Messengers Get Fast-Paced, High-Volume Workout
By Chris Nguyen,
Washington Post, May 2, 1996
Armed with little more than strong legs and a rattling Schwinn, bicyclecourier David Fleischer began his workday at 8:45 a.m., beaming down MassachusettsAvenue NW from Dupont Circle to the Winder Building at 600 17th St. NWfor his first pickup. Within minutes he was there, and minutes later, hedropped off the package at 1660 L St. NW, a half-mile away.
Sometimes cruising at a steady 20 mph, sometimes rocking back and forth,pulling high gears on a steep stretch of Wisconsin Avenue in Georgetown,he leaned into the handlebars, calves bulging with each thrust of the pedal.He conquered every hill, every curve -- and delivered every package ontime.
"I'm not the fastest guy, but I've got persistence," Fleischersaid. For all his effort, he breathed as though he had been strolling.
Fleischer wove through the tight Friday morning traffic of NorthwestWashington, ran yellow lights (and a few red ones) and rode the wrong wayon several one-way streets, squeezing in beside the rushing stream of cars.Courting danger is commonplace for someone who races bikes down mountainswhen not racing for a living on pavement.
His audacity -- like that of many couriers -- was ignored by police,if not by irate drivers. And he doesn't trust drivers any more than theytrust him. "I always assume they [motorists] are going to do somethingwrong," he said. "That's why I always have my hands on the brakes-- constantly thinking of safety."
Said one experienced courier, "If the police gave us tickets, thewhole city would be in jail."
Fleischer's only monitor was his dispatcher at Contact Courier, whosescratchy voice on the two-way radio gave him all he needed to know -- whereto pick up and drop off the next package.
There was no time for chat: "Copy" or "What else yougot?" was all Fleischer had time to say between deliveries. It wasthe same routine with each one: Lock up the bike, retrieve the package,hustle to its destination, lock up the bike, drop off the package. Therush comes from negotiating the traffic.
"Time is essential in this business," said Fleischer, 27,of Alexandria. "Every minute wasted is a quarter wasted."
The messenger delivery business is a network of about 100 companiesin the metropolitan area, with an estimated 500 bicycle couriers coveringdowntown. As contractors working on commission, bike couriers make $3 to$5 a delivery -- about half the cost of the transaction -- for $400 to$600 a week.
The community of bike couriers is like a fraternity, one experiencedcourier said. As in any group, there are social classes. The "Gucci"bikers have expensive bikes -- souped-up Cannondales -- and flashy clothes,whereas the "blue-collar" bikers dress less self-consciouslyand like to have a beer after work.
Fleischer belongs to the blue-collar crowd: T-shirt, ripped khaki shorts,hiking shoes and Gore-Tex socks ("I can't stand getting my feet wet").He reserves his Spandex and fancy bicycle gear for racing mountain bikes.
By 10 a.m., the pace picked up, and Fleischer's pager left a trail ofbeeps as he crisscrossed Northwest: Pennsylvania Avenue, 15th Street, NewHampshire Avenue, L Street, Dupont Circle. By noon, Fleischer had logged12 miles and delivered 14 packages, visiting the State Department, theInternal Revenue Service, NationsBank and Capitol Hill, which most couriersdread mainly for its long haul.
And all on a slow day.
On an average day, Fleischer rides about 25 to 30 miles and delivers30 packages, usually books or business documents. But in his four-monthstint as a courier, he has delivered a vacuum cleaner and a box of mice.
"This business revolves around other businesses," Fleischersaid. "Half the battle is learning where to go in and out of buildings."
The rest is speed and dispatcher relations. Dispatchers are likely togive more assignments to the faster couriers. Less-experienced and slowercouriers often get the trips to Capitol Hill and Georgetown -- anotherlong, hilly run.
Many couriers take the job for its flexible hours and outdoor exercise.Between pickups and at the end of the day, many of them flock to FarragutSquare and especially Dupont Circle, to rest or wind down.
"You have to be half crazy for this job," said Roberto Santos,39, of the District, who works for Action Courier. "What we do isessential to the economy."
But when it's 30 degrees and raining, Santos has a different feelingabout his job. "You question yourself: `What kind of [jerk] are youfor doing this?' " said Santos, a bicycle courier for 15 years beforehe switched to a moped last year.
But with the guts come the glory. One of Santos's fondest memories isof getting an autograph from Bill Cosby in a Capitol Hill elevator.
"Time flies while you're working," said Daniel Louis, 26,of the District, a courier for 10 years. "You never have to look atyour watch."
Commercial bicycle couriers have been around the Washington area sincethe early 1970s. "There are always going to be courier companies,"Fleischer said, "unless they invent some kind of matter transformer."
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