Cycling for dollars can be an enjoyable job, but it is not for the weak-hearted. It's dangerous out there. Couriers compete for scarce room on streets crowded with cars, trucks, buses, taxicabs, pedestrians, potholes and other cyclists. They endure insufferable air and intolerable noise pollution. They ride through brutal cold, sweltering humidity, wilting heat and sandblasting winds. They are hated by almost everyone and are stalked by the authorities. Yet, the thrill and freedom that comes with the job overcomes the drawbacks of the job.

I enjoyed several stints as a courier. I say that with considerable pride, as the name implies an elite grade of messenger. The average messengers, who are far more numerous, disappear when summer is over, and are never seen when its cold, dark, wet or nasty. In these conditions, only the most dedicated remain. Couriers are professional, hard core riders who never falter when the job needs to be done. I respected them as much as anyone else I have known.

Earning between $250-700 every week, depending on volume, the bicyclist is the fastest means of getting critical documents across town. In Washington, D.C. and other major cities like Boston, New York, Denver, Chicago and Seattle, traffic is so paralyzed that the humble bicycle is the most efficient means for the captains of industry and government to deliver content that absolutely, positively must seal the deal, sign the contract, spread the word and influence the vote. In the 1980's, before fax machines and computers, bikers were the undisputed method of choice for law firms, government agencies, etc. To this day, they still remain a vital conduit essential to the legal and corporate world. Surprisingly, these technologies have not made courtiers obsolete. Until legal signatures can be transferred via fax or email, couriers will continue to be critical. They are making about the same money as a decade ago, which still far exceeds what is possible in most entry level jobs.

Being a courier, one quickly realizes, is much more than a way of earning a living - it's a way of life, an attitude, ultimately a paradoxical mix of detachment and engagement. Like skateboarders, couriers have not only learned to navigate through chaos, they have embraced it. In this way, they are true creatures of the urban wilderness, better able to deal with the dangerous, irrational but predictable conditions of the metropolis than it's more conventional inhabitants. The courier deconstructs the potentially lethal breaks and warps in the downtown grid, and transforms them into opportunities to perform. He or she understands that in a nonlinear environment, you must forget traditional assumptions about the quickest route between two points. But getting there isn't just half the fun - it's the only fun. Unless you consider locking and unlocking your bike, running stairwells or riding elevators and walking miles of hallways enjoyable.

Chip Baker observes the following in the July 1997 issue of Bicyclist: 

"Couriers are a breed apart from your average cyclist or desk jockey. They live hard, ride hard and sometimes die hard. The only time you probably notice them in your daily life is when they are pressed up against you, dripping with sweat in a crowded elevator, or as a high-speed blur as one flashes by in front of your car.

They are not people you think of as being "one of us," and you probably don't consider them athletes. Spend some time with them (which is fairly-impossible, due to the fact that they live in such a tight-knit group and accept outsiders with about as much affection as a wolf pack) and you'll see past the harsh exteriors and find bicycle fanatics who are more committed to the business of cycling than you and I combined. Most of them choose messenger work not because they can't get a job doing something more socially acceptable, but because they can't find any other way of life that rewards them for riding their hearts out eight hours a day five days a week. " 

The city needs couriers more than they admit. Listen to these arguments made by Joe Hendry in defense of the profession: 

'Couriers provide many benefits to the city. They make the streets safer for pedestrians because they replace cars that kill and injure many pedestrians every year. They also save the money that would be necessary to treat these injuries. They reduce gridlock, congestion and many types of pollution such as air, noise and smell. They do less damage to the roads and therefore save the city and its taxpayers money on construction costs. They act as goodwill ambassadors, providing information and directions to tourists. They provide a fast and efficient service that Boston's business community not only relies upon but also demands. They are sought out by businesses to increase their profits and reduce costs. Couriers save the business community lots of money every day. Their speed is the last line of defense against office workers' and executives' natural tendencies toward procrastination. Messengers save the business community from the deadlines they encounter on a daily basis. With the current trend toward downsizing and the increasing workload of workers, more deadlines are in danger and more professional bicycle couriers are needed.'

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