COURIER DANGERS AT METRO HALL

by Colin Leslie

Now Magazine, January 2, 1997

Some of the city's couriers are trying to relay the message that MetroHall is an unsafe place to make deliveries.

Unlike most downtown buildings, Metro Hall bans messengers from usingthe complex's front doors, instead demanding that they take their packagesto an underground drop-off area. But couriers argue that the twisty, narrowWellington Street ramp that goes down to the underground area was designedonly for motor vehicles - not for cyclists and pedestrians.

Foot courier Wayne Scott says that while he was heading down the rampduring a rainstorm last spring, he heard a honk and fell while trying toscurry out of the way. He suffered a compression fracture to his back andhad to take a month off work.

"All I'm looking for is that an alternate access be made availablefor those who want it," says Scott.

But Chris Hubbard, manager of operations for Metro Hall, says that whenthe building first opened, couriers had access, but there were problems."When we first opened the building, there were footprints on the wallbecause when (couriers) had their hands full they'd kick up their feetto hit the elevator button."

Hubbard maintains that the ramp is safe. Still, after Scott's accident,Hubbard says Metro did add more convex mirrors and painted lines blockingoff bike lanes on the ramp. And on November 21, Metro paid Scott an out-of-courtsettlement of $3,000.

Bike courier Derek Chadbourne, who puts out Hideous White Noise, a magazinethat, among other things, deals with courier issues, says that while manydowntown buildings have courier drop-off areas, Metro Hall is one of thefew that requires messengers to use it. "I only know of one otherbuilding that really frowns on couriers going through the front door, andthat's BCE Place."

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