Michael Myers wrote:
> A friend suggested that I should apply for a bike courier job in
> Melbourne. Is anyone here a bike courier? What is the job like? Do
> you have to be superfit, etc? How do you go about applying for a
> bike courier?
> Personally, I think I am fit enough for the job. The only thing that
> concerns me at this point in time is the traffic, especially in the city
> where people do not seem to have any patience...
> Thanks in advance.
> a.
I will put my hand up and admit, yes i was a bike courier....for 8 year
in fact. This job here is my first job indoors, 9 to 5, etc that i hav
ever had and im 29. I think i have done well to avoid the office fo
that long. OK, down to the facts (well, from my point of view)
1) it is not a job, it is a lifestyle. cliche plus but true to th
core. You are going to have to love it or you will be riding aroun
in the rain, or doing a run out to north melbourne or doing tha
last job no one else wants at 6 on a friday arvo when everyone els
is back at base sinking a lovely cold one and be thinking "what th
#$@! am i doing here?". Once that question starts popping up, you b
in trouble my son!. You do it because you love your ridingand yo
love being outside, living life
2) As my operator said, ad nauseum, "we are at the pointy end of th
industry". Basically, everyday will be highly intense. From 730 i
the morning until 515 in the arvo, i used to go, go, go. No lunch
no breaks, no nothing. Breaks occurred when i was clear, or in th
lift, whenever. I have mastered eating a roll and drinking a cho
milk in under a minute. Yeah, you can take it cruisey if you like
but dont expect to make good coin
c) The money is highly variable. Im from perth, and i was in the top 2-
money earners in the city, and i made around 190-200 bucks a day, bu
that was from 730-515 as mentioned above, with heaps of experienc
and "the knowledge". Dont know what the pay is like in melbourne, bu
in my first year i was making 100 -120 bucks a day and it has jus
increased over time. Believe me, you can live well if you know wha
your doing
d) dont know if this is an issue or not, but dont be put off by an
other couriers who give you the cold shoulder or act "too cool fo
school". If they are posers, they are probably **** couriers and don
worry, you will be shelling them in the earning ranks after a while
They are the guys who whinge on the radio all the time and who alway
seem to get "punctures" and "bike problems". The reason most guy
will be a bit abrupt with you initially will be because you are a
extra bike who will compete for their earnings, and you are takin
money out of their pocket. It isnt personal
5) Dont use a fixie in the city!!!!!. That is unless you want to mak
life hard for yourself. Look at melbourne and make your decision o
your kind of bike. Me?, i ride in perth, land of the sun, ridiculou
wind and looonnggg distances on jobs, so i use a clean and read
roady, steel of course. Melbourne, well, its wet, quite hilly wit
tram tracks (have i missed anything?) so i would suggest a strippe
down mountain bike with a road cluster. Chop your bars if you inten
doing any tram splitting though
6) always lock your bike
7) ALWAYS LOCK YOUR BIKE!!!!!!!
8) Be a deviant when the cops arent looking and a model citizen whe
they are. Traffic lights are for cars, not bikes (oh oh, i migh
have started something here!
9) dont be a **** and ride down the footpath at 30k's an hour or frea
out pedestrians at crossings, etc. All it does is **** them off an
make couriers look like assholes. The way to courier nirvana is t
move as fast as possible through the maelstrom while bringing a
little attention to yourself as possible
10) Learn what the radio procedure is and follow it. The best way t
**** your fellow pushies off is to cut over them, dribble abou
nothing in particular and put the mic on when an emergency vehicl
comes past (actually i like doing that one...it blows out the
operators ears).
11) your operator, in your little courier world, is god. He tells you
were you will go for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. Do not **** him
off, that is a one way ticket to doing **** jobs.
12) do not put up with any **** from car drivers and take your rightful
place on the road. Be aggressive. That doesnt mean trying to kick in
panels, abuse everyoen, etc but give out a feeling of "this is my
place on the road, and your not having it". Cars will always try to
intimidate you, dont get angry about it, its not personal, and over
time you will get used to it and realise you are wasting your own
energy by getting angry. They dont care!. Just make sure they know
you are there. Thats not to say i didnt have an altercation with
someone everyday, but it was all in fun!!, not overly aggressive.
i think i have rambled on for ages now but from my point of view, it was
the best job i have ever had and i am truly happy to have found a job
where i loved going to work. At one time, all 12 of the guys on my
channel hung out with each other socially and it was great. I have met
my wife to be through couriering and have made lifelong friends. Nothing
beats being outside and experiencing the elements, the traffic, the
danger, etc. And honestly, everything is never as cold, as dangerous,
etc as your mind makes it out to be. Everyones head is a drama queen.
Its all relative. I never felt danger splitting traffic, cutting
traffic, etc, because i had faith in my abilities and i was in control.
You have to be careful, but everything is a calculated risk. I never did
anything really stupid. Hey, no broken bones in 8 years isnt bad!. as i
have said, it is a way of life, and once you get the bug, it is hard to
leave, hey i was going to courier for 2 years...max!!.
also, if you want to buy a crumpler, ring crumpler and ask to speak to
dave crumpler and he should give you a discount for a bag if you mention
you are a courier. I got a fux deluxe off him a couple of years ago for
100 bucks, so see what he offers.
Any other questions, or have i even answered the first question??
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