That's complete madness!
Yes, insanity of the highest order. There's more messenger madness on YouTube if you can stand watching morons tempt fate. The last couple of generations of kiddies turned riding for big city services into retardedness of the highest order. Lawless, suicidal, drug-fueled retards.
Riding as a messenger usually required one to be a risk taker in the old days and...ahem!...'individuals' were the rule. Now, it's just utter retardedness.
As I stated in another thread, I used to know a few of the NYC messengers from the 1970's. It was a different time with different attitudes. The risks were the same, but how they were dealt with are polar opposites to how today's riders behave.
it is a hard, low pay, thankless, job.
In NYC they are despised. After watching the video you can see why. Bike theft and parts stripping are the least of your problems. Dooring, crushing and stiff-arming are more important daily distractions...as are gangs, guns and drug O.D.'s. Road rage attacks are the norm...was it Toronto where the cabbie purposefully backed over the cyclist and tore off one of his legs?
Other than dangerous working conditions and low pay, one of the few perks is getting to look at all the hot secretary pie. Getting stoned on your down time might count as a bennie for some.
Don't get me wrong. There ARE some very professional, long term riders. I knew exactly ONE of them, personally. The rest burned out, were injured, got too old or their reflexes slowed or they just found better jobs (didn't take much!).