Courier girl rides to her own tune

by Louise E. Brown
Humber EtCetera, February26-March 11, 1998

Battling for concrete space with road-rageddrivers and angry cabbies is all in a day's work for Larissa Ziesmann.

Ziesmann, 22, has been a bike courier inToronto for the past four years now and couldn't picture herself doinganything else for a living. Influenced by a strong passion for cycling,she started her career right out of high school and loves it.

"I think I'm one of the lucky people whoactually likes their job. I get to be outside all day on my bike," saidZiesmann. "I'm in and out of offices all day and the people there justaren't having a good time."

Ziesmann is one of a few female bike couriersin the city and is quite well known because of it. She is the current postergirl for the Alley Cat indoor courier races in both Vancouver and Toronto.She has also appeared in John Woo's, Once A Thief, picked for the rolespecifically because she is a female bike courier.

"Apparently for two weeks, the castingagent (for the show) was riding around Toronto looking for me," said Ziesmann."She was asking any bike courier that she saw, 'Where's that tall, baldbike courier girl?' I thought it was pretty hilarious."

Over the course of her career Ziesmannhas worked for seven different courier companies. Although this may soundlike a lot, couriers changing companies is a very common occurrence.

"Whenever you see someone (another courier)that you haven't seen in a while, I'll always ask them who they are workingfor," said Ziesmann. "Couriers are always changing companies for some reasonor another, it's almost a phenomenon."

"The companies just don't give a shit aboutyou. Their only concern is when you can work next," Zeismann said of thecompanies, which take no responsibility for damages or injury occurredwhile working.

Most couriers quit within the first monthof starting because of low pay. Rookie couriers work on commission andonly receive about 50 per cent of the company's total charge to start.This figure usually increases after about four months, however, there areno guarantees. In other words, the more packages a courier delivers, themore money she can expect to make.

"I don't think a lot of people expect thisjob to be as demanding as it is," Zeismann said.

And it is demanding. According to Ziesmann,most couriers cycle between 50 and 80 kilometres a day while toting packagesas heavy as 50 pounds. It is the physical demands of the job that keepsher going.

"I think everyone needs a song to get themgoing," says Ziesmann. "Just keep it in your head all day long to keepyou going and you'll be okay."

Ziesmann has learned a lot in her fouryears of being a courier. One of the most important things is not to weara walkman while she rides her bike. Instead she opts to keep a song inher head at all times.

Ride on, courier girl, ride on.

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