messengers? you know, like deadliest catch? bike messenger has to be up there with some of the most dangerous jobs...right? traffic and weather? anyway, stay hydrated kids...heat stroke is nothing to mess around with...peace.

step your game up...

man.o.man...have you kids seen these...

click on pics to enlarge...

boston is not messing around. the naccc's aren't too far away and the boston crew is getting things done right. these saddles are too nice. check out these limited edition saddles over at brooks and don't forget to check on the boston naccc's page randomly cause im sure surprises will keep popping up. at least i hope so.

speaking of the naccc's...the new york crew is setting up a race/ride from new york to boston for the naccc's...

click on flyer to enlarge...

STAGE 1 TUESDAY JULY 28 NYC-NEW HAVEN
(APPROX) 77 MILES GMAP PEDOMETER ROUTE

STAGE 2 WEDNESDAY JULY 29 NEW HAVEN-PROVIDENCE
TBD (APPROX) 120 MILES

STAGE 3 THURSDAY JULY 30 PROVIDENCE-BOSTON
TBD (APPROX) 50 MILES

it's a three stage race but for those who don't want to treat it as such are still welcome to join in the fun. check out the details here. thank you cyclehawk for the heads up on the saddles and the race. don't forget to register for the naccc's...we're less than two months from boston showing us a good time...peace.

umm...really?

well...enough with the good times. time to get back to work. got a call from 1117 the other day at 71 south wacker...

1117...seventeen.

j.dot...what up? what up?

1117...package isn't at the messenger center. do you have anymore information?

j.dot...umm. wait...you're picking up from the 71 south wacker manangement.

1117...yeah but they don't have their information. no number and they don't know where they are in the building.

...wtf?! i seriously don't know whats wrong with people. if you read the above situation and still don't know whats wrong with this picture i will pray for you. we are picking up at 71 south wacker and we are picking up from the 71 south wacker management...get it?! how do they not have the information of the management of the building? how do they not know where in the building management is and how do they not know how to get a hold of them? i had a phone number so after about 15 minutes the messenger finally had the package in hand. ridiculous.

on a similar silly people note...we had a driver pick up from some location out in the burbs. no big deal. everything went fine but we got a phone call about a complaint anyway. i sort of wish it was me who picked up the phone but apparently the client was p*ssed off that the driver had an anti-olympics in chicago bumper sticker. he called to express his disgust and could not believe how anyone would not want the olympics in our great city. while i do hope that chicago does get the olympics in 2016 i also will not get all crazy cause of someone expressing their opinion about something like this. especially not over some bumper sticker. the man threatened to jump ships and never use us again. we told him what he wanted to hear but honestly...what does one tell the driver?

hey...get rid of that bumper sticker. i know we ask you to use your own vehicle but you have to get rid of it?

i honestly don't know if the driver was talked to but i seriously hope he wasn't. that sh*t is just ridiculous. i also hope that we don't send that driver to that pick up anymore...ha! we can't afford to lose any work...especially over some silly sh*t. on another note...it's supposed to rain all week...



at least it's going to be warm? ride safely, everyone...peace.

chicago did it's part...

velocity hit chicago this weekend. big thank you's to everyone and their mama who help put this together and to those who came out to play. it started off friday with a poker run. it wasn't a race...instead it was just a time limit and best hand wins. about 35 riders total but it was a group of three riders and among them one who won. don't know his name so if you read this and know who he is or you know who you are...please step forward. not only did he win but he also donated all the winnings back to the ccu...wtf?! how nice is that? the night ended early for some and later for others. i, in true form, did not attend...ha!

i did manage to get myself out of bed and make it to the track for the main event...

pic by Just.Max...

the day started off rainy and cloudy. by the time i got to the track there was no one there but the weather was turning in our favor. some phone calls were made and little by little we had about 25 riders total...give or take a few. they started off with warm ups followed by a very small clinic. most of the riders already had some experience on the track.

al urbanski and christina, sorry i don't know your last name, won for the messengers catagory. i believe she came by way of san francisco? andrew yeoman and val brostrom won for the non-messenger category. imo...the match sprints were the most fun to watch. the last two races in both categories were pretty close and came down to the line...

messenger...al vs perkins...



non-messenger...andrew vs stanley...



check out my set of pics here and dispatch101's very own photographer's set here...

pic by Just.Max...

pic by Just.Max...

pic by me...

thats right simon...you heard me. i got my own photographer...raising the game...ha!

all in all...it was a great time. thought i would make it to the saturday night relax and drink madness but didn't have it in me to get up from the couch after eating. sorry kids. im sure you guys were able to drink the beer without my assistance. thanks again to everyone who help put this together. a special thank you goes out to ben and, like most events that take place around here...augie...

pic by Just.Max...

keep an eye on the cuttin'crew site...im sure they'll have more specifics about the event. anyway, get ready san flan...you cats got next...peace.

the day has come...

and it's freaking raining...well, i think it stopped but it's cloudy. we need some sun and the track to be dry as a bone. let the praying begin...if you don't pray now would be a good time to start...



on the plus side...the rest of the week looks amazing. good luck to all participating at velocity today. i'll be there cheering you cats on...btw, the afterparty should be fun...





i'll try and get details about where and when soon...peace.

technical difficulties...

i had an interview up but was told to remove it for reasons that...well...i don't know and don't ask. maybe one day i'll have permission to put it back up but till then...we will continue with the regularly scheduled program. maybe i'll get another interview from a different person? maybe? in any case...lets not forget about the weekend activities...

poker run on friday, june 12th...



and velocity on saturday, june 13th...

well...

things have changed dramatically in the office. that being said, i will not be dispatching as much as i used to. i guess at this point i should just be grateful that i have a job but it doesn't feel very good. why? well...i love dispatching and thats been taken from me. not anyone's fault...just some changes that had to be done in this struggling economy. it is what it is.

on another note, i still get to dispatch the last two hours of my shift...ha? it's actually kind of annoying cause many disappear by the time i get on the radio. where do they go? home? to another job? i have no idea but i do know that all i get is silence when i call them for work. today seemed slow all day until, ofcourse, i get on the radio...

6731...hey, i got a flat. you're gonna have to take that package off of me.

j.dot...alright. don't worry about it. have a goodnight.

6758...five eight.

j.dot...what up?

6758...just caught a flat. im at one of the drops but i won't be able to drop the other one.

...f*ck!!! are you serious?!?! first off...there's about five people who didn't show up to work. not a huge deal cause it's slow. second...about six people leave without checking out so i was under the assumption that they were still working. third...why don't these cats have tubes and/or patches?! any good messenger knows you fix and go and if you're really good your dispatcher will never know. i let go of a couple people early cause it was slow at the time and i wasn't thinking people would be getting flats and not be able to fix them.

anyway...now it's a mad scramble. all i have are 6721, 6414, and 6761 for the next hour and half. i keep hoping we can get through it and then it starts...solo after f*cking solo start coming in. at this point i got the three of them just picking up and the drops would come later. i had them holding packages that i knew would be ok to leave. i had them holding packages that i knew i had called the client and asked or extra time. little by little the work got done. some jobs didn't quite make it cause people left but, again, it is what it is. i worked with what i had...not to knock the three that stayed with me. in that last minute hustle they all made decent money. not great but pretty good. not only that...they hustled their a** off and got it done.

thank you to them for helping me out...im gonna miss trying to figure out routes for x amount of messengers. this new position should be interesting. like i said, i won't be dispatching as much...can't wait for more late evenings. i have a feeling it's gonna be like this for a while. not sure how long i can handle this new position. like i said, i love being a dispatcher...peace.

lights, camera, action...

i received an e-mail last year from a lady by the name of marie ullrich. there wasn't much detail but she wanted to know if i had some time to spare to get together and talk messengers. do i have time to talk messengers? suuuuuure...why not? turns out marie is working on a film based on a female chicago bicycle messenger...nice! marie is/was doing research and figured she should start reaching out to our community to make the film as authentic as possible.

anyway...we got together and had a few drinks. i shared all i could in the limited time we spent together but i left pleased. why? i knew marie was being sincere in wanting to make sure the movie wasn't just some quicksilver type film. not that there's anything wrong with that cause Lord knows i enjoy a good laugh but...well, you know. well, time passed and we kept exchanging e-mails. i remembered that a fellow co-worker and friend, rene, of four-star was into film. the man is great people and i knew this would work out fine. soon...they got together and now production is on it's way on faster, a short film.

she was also able to get a hold of the talented christopher dilts to come in and take production stills. marie is doing a great job from the look of things. even though she's busy running around on getting this film to come to life she was able to provide a small interview. again, i have to apologize for my silly interview skills as far as the questions go...Lord knows im not very good at this...


1. without giving too much away...what exactly are you working on? what is the movie about?

Faster! is a short narrative film shot in HD about a bike messenger working in Chicago’s Loop. It’s based on the main character of a feature film that I wrote that was a finalist for the Sundance Filmmakers Labs a couple years ago. The short is its own complete story and the plot is somewhat different from the feature, but it’s based on the same main character, Jasper. She’s burnt out trying to work and put herself through school, and it’s showing.

pic by christopher dilts...

2. why did you decide to do a movie with messengers? why chicago?

Why messengers? I don’t know. I have never messengered myself although especially when I lived in Boston I commuted on my bike year round. At one point I was biking 15 miles a day to work plus whatever else I was doing. I don’t know if you’ve been in Boston or looked at a map of it recently, but the streets are a mess of one-ways and rotaries and roads that veer off into random directions. And the drivers are very aggressive – that’s where I get my fancy driving techniques from. I lived in the Fort Point area for a while, which is downtown across the Channel, by South Station, so I would drink at some of the same bars with messengers and got to know a few of them. I always admired them and the lifestyle. I guess messengering is something I always wanted to try but never did - I freelance in film so I’ve got to be able to take a gig when it comes along.

Why Chicago? Well originally my screenplay was set in Boston. But I moved to Chicago and I love it. So it’s gotta be in Chicago.

3. how "real" will this movie be? what kind of research have you done?

Ha ha! Well I have been doing research on messengers since the early 90’s. Even before I met you & Rene I was also researching it here. I was supposed to go on a day of runs with this one dude George but he stood me up… but I talked to a few messenger dudes and showed some of them my feature film script and made some changes based on stuff they told me. I found sites like messmedia.org and would read as much as I could. Had a few messenger zines – you know, on paper! – too. So I’ve been reading a lot and I observe a lot on the street, too.

Now, as far as this short film goes, I guess I started researching it hard core in December or January. I had come upon your site a while ago, and then finally got up the courage to ask you to talk to me about it. I guess I was afraid that folks would think I was stupid for trying to make a film about something I’ve never done myself. But I’ve tried to be as real as I can be. You gave me some tips, and you hooked me up with Rene, and he has been fantastic. My lead actress Jenny (Strubin) has never been a messenger either, or probably even ridden a bike downtown. I did try to find a messenger chick with some acting chops, and almost cast someone who is not a messenger but who races. But she ended up bowing out. And Jenny has been incredible. Rene gave her some tips and lessons and took her out on some runs with him while he was at work. Alexis talked to us about what it’s like being a biker chick in the city. She has never messengered either but she works at Upgrade and is a year-round hard core city biker.

*Ok and so this is the part where I have to tell you that I have knowingly done some stuff that’s not 100% authentic. Rene asked me if I can put a pop-up in the movie wherever this happens, letting y’all know that I shot it that way against his advice. So maybe in the extra features I’ll have Rene narrate and tell me all the things I did wrong! Stuff like, I knew she needed to lock her back wheel to the frame. That’s the expensive wheel. But the way we had the dolly set up, you couldn’t see her face at all if she did that, so I had her lock the front wheel. So I’m one of those Hollywood assholes who does it all wrong. Jeebus, I hope not. But there will be some things that you’ll notice.

On the other hand, when Chris (Dilts) was on set taking photos, he kept saying that he found it to be really authentic. like the scene where she’s in the elevator and guys are staring at her ass and making comments about her. Or people trying to bully her into taking a delivery that’s clearly a car job without paying extra for it. It has been really great to have the support of the biker and especially messenger community. I’m sure there will be people who will nit-pick or talk trash about us, but we tried to be as authentic as possible. I’m trying to be respectful. And the story comes from a genuine concern and wanting to get the “Share the Road” message out there some more. I bike in Chicago too. For the most part I feel safe on the streets but I get harassed a lot and I’ve been lucky not to get doored or anything (knocks on wood). I live near a ghost bike, and I see them all over the city and it really affects me. I mean I want this film to be kick-ass just as a film. But I also want to do some outreach with it. We’ve got a section on our film’s website fastershortfilm.com called Share the Road and I’m looking for links, photos, and images – so please send them along.

pic by christopher dilts...

4. what have been some of the challenges so far?

Holy crap, where to begin. I mean I knew from Day 1 that this was going to be a very challenging shoot just because of the nature of it. There’s action, being outdoors, location shooting – lots of moving parts. Did I mention location shooting? Getting locations is always a huge bugaboo, but Batman kind of screwed us independent filmmakers for a while because they were able to sprinkle $10G location fees around like cinnamon apparently. So many people have told me that this is the worst time they’ve ever had trying to secure locations – even worse than right after 9/11. You’d think that with the economy sucking, folks would be glad to make even an extra $500 or a grand. But you'd be wrong. They have this attitude that it’s not worth them getting out of bed for anything less than $5G. They don’t give a crap that you’re an artist or that your project is important and not some crappy commercial. They’d rather have a crappy commercial because that’s where the money is; even places that have a reputation for being involved with the arts – same story. So locations were a nightmare and a real struggle. My Production Designer was even looking for locations for us, working all her connections. It’s just rough out there. Locations fell through left and right and we ended up using some locations that were not Plan A or Plan B but more like Plan Z. But that’s where we ended up.

Then you’ve got the weather. Initially they were forecasting rain during our entire shoot. That stressed me out. All these people have made themselves available to work on the movie, but if it rains, they’ve got other gigs, jobs, plans… It ended up being okay. The weather was weird and iffy the whole time, but we got stuff done.

OK, and then my Art Director had his garage broken into during the shoot. The thieves stole all his tools (about $800 worth is the rough estimate), plus the custom-made messenger bag that we had already shot with. We had the film’s logo silkscreened onto it, and they distressed the hell out of it – it had one of production’s walkies on it, and other props inside it. So I get a call early one morning that we can’t shoot because we’re out the bag. But the scene we were doing that night, we only had that location for that one day. It was a one-shot deal, No other date was available, and I was going to lose my actor if we couldn’t shoot that week. But the Art Department, bless them – they had an extra bag with an alternate logo on it. They had to strip that logo off, get the thing silkscreened again, buy replacements for the other props, not to mention all the work they already had planned to do on that day – not to mention that Colin came to set that day with a fever after having all his shit stolen. Now THAT is dedication.

I mean in some respects production is always chaos. You plan like hell, and then when you get out there it has a life of its own and you just ride it like surfing a big wave. You gotta be able to move with the chaos and make it work for you. And we did that. For all that it seems like we had it rough, we were actually very lucky. When I think of all the things that could have gone wrong but didn’t – we were very lucky indeed.

pic by christopher dilts...

5. your opinion on messengers?

In my experience, almost everyone who loves bikes is good people. With some exceptions. (Recumbent dudes, I’m looking at you!) (JK) (kind of). What can I say? Messengers are a kind of romantic figure for me. They’re hot, obviously. But they’re smart, too. They get shit done. One of the first times I ever rode my bike in downtown Boston I had a mechanical failure in a bad, bad spot - and before I even knew what was going on there was a messenger dude who grabbed a tool out of his bag, fixed me up, and he was off. I swooned. Never even got his name. Of course now I’m a little more experienced and better prepared. But still. I get the appeal of being out there on your own, making it by your own muscle, your wits, your skill. I have a lot of respect for messengers. I hope it comes across in the film.

there you have it people. i made her promise me to let me know when and where the premier is so keep your eyes and ears open for that madness. i have faith that this will be a nice film. wow...this was a long post...ha! good luck marie. let me know if there's anything else i can do. rene...the pressure is on...don't make us look bad...dun.dun.dun...peace.

*favorite paragraph

i won't do that again...

i hate to sound repetitive but...well, actually i don't...it's been slow. that being said, me and scott have tried to steal as much car work as we can to keep our crew busy. whether it's distance or weight...we grab what we feel is doable. i sent 6752 to grab a car solo...solo's are our fastest most expensive runs...

6752...five-two.

j.dot...what up?

6752...this is a heavy box.

j.dot...i know. i told you it's a car solo. paying good loot but that it was a 20 lbs box. you should be able to handle it.

6752...i think it's heavier than 20 lbs. more like 30.

j.dot...like i said. it's paying a car solo. just rock it real quick and get paid.

...i know what you cats are thinking. why do i keep insisting he take care of this. it's dangerous to ride with such a heavy box around town. well...it was going from 21 south clark to 70 west madison...holy sh*t!!! now thats distance!! for those of you not from chicago...im being sarcastic. the delivery is less than a 1/4 block. he's not going to ride the box over...he just has to walk across the street with it. it's gotta be like 30 feet or so of walking. he gets to the drop...

6752...man. they made me take the box up. that took a while. they wouldn't take it at the messenger center.

j.dot...ok? umm...i figured you would. like i said...it's paying a CAR SOLO. you're not going very far and there's nothing to do.

6752...well, im just saying. it was heavy and then i had to wait for the freight.

j.dot...tell you what. i won't do that to you again. it's paying good loot but obviously it's not worth it.

...this cat rather sit around for 30 or more minutes than make some money. if it was going two blocks away then i would sympathize but cry me a f*cking river. i've had other cats rock more weight and more distance with that weight than this. i won't do that again...thats a promise. he won't get no car love anymore. sh*t...i had 6414 rock a 20 lbs box from 21 south clark to the tower...thats at least five blocks. i had 6721 pick up two banker boxes from the tribune building to washington and michigan or somewhere near there...that means he has to cross the damn bridges with two big a** boxes.

God bless five-two...i have my suspicions about him but thats another post...to be continued...peace.

what did they say?

i have no idea what they are saying but i know it's informative and good. how do i know that? ummm...lets just move on. check the vid here. ecmc'09 took place in berlin this year and slowly but surely the world is recovering. pics are popping up on flickr as we speak and the ecmc site has some links here and here. most of them are not english links but nice pics need no language. looks like good times were had...good job berlin.

The ECMC 2009 brought hundreds of professional bike messengers from Europe and beyond together for three days of races and social activities. We celebrated our unique profession and attendant lifestyles.

THANK YOU FOR COMING TO BERLIN, IT WAS A PLEASURE TO HAVE YOU HERE AS OUR GUESTS!

don't forget...the naccc's will be up soon and we'll have to show our brothers and sisters across the water how we do it...i have faith in boston. one more thing...lets not forget the yearly main event. the worlds...peace.

cuttin'crew said it best...

we definitely got next...check out the pics from portland velocity...

pics by Brujo)))

for the complete velocity set click here or head over to cyclehawk for more links. no word on the results yet but im sure they'll pop up somewhere.

in any case...chicago, milwaukee, and any other city within shouting distance, get ready cause we got next. the events start on friday, june 12th with a nice friday night poker run sponsored by chicago cuttin'crew, ccu, and pbr...

click on image to enlarge...

race starts at 7pm at the goldstar(1755 west division). try not to get too silly cause we got the main event going down on saturday, june 13th, in kenosha, wisconsin. keep your eyes and ears open for possible car pooling and whatnot. check out the ccu for more info. still working out details on saturday night event(s) so i'll post that when i receive them...peace.

goodluck portland...

unfortunately houston just couldn't happen. sometimes sh*t happens? in any case, i hear portland is all systems go...goodluck out there today kids. ride safe but more importantly...ride fast? don't forget chicago, milwaukee, and any other midwest city...we're only two weeks away from velocity hitting our neck of the woods. check cyclehawk for more info...peace.

bag competition...

as we all may or may not know...the naccc's are hitting boston pretty soon. that being said...chrome-bags is having a competition for the event...



Chrome is looking for a kick-ass design to be embroidered on this years 1st place bags for the NACCC. Winner gets a $200 Chrome gift certificate, bragging rights, & your design will be featured on the Chrome Website, Blog, and Facebook page, linking to your website (if you have one). Up for the challenge?

there are certain guidelines you have to follow if you want to enter. head over to their blog for more info. good luck to all who participate. more importantly...don't forget to register for the naccc's...peace.

a personal moment...

we will return to bikes, messengers, and badassity later on.

im at a loss for words at the moment. we went to the doctor the other day. the lady doctor pulled out a microphone looking machine and put it on my wife's stomach. a minute later there was silence and then...bump, bump, bump, bump...

can you f*cking believe it?!! i can't. it's still somewhat unreal to me. we're having a kid. a little j.dot if you will. i don't know what to do or say. all i did was look at my wife but could barely hold the stare...i thought i might lose it. funny how a simple sound can bring up such emotions. thank God the lady doctor was there to talk and talk cause it really helped me out.

what can i say? what can i do? i have no way to repay my wife for everything she's done and given me. she said "yes" when i asked her on a date...she said "yes" when i asked her to marry me...and now, she's carrying our kid. there's absolutely nothing in this world that i can give her to make things even. jess has given me so much and im sitting here typing trying to figure out what i can do to return all the great gifts she has given me.

sorry jess...the best i can do is try. there aren't enough "love you's" and gestures in the world to repay for everything. my wife is a blessing that i do not deserve but am happy that she continues to be with me. like i said...all i can do is try jess. i will try to repay you everyday of my life. i know that even when it's all said and done it still won't be enough but believe me when i say...i will die trying to make things even. i love my wife...i love you jess...peace.

they're your legs...

i never understand how some cats route themselves. in my head im always thinking that cats should drop and pick in straight lines unless i say anything different. i mean...why would you want to go pass some of your drops? i know, i know...you're trying to make some deliveries on time but if you just route yourself in straight lines then it'll all get done in time and without over exerting yourself(imo). if not, it's not that huge of a deal to be five minutes late on something...thats why you have me. i make calls to notify clients of lateness...for the most part they all understand. i guess i should say that i sometimes make calls...ha!

anyway, only chicago cats might understand this...i give 6731 two, one out of the tower, 233 south wacker, and one out of 208 south lasalle. one is going to the hill and the other up north at about 625 mich or something. sooooo...pick two up in the south loop and head northeast. easy enough until...

suburban dispatch...say julio. i got a driver starring at 6731. can he give him two drops in the loop. he's gotta head out soon.

j.dot...umm, where are they going?

s.dispatch...lets see. 1 north dearborn and 123 north wacker.

...in my head this didn't sound like a problem. i said go ahead and off everyone went. 6731 decides to grab everything and drops the 123 north wacker first. makes sense cause he's about three blocks from it. then im thinking he'll go to 1 north dearborn cause it's literally on the way to the hill on his way north east. well, it's off by a block or two but not that big of a detour. he decides to head on the hill the up north to 625 mich. this means he crossed the river. go back to one of my posts for a reference point of sorts...here. not a big deal but when you have to go over the bridges in chicago it could be pretty annoying. so, now he's up north holding a loop run. what does he do? he crosses the river again to drop that one without calling me.

if you're gonna do something like that at least call to see if i have something taking you back. he just zig-zag'd himself for no reason. i didn't say a word to him. we're slow and silly sh*t like that doesn't affect anything but when we're busy routing yourself all wrong not only hurts the board but your legs which are a valuable asset as messengers know. with how slow it's been i haven't been able to route cats properly but when they do it to themselves i sometimes cringe. sorry about the silly dispatching story and i apologize to those who cant really understand what happened cause you live in a different city. just know that it doesn't make sense...ha!

i know that when i was out there i wanted to do the jobs quickly but in an energy saving manner. all im saying is...well...they're your legs not mine...peace.

berlin warning...

im sure everything will be fine but just in case...from londonfgss.com...

This eMail is about the Fixed-Gear-Bike-Berlin-Police-Issue, about where we will be when and what you can do before the races kick off on saturday and some other things as well.

1. Fixed Gears and the Berliner Polizei
There are a lot of rumours, the facts are like this: If you get
stopped with a fixed-gear without a front brake, and you are unlucky,
the cops will confiscate your bike. Since April, this happened over 15
times already.

The Problem is, that no-one knows how long they‘ll keep the bike,
there has been no court-decision yet. It even is unclear, if the cops
are allowed to confiscate the bikes, but some do it anyways.

What you can do is:
(a) When they are about to confiscate the bike, say „Ich widerspreche ausdrücklich der Sicherstellung meines Fahrrades“. So they will have to call a judge, and you won‘t need a lawyer to get your bike back. You can „Widersprechen“ later. There is one guy who already got his bike back that way, but after three weeks.).

Attach a front brake.

Media covering the ECMC will definitely be interested in the Fixed-
Gear-Toipc. What we tell them is: Couriers are not interested in the
Style, Hipness and the „Adrenalin-Rush“ involved, but need a cheap,
easy to maintain ride that enables them to make as much money as
possible during the days on the streets. No courier has any interest
in smashing into cars and in hitting pedestrians, as usually both
events results in injuries and no money. That‘s what we‘ll try to
communicate, what you tell them is of course your decision.

oh-man...i would hate to get my bike confiscated. im sure everything will work out and not too much drama will go down but if you know me...well, i just needed to post something...ha! seriously...good luck to all going/attending. like i've said before...i can't wait to see all the footage/pictures from the ecmc09-berlin...peace.

some friends...

nope...they're not messengers but lets give them the benefit of the doubt. just jazzin'...wait, one of them might have been and maybe some food delivery in there but we all know that doesn't count...ha! check out team beer'd...these kids are putting together a race going down on june 6th...peace.

less than a week away...

click on image to enlarge...

may 28th messengers will try to destroy the events berlin has put together at this years ecmc. check out the great race course...

click on image to enlarge...

it's an old airport that is no longer in use...

At the end of October 2008, after years of public debate and ultimately a fairly unanimous public vote, Tempelhof airport closed its doors to air traffic forever, with no solid plans for its mid- to long-term future. Bad news for people who travel a lot by private jet, or have a job which necessitates getting to Brussels from Kreuzberg in under an hour three times a day. As for the rest of us, its closure presents the opportunity to utilize its copious system of access roadstoward the purpose of creating what could possibly be the most exciting racecourse ever seen at an international event. Steep climbs/descents, hairpin turns, TUNNELS, distance and more await those hungry for high speeds in an all-asphalt and concrete racing environment.

they have alot in store to try and break messengers from all over the world...disciplines...

main race
team race
cargo race
sprints
uphill sprints
goldsprints
fixed gear events
-best trick
-skid comp
-trackstand
-backward circles
-foot down
bike polo
slow race
mechanical bull

...whew! that's a sh*t ton of events. i believe they have close to 700 participants already registered. that in itself is an amazing job. i can't wait to check out all the footage and pictures of the event. i'll end this post in their words...

The bottom line is we will be throwing a once-off, staggering, spine-tingling, nerve-jangling, goose-pimpling ECMC slap bang in the middle of the German capital.

And you would be very unlucky to have missed it.

i already feel unlucky...peace.

welcome to guatemala...

the video is in spanish but has english subtitles. if you don't want to listen to the video just know that this man was a lawyer that created this video with the instructions to please air it if he was to die. he claims the president of guatemala himself is responsible for his death...holy sh*t!! i thought sh*t like this only happened in the movies. this just makes me feel angry, sad, and a whole bunch of other emotions. the man had four children that will no longer have a father. at least those children will know that they can be proud of their father for fighting for what he believes is right.

the chicago sun-times has a piece on it here...also, this might be boring to you cats but this is the protests that followed...



damn near started crying at about 5:30 when the guatemalan national athem plays.

why post this on a bike messenger blog? well...can't wait for the worlds next year in guatemala...peace.

thoughts and prayers...

got word of this through the ccu...

The fastest craziest messenger in Mpls committed suicide last night. His name was Terry, and he was known as the "Suicide King." He recently got in a bad wreck and shattered his leg. Myself and others suspect he thought he could never ride his bike again. A lot of folks in the bike community here are fucked up about it.

no matter the reasons the messenger community has lost a soldier. never knew him but don't need to. as we all know...an injury to one is an injury to all. my thoughts and prayers are with those who knew him...family and friends. ride safe...peace.

rain and pain...

man.o.man...it would not stop raining on friday. it started early and would go on and off and then, don't remember what time it was, it just didn't stop. the crew just kept hustling along. as you cats know...i work the later shift. not by much but enough that it isn't easy telling messengers to stick around one extra hour with me after they've been getting p*ssed on the entire day. i managed to hold onto a couple of them but let go of all but the usual two at about 1730 or so. thank you to all who came out to play in that silliness. it was warm but the rain just made it miserable.

it's friday, which means it's also payday. that sort of makes the rainy day go away. well...not really cause of how slow it's been but at least you get some loot to try and drink your sorrows away. in any case, i bring in 6758...

j.dot...wtf happened to you?!

6758...i just took a spill. my hand is bleeding.

...it wasn't much blood and he was fine. im sure he wasn't planning on ending the day like that. i say goodnight and he rolls out. turns out he forgot his keys...not sure where he was but i call him in case he wants to come back. later on i bring in 6774...

j.dot...wtf?! you too?!

6774...i just hit a nasty pothole. didn't see it cause of the rain.

...the man's side was hurting and, you guessed it, his hand was also bleeding. got some gauze and peroxide along with some band-aids. his accident was a bit harder than five-eight's. 7-4 was visibly hurt but ok. just needed to rest a bit. then 6758 walks back into the office to pick up his keys...

j.dot...you gotta be kidding me. wtf happened?!

6758...i just hit a pot hole and went down again.

...what the h*ll was going on is beyond me. it just wasn't his or both of their days. this time around 6758's hand was bleeding alot more. got more band-aids and gave him the peroxide. i asked about the bikes and walked outside to check them out. 6758's wheel was completely jacked. there is no way he could ride out on it. 6774 twisted his bars a bit but it wasn't that big of a deal.

sometimes i don't know how cats stick around. even on payday, when the weekend is supposed to start, the day is miserable. you get rained on all day, get a not so nice check, and then cap it off with accidents. i gotta give it up to my/our crew...we got some soldiers...peace.

cimb'09...

well...the first ever spanish messenger championships happened over the weekend. cimb09...



i thought for sure it would be like the houston velocity where nothing else would be heard about it but i was wrong...we have proof that it actually happened...

dave...1st place...

nice turnout...

fighting for the package...

nasty climb...some walked...

damn...feeling the burn...

wtf?! why?!

cargo racing...

i searched and searched for proof and found it through traffic-mutants. head over there if you want the results...not sure if anyone will know who they are but...well, why not? also for all the pics head over to biciplegable...click on the fotos. i would say to read but you must know spanish so good luck. also...check out TrafficMutants flickr. looks like it was good times all around...cargo sprints, main race, polo, some more sprints, probably drinking and cussing? keep your eyes peeled for more pics and vids...im sure they'll get them up sometime soon.

i tip my hat to our spanish speaking brothers and sisters. good job. on a similar note, don't forget chicago...velocity is less then a month away. lets do it up properly and show the world what we got. it hits portland next...houston, we're still waiting on you...wtf happened?! pics or it didn't happen...peace.

customer service...

j.dot...my messenger is having trouble locating you. he notified the concierge to direct him to the executive offices and he was sent two levels down.

customer...so whats the problem? im two levels down. i had this exact same order earlier today and you didn't have any trouble.

j.dot...i apologize mam. it's harder for some than others. anyway...the order says to go to the concourse level and then to the executive offices. you are clearly not on the concourse level.

customer...what? im right here. where is your messenger?!

j.dot...well, he said he's on the gold level which is two levels down where you said to head to.

customer...i never even heard of the gold level!! this is ridiculous.

...this went on for about five more minutes. back and forth we went. i couldn't win with the lady. maybe the concierge switched shifts and the later shift didn't know where she was located. turns out she was located on the bronze level. did you guys read what i just said? she's on the damn BRONZE level...if there's a bronze level how did she not know there was a gold level?!?! if she's on the bronze level how can she be on the concourse level also? she's like freaking night-crawler. in any case...the messenger was finally on his way to right location and she just kept going...

customer...this is ridiculous. my package is going to be late.

j.dot...well mam. there was some miscommunication as to where you were located but...

customer...what? you picked up this same order ear...

j.dot...mam. i don't have time to argue. please give the package to my messenger so he can hopefully make your package on time. if you have any further questions i can direct you to our customer service rep.

...she then hung up and made sure she told my messenger..."THIS BETTER GET DELIVERED FAST!" 6774 calls me...

6774...wow.

j.dot...i know, i know. what a great day to end the day...just keep rocking out. get rid of the other packages you have. just get rid of everything you have in order. not our fault if it's late.

...6774 rocked the package out quickly. i was sort of hoping he would have taken his time but he probably just wanted to get home already. he usually sticks around with me late but this time i told him to just call it a day. it's been slow and stressful and to deal with silly customers...well, sucks!

today i received a phone call...

customer...whats the quickest you can deliver from 20 north michigan to 676 north st.clair.

j.dot...well, we have a 30 minute service.

customer...you could charge me whatever you want. can't you make it quicker?

...ofcourse it could get done quicker but our quickest service is 30 minutes. im not going to guarantee some silly time...what if we don't make it? then that falls on me. not only that...i know many in our crew who can make this happen but at what expense? no package is worth doing super silly sh*t. i know cats like to fly and blaze through lights and whatnot but im not going to act like i condone it...especially not to a client. how much trouble would that cause me?

j.dot...no mam. our quickest service is 30 minutes. it might get there earlier but that would depend on traffic and elevators. other than that i can't ask my messengers to break the laws.

...she didn't say anything except..."i'll just take it myself in a cab". it sucks cause the last thing i want to do is deny work but im also not going to risk anything or anyone. man...times are tough and these clients are really starting to get to me. im usually really nice but for some reason...eh, it is what it is...peace.

crush, kill, destroy...

this is how work feels lately...STRESS!!!



paperwork up the a*s!! dispatching sucks cause there's no work to dispatch. instead of being challenged on how to route cats we're being challenged on how to keep 20+ cats happy while we get 2 runs an hour...wtf?! alright, alright...im exaggerating a bit but not really. lately i feel like just f*cking screaming when i get out of work. i could only imagine what the crew is going through. they're the ones that are really being affected by the non-existent work. f*ck all the analysts that say the economy is turning around.

on another note, for all the young hip-hop heads...yes pharoahe monch was around before simon says...peace.

moving on...

we lost 6664 this week. moving on to bigger and better things. something about being some mad scientist or something. i wish him all the best. he left once and had to come back...this time, i hope he doesn't. not cause of his skills cause the man was a horse who showed up no matter what the weather was like and was the first to check in and if i had to...was the last to check out. i just hope this new stage in his life works out and he's able to do what he's been wanting to do.



on a similar note, im on the way home when i get a call from 6706...he's moving on to bigger and better things also. he's going to be some big photographer for some skateboard company of sorts. sorry kid...i know you told me the company but the radio cut out right at that point...ha! check out the man's skills.

good luck to the both of you. good luck to any and all that come in and out of the doors of messengering...peace.

have you seen her?

i hear the lovely gina has been missing from her usual location on madison and franklin.


anyone know if she's on her yearly vacation or where she is? she's been gone all week. hope she's doing alright...chicago definitely misses her...especially messengers. keep me posted...



...peace.

memories...

the young lady who help put together cyclecourier.org is putting together another nice event in new york...from cass...

i promised no embarrassing pics...

Hey Ya'll

I am going to be curating a show displaying shirts from messenger events from the last dozen or so years. It's going to be going down the weekend before the NACCC during the NY pre-event at Boneshakers in Brooklyn. Boneshakers is a cycling themed vegetarian cafe, co founded by Brad from Trackstar (sorry if you didn't get wind of this brad, i took it up with meghan!) The show will be up all weekend but SATURDAY JULY 25th, there will be an opening mimosa breakfast/ brunch, preceding a group ride to the track for the VELOCITY CHAMPIONSHIPS.

Mostly on display we will be showing shirts from events all over the country, and hopefully the world. Each shirt will give short details of the event, designer, and the owner of the piece. We hope to also be able to show a select group of custom bags from relevant events, and a very select group of spoke cards.

For this I NEED YOUR HELP AND YOUR SHIRTS! I'm looking especially for older shirts (beat up, stained, cut up), and shirts from rare events. We'd also like to get a entire history of NACCC and worlds shirts, and I would love to get as many ECMC shirts as I could possibly get! I will pay for all shipping costs if you live far. all items will be returned the weekend after the NACCC in Boston.

I will update the below list as I secure more submissions. Contact me at cassandra.perplexed@gmail.com

THANKS!

SHIRTS WE ALREADY HAVE

cmwc dublin 07

cmwc sydney 06

cmwc new york 05

naccc chicago 08

naccc SF 07

naccc philly 06

naccc portland 05

ecmc warsaw 04

east coast messenger chumpionships 07

bombtrack berlin 04

Dancing with Death Dublin ?

kyoto loco 05

Milwaukee Messenger Invitational 4 ?

Monstertrack 06

panamexperience ecmc preevent paris 08

Ruedas en Fuego Barcelone 09

superheros NY 06

west side portland 06

west side portland 04

THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

seems like a cool event. i know i got a couple shirts laying around somewhere but im sorta attached to them. we'll see...i might be willing to let go of them. good luck...peace.

a month and change...

velocity attacks it's next city this weekend...houston...



keep an eye on cyclehawk for updates...im sure they'll post up results, pics, and whatnot. we're only a month and change away for velocity to land in chicago...peace.

game on...

oh-boy...looks like the japan kids got the venue...it's game on. registration is open for the cmwc'09-tokyo...

no need to click on pic to enlarge...it's just a bunch of number...ha!

if i were going i would hurry up and register that way you pick the number of your dreams...ha! in all seriousness...i would love to ride with either 753 or 912...all day! check out the program of events set up and be ready to dedicate about a week for all this madness. sh*t...if you could spare more than a week go right ahead. i wish i could make it. can't wait to see all the pics, videos, and whatnot from this week long event...peace.

cpvc-'09...

looks like the kids over in paris made it happen over the weekend. the results are in. check out the pics...

pics by j001...

pretty good turnout...don't be afraid to check out more of j001's pics of the race here. also...looks like the polo tournament was the best part...

pic by j001...

that is a great looking hard court if i've ever seen one. check out j001's polo pics here and don't skip the video found here...

BIKE POLO TOURNAMENT - CPCV09 from Androsky Knauer on Vimeo.

good job to everyone involved on what looks like a great time. i can only imagine what the ecmc in berlin will be like. for more on the cpvc-09 madness head to their site here...must know french to get through it though...peace.

sucks...

heard the news through ira when he posted it on chifg.com...



holy sh*t!! according to the sun-times...

A car crashed into a busy Loop Starbucks on State Street this morning, smashing a plate glass window but missing customers inside as well as pedestrians on the usually bustling sidewalk.

...

Josh Korby, a bike messenger, was inside the coffee shop when the Grand Am rammed the window.

“I heard a large crash and the wall starting shaking,” Korby said, while still sipping his coffee. “There was a lady standing by the revolving door and she jumped back.”

When Korby exited he realized his bike was a casualty.

“I thought, wait a minute, there’s a car on the sidewalk where my bike used to be,” he said.

His bike was mangled.



damn korby...im glad no one was seriously injured. hope you bounce back from this. i know it's silly but people get attached to their bikes and losing the bike can...well...suck. even more so for a messenger...it's what makes them money. for the entire story click here...peace.

if only...

the weather has taken a turn for...well, for the best...



if only the work would pick up so that it could be like the old days. the days when even when the weather was beginning to get nice the work was still there. when summer was on it's way and the smell of the summertime warrior was still a few weeks away. unfortunately...this isn't the case. work has been slow and everyone and their mama is coming in to apply for a job. im fighting to stay awake and our crew is fighting to pay the rent. they say the economy is slowly bouncing back but it'll be a while before we feel the effects.

why? well...if and when the economy bounces back and we're back to "normal" the courier industry might still feel the effects. companies will realize that cuts here and there could be made. the effects of this economy meltdown will bring companies new eyes in the future. saving money and preparing to not make future mistakes will affect us. couriers won't disappear and the work will still be there but how much is the question.

at least the weather has finally turned? i should end this on a good note...at least there are still good people to help get through these tough times...peace.

don't forget...

i heard yesterday that the lovely molly was eaten by a pothole of sorts. after texting back and forth with a few heads i found out that...

1.she went to the hospital.

2.was wearing a helmet.

3.walked out of the hospital.

...good news indeed. glad you're ok lady. if you want to give her a high-five for being a trooper don't forget to head over to union park tomorrow for some food-n-brew...peace.

reminder...

looks like things are coming together in boston...


We're still fighting for and expecting the event to be free for everyone, but if not, we'll update as soon as we know and allow a cheaper pre-event payment option.

don't be afraid to read the statement above again...FREE!! i can't speak for them so who knows if it's actually going to happen but bless their heart for giving it the ol'sassy try...ha! if you're planning on going i would register early and check back with them every now and then. they have a sh*t ton of events planned and they're already talking sh*t...

Main Race

Sprints

Track Events

No brakes! Riders on track bikes compete to see who can stop the slowest, stand still the longest and go in the most circles, backwards.

Track King/Queen Omnium Competition

Arm Wrestling

Boston is home to the still current Cycle Messenger Arm Wrestling Champion (NYC05), come try and take him off his throne!

Dancing

Who's got the moves? Prove it!

Billiards

Boston's got some sharks, step up your hustle.

Tetris

Game on at OMGPOP.COM in preperation, we'll be using their system to run our competition (Blockles, Items off).

Cee-low

Hot hands, throw them three dice!

Rochambeau

Rock, paper, scissors for the purists.

Poker

all silliness aside...good job! looks like it's coming together and good looking out on trying to make the event free...good luck. the naccc-boston will be july 31st thru august 2nd. can't make it but im sure chicago will be represented...peace.

messengers...just not chicago...

anyone ever heard of huck magazine? i ask cause i haven't but they have a spread with some of our brothers and sisters overseas. i originally saw this through house of pistard(btw, don't be offended by their hate/hate for non-messengers...ha!) they seem like good people? anyway...






Central London, 5pm. Commuter hell is in full swing and the chaos of gridlock rules supreme. Cars hate buses, buses hate cars, and everyone hates that angry man in his shitty white van. But in amongst the spite and rage, the hush of pedal power is battling through. London’s bicycle messengers – addicted to speed and the scent of the road – risk life and limb to deliver on time. But this isn’t their day job. This is their life.

find more pics here. are london messengers really addicted to the scent of the road? cause in chicago the scent has an exhaust aroma...ha! you cats got some good looking ladies over there. nice pics...well done huck magazine...whatever you are...peace.

who doesn't like grill'n?

looks like the ccu is putting together some good fun for chicago messengers. who doesn't enjoy free food and brew? im pretty sure i heard that they will be accommodating vegetarians as well. everyone should come out...even if you're not a messenger.

Don't hesitate to donate what you can. Even if you can't you should come by and enjoy some bbq with good friends/people.

i believe the food and beverages provided by the ccu is free to messengers but im more than positive that the grill will be shared by any and all who wish to come out and have a good time. see you cats there...peace.

as you may know...

i sometimes have the pleasure of dispatching drivers. i cover for the city board dispatcher from time to time. i don't do as well as he does but i hold my own...at least i like to think so...ha! who knows what the drivers say behind my back...oh wells. in any case, the minute 6514 checks in he already starts to ask to leave early. he, like others, will always ask that if i don't have coverage he'll stick around. personally, it's just one of those things to ask but in reality he just means..."i want to get the f*ck out of here"...

j.dot...well. things are a bit slow now so i might be able to get you out of here early. for now i got a couple you can rock out and we'll go from there...cool?

6514...umm, no problem. we'll see what happens.

...the day goes by and he calls me clean. the funny part is...everytime he calls clean i have work where he's at. gotta give it to him. i was short staffed...sure, we're slow but with not enough drivers then slow becomes steady to busy from time to time. this is good for the drivers who do show up...more money. five-four doesn't see it that way...

j.dot...alright. i have two going north. you said you live up that way...right?

6514...thats perfect. i live right around the corner from one of those.

...i thought everything was cool. i was getting work done and i would be able to get him out of here early as he requested. i was feeling good about it. then...i got hit with work i couldn't cover but headed in his direction...

j.dot...yo. im going to have to keep you till the shift ends. i got some work headed your way.

6514...you sure you can't cover it?

j.dot...can't. i wish i could. just don't have enough drivers and you're headed that way.

...his pager isn't working so i have to wait for him to get a pen to write down the next few deliveries i have for him. time goes by and all is well. deliveries are being made until...

6514...one-four.

j.dot...whats up?

6514...you're not going to believe this. i forgot to pick up the stuff going north and im already up here.

...does anyone else see the problem with this? he didn't forget!! there's no way he did...why? cause his pager doesn't work!! he wrote down the damn addresses and was literally two blocks from one of the pick ups going north with him. he pretended he forgot them and headed north with the original two that would cause him to clean up by his house. i should have made him double back for the ones he forgot. instead...i told him to just clean up and get out of here.

6514...ok. sorry about that...10-4?

j.dot...*silence*

6514...copy that apology?

j.dot...just go home. i gotta cover some work.

copy that apology?! i had to reroute other drivers to get the work done that was forgotten as well as the work that those drivers were originally on. it was a pain in the as* and some phone calls had to be made to clients. luckily we weren't too late on deliveries and everyone was very nice about it. as far as 6514 goes...well, from what i hear im going to cover for the city board dispatcher next week...he's going on vacation or something. 6514 is officially on the hit list...peace.

you cats still reading?

dear cuttin'crew,

how did the first book club meeting go? did many show up? what book did you guys decide on? is it still going on? the weather is getting nicer...are you really going to keep reading? if you are...i found a book that you cats might be interested...thank you to the london kids for putting me up on this. whatever it is. until it's over...



Young and athletic, London cycle courier Astrid Bell is bad luck - for other people. First Astrid's neighbour Peggy Farrell accidentally knocks her off her bike - and not long after is found bludgeoned to death.

Then a few days later, Astrid is asked to pick up a package from a wealthy woman called Ingrid de Soto, only to find the client murdered in the hall of her luxurious home.

For the police it's more than coincidence. For Astrid and her six housemates it's the beginning of a nightmare: suspicious glances, bitter accusations, fallings out and a growing fear that the worst is yet to come...

if you're seriously considering the book...please read the review first. my favorite part is...

The first half is told from the point of view of Astrid Bell, a rather rootless young woman who can't decide what to do with her life since graduating from university, so she has become a bike messenger until she can decide.

haha! oh-man...im out of school and can't get my life together...i guess i'll become a bike messenger until i can get it together?!?! does anyone take this business serious? sorry about that random tangent...anywhoo, hope the book club is going well...peace.

your favorite dispatcher,
julio

velocity...LA...

saw this over at cyclehawk...



also...

pics from orange twizzle bikes...

Here are the track results:

Messenger Mens Results
1st- Evan (sf)
2nd- Derek (la)
3rd- Owen (la)

Messenger Womens Results
1st- Mimi (sf)

Non-eligible Mens Results
1st- Fergus (sf)
2nd- Tony Z (la)
3rd- Vincent (vegas)

Non-eligible Womens Results
1st- Sasha (swarm!)
2nd- Sarah (murder!)
3rd- Amanda (la)

heard about results from squid via the cyclecourier forum. btw...did you cats know that if you won the event once already you are allowed to compete but not as a messenger? you can't be a repeat winner to give others the opportunity to enjoy a once in a lifetime opportunity...the worlds. if i play my cards right i can win this thing in about 20 or so years when all the fast cats have won it already...ha! looks like they had 25+ registered...nice!! hope chicago comes deep to this event. lets not forget...the cuttin'crew will be providing the cuttin'cruiser as well as a bunch of other cats car pooling...keep your ears to the ground for that noise. can't wait for june...peace.

politics...

we were told by a client to pick up at triple-one south wacker. any messenger knows that that building could be a pain in the as*. the packages are rarely down in due time...the building has a messenger center. anyway, we were provided a phone number and were told to not go to the messenger center for the pick up. i thought to myself that it was probably for the best but...

j.dot...we tried the number you provided but there's no answer. only voicemail. also, security doesn't have the package and as you know, the building has a messenger center and security is not allowing my messenger to pick up from them.

client...well. maybe if your messenger uses some politics he can make his way in. you know, use some smarts.

j.dot...umm, not sure how familiar you are with building security and messenger centers in chicago. there are no politics. it's their way or no way at all.

...oh-man, when she said to use some politics all i wanted to do was yell at her. i had the blood boiling. why should we have to jump through hoops to get a package where you said it would be but it isn't? i tried to reason with the lady and use some politics on her but she was having it. i couldn't get through to her that messengers are simply not allowed in the building. soon, my messenger had been there already for over 15 minutes...she said to just wait it out. i had no problem with it cause we were slow and the messenger could use the wait time. we finally got a hold of the lady at the pick up and were able to get her to come down and give my messenger the package going across the street to 30 south wacker...ha!

only chicago cats are going to get that one. the building we were picking up from was literally across the street from the drop. the lady wanted us to use some smarts and politics for the pick and all i could think to myself was..."this pick up is beginning to be a pain in the as*...why don't you go across the street and use politics". if we were busy i might be tempted...ha! naw...i probably still would have used some customer service skills. either way, the package ended up costing the same with some wait time on top of it. if we were busy i definitely would have pulled our messenger until the customer was 100% the package would be where we were originally told...peace.

nothing to do with messengers...

i've just enjoyed monty python for a minute...peace.

bikeable?

im pretty sure i've mentioned something like this before. after a while...all these posts start sounding the same to me. if it's repetitive well...thats your fault for actually reading my blog...ha!

we had 6664 pick up at 200 east randolph going to 101 east erie or something. not a big deal...both those address are not that far apart. sure it's seperated by the annoying michigan avenue traffic but it's not a huge deal. he gets to the pick up and the box that the client stated was bikeable...was not. too big and too heavy. we call the customer up and let them know that the box will need a car.

customer...i've sent out many boxes like this. i've also seen many bikers with boxes on their handlebars. it's bikeable.

...im paraphrasing a bit here but i hope you get where im going with it. sure, every once in a while i get cats to haul some heavy loads but it doesn't mean that they shouldn't get paid for it. she was under the impression that if a biker took it then a bike rate should be applied...see, thats not how it works. a biker is taking it because...they want to show off? they want a story to tell? want to see how much they're capable off? they probably, and this is the most important, just want to get paid. they are putting in more effort...risking a bit more...to get paid just a few dollars difference.

riding with over 15, 20, 40, 60 pounds is not that easy and as fun as it may sound. riding with a box on the handlebars is not safe. next thing you know cats with cargo bikes doing wagon or van loads will only get paid a single bike rate...thats just ridiculous. it wasn't a big deal...things got handled and everyone got paid accordingly. if you see messengers with boxes...is it really bikeable? when you're struggling to make loot - it is but they still have to get paid...peace.

messenger town...

what started out as a flickr group has now developed into a blog...messenger town...

Working as a cycle courier, or 'messenger' for any length of time gives one a heightened sense of the environment - of the city. This group exists for working couriers to display how they see their city, their working environment. It's not about bikes, it's not about messengers - it's about where we work. Hopefully it will attract contributions from across the world, giving us all a chance to see the great cities as no-one else sees them.

i gotta admit. many of the pics aren't great but many are. not only that...i/we get to see the working environments of couriers all over the world. even though i live in chicago i can't wait to see some chicago pics go up. i would love for us to share our city through the eyes of our couriers with other cats from around the globe. very cool project...good job to all involved on getting this together.




can i add pics from the perspective of a dispatcher? oh-man...how boring would that be?


thats how boring...peace.

get your act together...both of you...ha!

before you read this make sure you know the back story...read it here. let me save you some time...basically, the ifbma has been beef'n with the bmef. here, i'll save you some more time...no need to read the following letter just know that the ifbma is basically saying...get your act together and we'll endorse/help you out again...haha! oh-man, you kids are too much. in all seriousness...im glad everone is working things out...it's a shame that cats had to publicly go after each other but i guess that was the only way to make things work properly? in any case...

Community,

This has been a very long and difficult week for all of us. For me it was the first time I was called upon as president of the IFBMA to do something that really stressed me out. At the end of the week though I had a constructive email exchange with Lucas Brunelle which calmed me down.

Everybody agrees that the IFBMA should in principle support the BMEF, but it can only do so if the BMEF operates transparently and communicates effectively. The council has a duty of care to the messenger community as a whole and we would have been negligent in this duty were to have continued to endorse an organisation that was in such an obvious state of disarray. Lucas agrees with this.

Reactions to our statement last week showed how many people care about the BMEF. Quite a few have also already come forward to volunteer and work with Lucas to pull the BMEF together. The IFBMA council will of course help in whatever way it can, and if the BMEF commits to reconstructing itself professionally, the IFBMA will return its endorsement.

The BMEF is, as Joe Hendry reminded us, the jewel in the centre of the messenger community. The priniple it embodies is in fact the defining characteristic of this global family. We all work in traffic, and we all know how dangerous it can be, how often the drivers of vehicles who cause collisions get away, while the messengers injured as a result are no longer able to work. And because we know this, all of us would help a fallen colleague in whatever way we can. We've all been there .... this feeling, this commitment, this sense of solidarity with colleagues in whatever city in the world, is as much part of our culture as arguing about whether or not to mount a front brake on your fixie.

Many issues were raised during the reaction last week that must be clearly addressed both by the BMEF and the international messenger community as a whole. As many others have said, the most obvious obstacle to straightforwardly administering an international emergency fund is the different laws and regulations relating to health-care and insurance in different countries. This means that criteria applicable in one country may be inappropriate in another, and tends to suggest that a network of locally organised messenger emergency funds would be better than one global fund. But then again, if funds were only local, those of us working in rich decadent societies with sophisticated health-care and insurance systems, and with no real need of a BMEF, would not find it easy to make donations in support of fallen messengers in poor countries like the USA, Eastern Europe, Latin America, Africa and so forth.

Before the email exchange with Lucas Brunelle, I was on the point of making the following announcement on behalf of the IFBMA council. At the end of last week, reaction was looking like a game of Chinese whispers as more and more of our initial announcement simply disappeared from the picture. It is a little curt, but to the point:

That the IFBMA has withdrawn its endorsement of the BMEF does not mean that the BMEF has been closed down, nor does it mean that the IFBMA no longer supports the principle of supporting fallen messengers with a fund. Nor is it a personal attack on Jean Andre Vallery.

The crucial words in our original announcement are these:

"For such a fund to operate, it must be transparently administered, it must communicate effectively, and it must maintain a reputation that inspires trust. As far as we can tell, this is not the case."

And also:

".... we will always credit Jean Andre Vallery with inspiring the international messenger community and having started the BMEF."

The IFBMA council will consider endorsing the BMEF once more if it can demonstrate that it is doing what it was set up to do in a way that does inspire confidence and trust.

There are very many messengers who have benefitted from the support they have recieved from the BMEF, but there are also quite a few who have put in claims and heard absolutely nothing at all. We would be derelict in our duty as caretakers of the interests of the international messenger community as a whole if we did not speak out about this.

This is a crisis that strikes at the heart of the community. We are aware of this. But as is often said, a crisis is also an opportunity.

But now it is different. The reaction settled down. Ashira's remark was the turning point :

...it's actually a really good thing that the BMEF was brought up like this ... makes people realise that things sink if they're not cared for ... and if this is something we care about, ... then we gotta take care of it


People often wonder exactly what the IFBMA is. Ashira has the answer. It is much more than the eight of us who sit on the council. Actually, it is the international community itself, every messenger everywhere, you!

So what better endorsement of the BMEF would there be than if everybody just worked together to support it? It is surely up to all of us to thrash out how best to run a global fund that assists fallen messengers anywhere, to raise money, to volunteer and do the work necessary.

love and peace,

Andy Duncan, IFBMA president.

...that last part is the most important. while a few are helping to organize it takes all of us to actually help out...peace.

click on image to enlarge...

june will be here soon...

saw this updated flyer over at cyclecourier...

click on pic for larger view...

june 13th will be here before you know it. everyone should get their race legs ready for the madness. me...well...i'll be there cheering on my favorites and sabotaging my least favorites. actually...i'll just be spectating for blog content...haha? don't forget to keep an eye on cyclehawk for more info...peace.

reminisce...

i try not to get too personal at times with this blog. i try to keep it about the crew and their experiences...well, at least their experiences with me. anyway, the weather is starting to get warmer and i can't help but begin to reminisce of back in the day. i get the urge to jump on my bike and ride all day...well, at least stand-by for 86% of the day...ha!

where is all this going? i have no idea...i randomly get moments in life popping back into my head. i get images of super dave riding around like a maniac on his yeti in full gear...chest, shin, knee, gloves, full facial helmet...holy sh*t! i know he must have gotten a bit too hot at times. i remember picking up pizza to help gina replenish the truck. watching joey love skitch from one street into another. bumping into t-bone and asking him where he was headed...if we were headed in the same direction then we called out a finish line...i won the last race so i think im up on that competition...ha! listening to rene on the radio hooking me up with the best sets a messenger could ask for. coming out of a building only to see that my bike was gone...freaking out...then realizing that hector has moved my bike and can't stop laughing at me almost crying. watching james implement his yoga skills while trackstanding...try not to imagine that one...ha! heading to cal's for some nice refreshments after a long day of work with good friends. fridays after work blazzing up ashland with chris and the mole-man to another bar for more drinks. the greatest weaving in and out of traffic ever seen with jeremy, david, and aaron...that sh*t was bananas. i could go on and on...



when i first started we had a bada*s crew...

mike(mo)
trey
hektor
t-bone
patrick
mike g.(40)
james
rene(dispatcher)

thats an all star line-up if i've ever seen one. we had some fast cats on the squad. i used to roll to base and ask rene why he was dispatching. i still remember telling him..."i'll never do that"...ha! boy was i wrong...now he's back out and im inside. i wonder if it'll reverse again?

while all this was going on...we were getting paid. not much but it was enough to keep me waking up and doing it again. well, maybe it wasn't the money keeping me around but the people i met and continued to meet. thats what makes this job so great...although it's a high turnover industry...it brings in some of the best characters i've had the pleasure of knowing. even now...i may not be out there but when i wake up i feel good going to work. you never know what other stories will randomly pop in your head...peace.

roll the dice...

everyday we gamble. not talking about our lives and things like that. instead, as dispatchers we gamble on telling messengers to clean up or hold off. sometimes it pays off and sometimes...well, the messenger is out of luck. it's been so slow that holding packages just isn't an option.

i can get a messenger to hold a loop package headed north but...what for? for more work? there isn't more work. not only that...i got a stand by list that just keeps getting longer and longer. i gotta set cats up with one at a time...sucks but i have to spread the love. ocassionally some of the crew gets a few extra just cause...well, cause they are at the right place at the right time. it's just a gamble...constantly.

lets say i got you holding an econ going west till something else pops up. we can go all day with you holding the package and nothing will pop up. then what? you're stuck traveling out west for your last drop at the end of the day...sucks, especially if you don't live in that direction. also, we run a risk of something happening to that package. the longer it's in your bag the bigger the risk of damage to the package or, even worse, you may lose it. i know, i know...i trust my messengers but sometimes the mind wanders.

lets say you do go and drop it...what if when you drop it i got a few coming out of where you're headed? it rolls both ways...i could get you to head out west to drop...hoping something will bring you back but that may not happen. it's so unpredictable and, at times, hurts to play this game. i might have told one cat to head out but the minute i do...five pop up right were he/she was and on the way to drop s/he's headed. i might have told the messenger to hold off but then five pop up where the drop s/he's holding is headed...wtf?!

it feels like you just can't win. this business is funny though. i feel like karma loves playing a huge role in this industry. one day you won't get any work. the next day you won't stop moving. it's a never ending gamble. your hand could be hot when you roll the dice and sometimes you just can't win. the good news is...we never stop gambling...sooner or later, as frustrating as it may be, we hit the jackpot...peace.