By Andrew Gottesman.
Chicago Tribune, Friday, July 31, 1992
They dart in and out of traffic, running stoplights with impunity, asif trying to set a land-speed record, according to many Chicagoans whowatch the city`s bicycle messengers and are forced to skip out of theirway.
The messengers streak down sidewalks, passing pedestrians through openingsbarely big enough for a tricycle. And sometimes messengers and pedestrianscollide.
Sure, we`ve all complained about lumbering buses or crazy cabbies. We`vewondered how tourists could possibly move so slowly.
But when it comes to negotiating Chicago`s streets and sidewalks, nogroup draws as much criticism as bike messengers.
It`s partly because of such criticism that the City Council adoptednew regulations for bicycle messengers on Wednesday. The new regulationshave some messengers upset, but not because they now have to wear a helmetand a 4-inch high identification number on their backs.
What really gets their spokes spinning is that the city saw fit to criticizethem and not cabbies.
The two groups are essentially natural enemies in the urban jungle.
The bikers want people to understand that they are performing a necessarybut dangerous job. Many even support the new measures, which also requiremessengers to carry insurance. They blame their hell-on-wheels reputationon a dangerous few.
``It is kind of a scapegoat thing,`` said Dean Laprairie, 32, a messengerwho compared some council members` fixation on bikers to the scare overpit bulls a few years back. ``They don`t complain about cabs, and I seea lot more accidents with cars, and that`s a lot worse.``
Laprairie said that about 150 reported bicycle accidents over the lastseveral years do not warrant legislative action when the city has moreimportant problems.
``There are certainly more things downtown that you can focus on thanbikers because the people who are complaining are the ones getting theirstuff delivered,`` said Phillip Sheppard, 27, who had no problem with wearinga helmet or a vest, but didn`t see how either would help pedestrians learnhow to cross the road.
``This one lady the other day stepped down into the street, and I figureanybody with half a brain would get out of the way if a bike is going 25or 30 miles an hour. I didn`t hit her-I just stuck my arm out to push herout of the way.``
Louis Mcefee, 30, who has been a messenger for eight years, insistedthat not all bicycle messengers are dangerous..
``You`ve got a lot of guys out here who don`t respect the pedestrians.They just run over them,`` he said. ``But they should focus on the cabdriversinstead of the bikers. Most of the cabdrivers drive kind of crazy. Mostbikers try to abide by the rules.``
Many messengers also say they do not feel welcome on the road..
``Say that light is green,`` said Ramon Movdican, 25, as he pointedto a traffic signal. ``Pedestrians are going to just walk, but they haveto remember that I`m coming through, and we have the light, too. And ofcourse cab drivers drive like they own the streets.``
``We`re providing a service for them and a lot of people tend to lookat us as second-class citizens,`` added Roman Trujillo, 26. ``But, hey,time is money and they all want that package yesterday, as they say.``
The messengers said that they are just trying to do a job that happensto be in great demand and requires quick service..
``We need a job just like you all do,`` Movdican said. ``Why do theywant to get rid of us?``
Phyllis Apelbaum, president of Arrow Messenger Service and head of theMessenger Service Association of Illinois, estimated that there are 500to 600 bicycle messengers in the city. She said that the group is dividedamong those who ride for messenger services and those who work independentlyor for specific companies.
``There has to be some sense of responsibility from the customer thatwhen they use a bicycle messenger, they use a bicycle messenger that hasa license,`` she said. The onus is now on the messenger companies to provideinsurance for their riders, she said.
Apelbaum also said that she, like many messengers on the streets, supportsthe city ordinance, but did disagree with the provision exempting ``inhouse`` messengers who work for particular companies.
There is probably little that messengers can do, however, to changethe sinister image that pedestrians and drivers have of them.
``I think they`re terrible and I think they should be outlawed,`` saidSharon Dancy, a traffic control officer in the Loop. ``No, seriously, Ithink they should abide by the same rules and regulations these vehicleshave.
``Sometimes I`m directing traffic and I turn around, and bam, therethey are. Somebody`s seriously going to get hurt by this.``
Cabdrivers were not so diplomatic..
``Should kill `em all,`` said cabbie Dan Ward. ``They have no rulesand regulations and they know it. They have free rein going wherever theywant. I`m just glad I`m not walking. I`ve seen a lot of them have accidents.``
But getting rid of bike messengers, as some aldermen have favored inthe past, would probably not do wonders for commerce. So as long as businessesneed important documents delivered quickly, there will probably be bikersto avoid.
Said messenger Charles Williams: ``I think the bottom line is we`rean evil necessity.``
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