On Their Bikes Looking For Work
Richard Liston discovers that being a. cycle courier is not conduciveto longevity but a lack of jobs makes many young people, literally, risktheir lives
( Weekly Journal, The )
UNEMPLOYMENT affects black people more than white people. Accordingto statistics issued by the Low Pay Unit blacks are three times more likelyto be without a job than whites.
Black people are often left wondering what to do. The choices are togo thumping down the doors of white corporates trying to convince the powersthat be that you are good enough to do the job, or go it alone.
Many have chosen the later, and one particular line of work is to becomea cycle courier, despite the fact that is dangerous, there is no holidaypay, no insurance, no pension, no sickness pay and no organisation actingon behalf of those who earn their living rushing around city streets deliveringparcels.
The life of a cycle courier as been labelled exploitative, the industry"fraudulent" and the working conditions described as a "disgrace".But for many on the streets being a cycle courier offers freedom, flexibilityand an opportunity to earn a lot of money very quickly.
The money, though, is not that great, unless you are a "fed"rider who is fast enough and experienced enough to do as many jobs as possibleas quickly as possible. The typical rate offered by the larger companiessuch as Creative Couriers, West I and Cyclone, is 3.10 per delivery upto one mile, rising to 4.60 if the journey is over three miles. The couriergets half of the fee.
"On average a rider earns about 200 per week if they are good,"says Boris, who has been a cycle courier for eight years.
He adds, however, that there is a huge base of riders who earn far lessthan 200, and a few "legends" who earn more than 200.
Understandably, the cash-in-hand nature of cycle couriering found alot of the riders reluctant to divulge exact details of their employmentstatus for fear of attracting the interest of the Inland Revenue or thelocal authority student grants unit. Furthermore, to become a cycle courierrequires no more than to have a good knowledge of the area, a solid bikeand an A to Z. There are no rules and regulations, helmets are not compulsory,riders and not many questions are asked by the courier companies.
Flexibility and freedom, however attractive as alternative means ofemployment, cannot hide the fact that being a cycle courier is dangerous.Official figures released by the police reveal that in 1993, 15 cyclistswere killed on London's streets with 519 seriously injured and another3,876 slightly injured. In 1994 there were 17 killed, 513 seriously injuredand 4,078 slightly injured.
In Manchester, in 1992, seven pedal cyclists lost their lives, 73 wereseriously injured and 764 slightly. In 1993, there were six killed, 91seriously injured and 692 slight injuries. It is only in Birmingham wherethe life expectancy of a pedal cyclist is better. In 1993 no- one was killedand there was only one serious injury and 25 slight injuries. Figures for1994 and 1995 for the West Midlands area are yet to be published.
There are also the health risks. One courier, who now works in a cycleshop, says he gave up delivering parcels because he became aware of thelong-term effects of constantly breathing in toxic fumes. The health issueis a topical discussion among the riders, who pointed out that couriersin Seattle, USA, have named their fanzine Iron Lung. In keeping with thedangerous nature of the job. Britain's riders' fanzine is entitled MovingTarget.
According to the riders, the biggest danger to cyclist are lorries.
"You tend to bounce off cars but lorries kill you at 5 mph. Everyonehas got their own near-death experience and everyone gets injured or knockedoff their bikes at some time," said one rider.
Jackson is a typical cycle courier for whom the risk involved is worthit. Having financed his way through university he is now using his mountainbike and his knowledge of London's West End to fund a masters degree.
At weekends he also DJs in a club to add to his university fund. "If I hadn't been doing this I wouldn't have been able to complete my coursebecause the grant is so crap," he says, adding that working nine-to-fivein a shop would not bring the same financial rewards as being a courier.
Like Jackson, Jason is a student who deferred his university entry sohe could earn enough money to finance his university course, which he hopesto start next September. "It is a way of making a lot of money veryquickly if you are prepared to put u with the bullshit, " he said.
Jason added that the number of cycle couriers swells in the summer whenstudents are out of college, but the boom-time was in the recession ofthe late eighties when people were losing their jobs or they were strugglingto make ends meet. Many took to cycle couriering as a way of earning extracash.
Around that time the number of courier companies mushroomed leadingto a situation where there were too many riders chasing the same volumeof work. This resulted in the industry becoming very competitive and theriders left feeling exploited.
The situation has changed and now there is a regulatory body, the DespatchAssociation, a self-appointed organisation that meets with Government officialsand law which affect the courier industry.
The DA does not have any legislative power but it has a lot of influenceand acts as a consultative group looking after the interest of couriercompanies. The DA recognises that the courier industry is in need of someorganisation and is trying to create better standards by introducing trainingcourses.
Being a cycle courier as an alternative means of employment may be dangerous,stressful and the money may not always be great, but it beats joining thedole queue.
Ethnic NewsWatch c SoftLine Information, Inc., Stamford,CT
Richard Liston, On their bikes looking for work: RichardListon discovers that being., Weekly Journal, The, 11-02-1995, pp PG.
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