By Robert Davis
Chicago Tribune, July 25, 1992
They dart through Chicago`s downtown like waterbugs, lurching throughtraffic and crowds of pedestrians in zigzag patterns-flying fax machinesdelivering the parcels of business and commerce, often drawing the ireof those in their wake.
In the last few years, no fewer than five Chicago aldermen have proposedordinances to control, restrict or even eliminate bicycle messengers fromcity streets and sidewalks. Ald. Eugene Schulter (47th) said Friday a citystudy shows at least 146 accidents involving those messengers have beenreported in the last four years.
Friday, Schulter`s City Council License Committee finally took action,recommending an ordinance that will require all bicycle messenger firmsto carry insurance on their employees.
Even more important, Schulter said, the new ordinance would requirebicycle messengers to wear safety helmets and brightly colored vests thatwould display the riders` license number in four inch letters so they canbe readily identified if they break the law or behave in a reckless manner.
``We`ve received hundreds and hundreds of complaints,`` said Schulter,in pushing for adoption of an ordinance that was spurred by a proposalsubmitted by Ald. John Madrzyk (13th) last year.
Ald. Burton Natarus, whose Near North Side 42nd Ward is heavily traveledby the bike messengers, said he has narrowly escaped injury as speedingbikers rushed by him.
``These messengers are dangerous people,`` Natarus said Friday. ``Andthey`re arrogant. They laugh at you when you yell at them.``
The provision that requires messenger firms to carry liability insurancefor their bikers was passed to conform with a recent state law with a similarprovision. The requirement that the bikers prominently display their licensenumbers is new.
Phyllis Apelbaum, president of the Arrow Messenger Service and headof the Messenger Service Association of Illinois, said she supported theproposed ordinance, and said most large, reputable messenger firms alsohave no problems with the new regulations.
She did quarrel with a provision exempting bike messengers who are employed``in house`` by such businesses as Loop law firms, saying that some haveas many bicyclists as messenger firms.
And Catherine Carey, owner of the On Time Courier Service in Chicago,also said big insurance premiums might cause a messenger rate increase.
Caroline Schoenberger, the city`s consumer services commissioner, saidshe would provide quarterly reports to Schulter`s committee to determineif the ordinance should be expanded to cover all messengers.
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