Philadelphia Inquirer, November 14, 1997
(AP) BOSTON -- A bank executive wound up in a coma after he was sideswipedby one of the city's bicycle couriers, and now the businesses that hirethe daredevil messengers are calling for a crackdown.
The Boston Chamber of Commerce voted yesterday to send out a mass mailing,calling on companies to steer clear of unlicensed couriers and blacklistthose with bad attitudes.
"Just the other day I was crossing the street and this messengercame really close to me," said Judy LaBran, a law firm secretary."When I tried to get out of his way, he started swearing at me andcalling me an idiot."
William Spring, a Federal Reserve Bank of Boston vice president andmember of the Boston School Committee, was hit by a courier as he walkedjust yards from his home Oct. 30. A hospital spokesman said Spring, 62,was still in critical condition yesterday.
"This accident seems to be releasing everyone's pent-up frustrations,"said 27-year-old messenger Ted Riederer. "Business is treating uslike some disposable industry, but everything that goes on in this citypasses through our hands at some point."
The city has created a task force to look at upping requirements forbicycle messengers. One of the proposals would make couriers carry liabilityinsurance; few already do.
The city has about 500 registered bicycle couriers, according to theChamber of Commerce. For $20 and a trip to the police station for a backgroundcheck, anyone can become a messenger. Some bypass the system and go iton their own.
Being licensed means the messenger gets an orange patch with a licensenumber on it -- a patch some choose not to wear to prevent people fromreporting them to courier companies.
Regina Stone, owner of a Boston Bicycle Courier Inc., said her companyonly employs registered couriers. Regardless, she said, her business hasreceived some flak.
"It's a knee-jerk reaction by the business community," Stonesaid. "But really, I think you have more chance of getting hit bya cab."
As for cabbies, they fear hitting messengers --either on purpose orby accident.
"Today, one of the couriers slapped my car and I almost hit him,"said Yohannes Fre, a 50-year-old driver. "Yeah, I'm scared of them.I don't want to hit nobody."
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