old post from different blog...

i've been sick for the past couple of days but the good thing about working at this company is that i get to take time off without any worries...we have to bike dispatchers, which at first may seem ridiculous but ends up working out. anyway, i figure i would just post an old post from a different blog just because i have nothing to report and maybe some haven't read about my old crew...

yesterday -627- shows up to work with a big plastic bag. he opens the bag and just says the word "mango"...he reaches in and hands me one...its one of the juiciest and delicious mango's i've had in a while. its not the first time some of my guys have brought me things...i've gotten 40's, tequila straight from mexico, mugs, shot glasses, shirts, and so on. not sure if they do it cause they think im gonna hook them up or if they do it just cause...either way, it always feels good when they show me some sort of love cause most of the time we are all just cussin' each other out...

today started off just fine...everyone was showing up. i was joking with them...work was flowing. then, the work got to be to much...not because of the amount but because most of my guys right now are rookies that dont know their way around town, dont know how to use the phone system, and are just out right slow. -791- takes 30 minutes to pick up a package and 30 minutes to deliver...this means i cant count on him for shit. i gotta keep him on standards all day...no matter how many orders he does in a day the money just isn't gonna add up which sucks cause he's a good kid but just not quick enough for the job. i should add that he also doesn't know north from south and east from west and so on...its a freaking headache. i also have guys like -792- who just doesn't care about anything...which in some cases can be a good assest. he either does the job or doesnt...he either does it right or doesn't...he just does not care. no matter how many times we explain to him that communication is very important he just doesn't answer his phone...he's running a very thin line.

late in the day our system went down...no paiges going through and the messengers couldn't place their p.o.d.'s...this means i have to check on all my riders one by one to see whats going on. not that thats a big deal cause i 've done it before but this time im dealing with "rookies"...i send a paige to -707- but he never gets it. i don't realize it till its starts redlining...i call him and he's just chilling at t.c.(not his fault but very fucking annoying). i gotta get someone else on it...i call up another rider(which happens to be a rookie) and all i can do is hope for the best. now the client starts calling which means i got my boss breathing down my neck...i keep calling the rider to see where he's at but get no response...finally, he answers and says he's there but little does he realize that my boss is on the phone with the client and there is no sign of him. this really pisses off my boss which causes more heat on me...im fucked, the rider is fucked, the client is fucked and everyone is in a state of piss'd-off. this incident finally blows over but i know tomorrow i'll hear something about it...

i finally take care of all my duties late and i just sit there and try to relax myself before having to ride home knowing that tomorrow is another day of rookies...peace.

...i do miss the old days but the new crew is growing on me.

pointless saturdays...

like i've said before, i work at a new company. working at a new company has brought a weird schedule. when i first started i would randomly show up between 8 and 9 and just leave around five...not a big deal. now they got me working ten to six...taking every other monday off but working every other saturday. i dont mind the mondays off but the saturdays are pointless to work.

i mainly just sit around and watch t.v. and answer the random calls that are most likely to set up orders for monday morning. we are a 24 hour, 7 days a week, 365 days a year company so i understand being open on the weekends but i dont understand why the bike dispatcher has to show up. no drivers respond to any of my calls...maybe its because they dont recognize my voice or radio number. either way, im left all alone with maybe 3 to 5 jobs a night with no one to do them. i just sit there patiently then when its time to dispatch i radio my boss and have him find a driver for me.

the next saturday i have to work i think i'll bring a dvd player and stop by blockbuster...its the best way to get through the nights. the best i can say is that at least its not on sundays when the bears play...peace.

cranksgiving...

last years promoters/organizers where not sure about putting it on this year. its not that turn out is low, its just that organizing races can take a toll on people. either way, they got together again and its game on...




cranksgiving is back...a little late but still in the same spirit. its free to race and its all for a good cause. we probably wont reach the same numbers as new york might but any little bit helps...come one, come all.

turkey slows up everyone...

one of the longest days of the year. the day after thanksgiving everyone in the u.s. is busy shopping and not working. it's pretty much pointless for me to show up but it is payday for the bikers and there was still about five jobs that needed to get done. it'll be a quick day for me...i'll get off mid-day and then i'll head home to change and probably get rolling to join the crowds and the shopping.

on another note, wednesday was crazy. the weather was out of control...rain, snow, wind, and cold temps. took a while for bikers to show up...i dont blame them but it does make dispatching nearly impossible. anyway, by the time bikers came in we were slowly playing catch up the entire day. i pretty much was taken off dispatch...voluntarily(hope i spelled that right). i became an order taker and just watched the other dispatcher work. im sure i would've done the same but it was quite entertaining watching him tear the board apart. everytime he heard the magic word..."clean"...he dispatched about 7 to 9 jobs to the biker and left him alone until he heard that word again. meanwhile, i sat in front of a fan answering phones while my pants, tights, socks, and shoes dried. all the soldiers that showed up did an amazing job. im sure the other dispatcher will remember who was there for him...everyone gets hooked up...peace.

lets "talk"...

thursday all day was a giant headache...we had about five bikers and a couple of walkers all day. everything was fine and the work was getting done...although sometimes the work was getting done alot later than expected. we had it under control but i knew that around 1500 or so many companies were gonna start calling in all their last minute deliveries which means that all packages are to be done as soon as possible cause of the 1700 deadline. at this point i tell the operations manager to let the order takers know that we need to start buying 20 to 30 minutes on all deliveries.

everything is fine then around 1615 i had three loop runs headed north...way north but no one to do it. finally i hear those beautiful words..."clean". its 6589 clean around triple three south state which is perfect cause he's about three blocks from the deliveries headed north. he isn't happy at all with the work...

6589...you just made me drop all the way south and now you're gonna send me north?

j.dot...its one of those days. i got no one to rock'em plus its a set of three...it's not like you're going on a single run.

6589...you have no one else to do them?

j.dot...alright. tell me right now if you're gonna do them cause i literally have no one available but if you're gonna be like that i'll take off of you and you can sit.

silence over the radio. i ask again if he's taking them but no response...i assume he's going to rock them. about ten minutes go by and now there are three more up north coming back south. i talk to the other dispatcher about what to do with them and he suggests to dish them to 6589 cause he's headed north and it'll start sending him back towards where he lives. i agree and dispatch them...

6589...now i warned you about this.

j.dot...what are you talking about? you got three going north and three coming back...its a perfect set plus they are drops on your way home...its perfect.

6589...you ain't got no one else? i dare you to talk to me like that when i come pick up my check tomorrow.

j.dot...just get the work done and i'll call you when i get off of work. leave your radio on and i'll meet you so we can "talk" about it.

6589...im not gonna "talk".

j.dot...i didn't think you were but i am more than willing to meet up with you to "talk".

the night finally is over and 6589 calls me cause he needs help with one of the drops. i help him and ask him where he would like to meet. he doesn't want to so i let him know that i would "talk" with him on friday morning cause it would be nice to start the weekend on a good note. he shows up the next morning i go out to meet him and extend my hand...not to apologize or to say hello but just cause what else do i say? he looks at me and we exchange words...im just waiting for the first move but my boss quickly interrupts. he starts to complain about favoritism...how he seems to be the only one running around and he sees other fellow workers just sitting around eating and what not. this is his complaint...that he has too much work. messengers get paid by the delivery...if there is any favorites its him but he doesn't see it that way. not only that...he doesn't seem to remember that i just started with this new company about a month ago. i have no favorites cause i dont know any of them. i refuse to dispatch him...i want a crew that likes to work. i'll take a complaint here and there cause Lord knows i mess up at times but this cat has got problems. on a side note...the weekend was perfect.

i lost my bike...

for the past three days 6674 has called in. on monday i didn't mind cause it was veterans day. i'll explain about veteran's day in a minute...on tuesday, 6674 calls again:

*my phone begins to alert
j.dot...what up? what up?

6674...dude, i've been looking all over for my bike but i can't find it. im gonna keep looking all day today and as soon as i find it i'll come in.

j.dot...what? are you serious?

6674...yeah. i know i put it somewhere but...i'll find it then i'll call you.

j.dot...alright.

the day continues...its veterans day so im not expecting a busy day at all. banks, post office, city buildings, and other offices are closed. so my mind is all set to take it light all day and just mess around at work. then it begins...one phone call, two phone calls, ten phone calls, 26 phone calls, and it only gets worse. i have about ten guys out there to help out but a few of them are walkers. 6463 gets his bike stolen...he chases the cat but he is too fast. super depressing...i ask in which direction the guy goes in case i can get other guys on the crew to intercept him but the guy heads south and i have everyone in the loop and north. all i can do is say sorry and ask if he's okay. 6463 being a true soldier says he'll walk the rest of the packages he has and will stay as long as there is work. others leave early cause they came in expecting a slow day also. next thing you know its about 1530 or so and 446 east ontario decides to call in over 30 orders...wtf? im so slammed that the car board, which we usually have to help out, is forced to lend a hand. the whole day would've been just another normal day if it wasn't for my head thinking it was veterans day...no one should work on veterans day.

anyway, the day is almost over and at about 1800 mr.6674 finally decides to call back to let me know about his bike...

j.dot...what up kid?

6674...dude, i've been all over my neighborhood and a few other spots and i cant find where i put my bike. i cant remember where i locked it up.

j.dot...i dont know what to tell you bro. umm...well...umm...

6674...naw. don't worry dude. i'll come in tomorrow with the mountain bike. it'll suck and i'll be slower but at least i'll be working.

j.dot...cool. no worries. i'll let the other dispatcher know.

while this whole conversation was happening i kept thinking to myself about how fucked up he must of gotten over the weekend to not remember where he put his bike. not once did it cross his mind that his bike was stolen...he completely blammed it on his memory loss which he still hasn't told me how that happened. i actually dont want to know. he definitely did some unusual ways of getting through the weekend that i rather not be a part of. dont get me wrong...6674 is a great guy but this is a little to much for me. one more thing...6463 who got his bike stolen showed up. 6674 is still looking for his bike.

true soldiers...

i was going through flickr and came across a picture taken by gabrielmcintosh...the pic shows my old crew at the previous messenger company i worked at. aaron, sam, turtle, chris...all true soldiers. not that the company i work at doesn't have hard workers but these cats along with a few others would show up day in and day out without a complaint and would do anything given to them.

car work, bike work, distance, weight, pcs...nothing mattered. they rocked it all without hesitation. aaron could ride his bike and roll a cig with one hand with no problem while on his way to pick up or drop off. sam was a beast...didn't matter what the package was, he rocked it. probably was the fastest messenger i've had the pleasure of dispatching. turtle(taral) is the slowest fastest messenger in the history of messengers. he rocked a huge freight train for a bike...had a bike rack, never had a messenger bag but day in and day out he was there. he wasn't just there, he also did most jobs in one day than most hot shots do in two...he is a horse. chris...chris is just the shit. an all around great person...good mechanic, great drinking buddy, and when he worked he just got the job done. my favorite quote from him..."your dispatcher is like your pimp and you are just his ho...get the job done and he treats you nice. fuck up the job and he slaps the shit out of you"...peace.

funny story...

yesterday i decided to hit up burger baron...when i got there it was pretty empty inside. i take it cause it was early but i had to go cause i was craving some chilli for some reason. as i waited for my order to take to work with me these two young cats started asking me if i was one of those messengers. sometimes explaining the whole messenger bizz is a little annoying but this time it wasn't bothering me. the funny story comes here...they started to share different funny stories they have witnessed cyclist do. i say cyclist but to them...anyone near downtown on a bike is a messenger. the best story was when a cyclist was coming up on a construction site of sorts. they were laying down cement/concrete and apparently there wasn't to many signs or anything saying that there was wet cement being layed out. the cyclist kept going straight and the front wheel sunk into the cement and flipped over his bars landing into the cement. bike and cyclist covered in the madness. i dont know about you but that was funny as hell to me. i couldn't stop laughing...the entire time i was thinking, what if that were me? would i laugh, cry, run, never come out into the public again, and so on...thats gotta suck but not for everyone watching.

this weekend is gonna be bananas...yesterday i picked up a couple of friends from the airport cause of the weekends cycling events. skids'n'tricks last night and today the sadie hawkins race. cant wait...peace.

dont panic under pressure...

i use to work all alone. i had others by my side but i was the only dispatcher. i would only ask for help when i needed someone to call a client to charge them more, wrong address, weight, and so on...nothing crazy. now i work with another dispatcher...i show up and he's under control. usually i just sit there until about 11o'clock or so then he sends me about half the crew to work with. he takes on the distance riders and walkers and maybe one more cat. im usually rocking out with about six guys or so. me and the other dispatcher are pretty much fighting over packages...its kind of weird but it works. we ask each other if its cool for me to grab a few runs and he does the same...

today the guy that usually sits to my right called in sick. not a big deal cause im use to working alone but now i gotta deal with distance riders, walkers, and the loopers. also, im fairly new to the crew so im still not use to everyones wants and needs. the whole day went super smooth...i dont find out how well my crew did till tomorrow but im confident we rocked in the 90's. no sillyness from 6674 who usually gets lost for no reason other than he thinks and does things at different speeds...6664 finally is routing himself properly and not wasting his legs or making packages late without me knowing...1141 was happy that i was able to keep him away from the loop for the most part...1016 is, as usuall, probably faster on two feet than most cats are on two wheels...all in all, im getting use to the crew and realize that we got some soldiers...peace.

no one wants to work...

i've started work at a different company and things are going well. it's a different crew but the same problems. no big deal...nice and easy transition. the only thing that has been super annoying is the fact that this new crew denies work more than any other crew i've had the pleasure of working with. the new crew aren't considered independant contractors(i.c.'s)...they are actual employees. they still get paid commision but have health benefits, paid vacations, sick days, and so on. this is why i don't understand what the f**k is going on. they rather sit around and wait, and wait, and wait, and wait...until they get the actual package that suits their needs. it makes no sense...you're an employee. doesn't that mean you have to pick up the package no matter what...exceptions being weight, height, and so on.

i understand the weather is changing and things can get rough out there but dont you want to make some money while you figure out the fact that the business you're in isn't for you? the day was slow today but it was busy because riders aren't responding on the radio, denying packages, and just not showing up. not much i could do all day...i felt frustrated. it felt like i was houdini trying to break out of some impossible escape act. packages were late all day...had to load up messengers with 5 or 6 at a time and just sit there and wait under radio silence until the magic words..."im clean". nothing sounded better all day. the seven cats that showed up today will be hooked up all day everyday for the next week. the whole day i was apologizing to my crew for giving them the yoyo affect...for making them go up and down the bridges...for routing them my way and not their way. i had no choice today but, in the end, i escaped another long day. tomorrow i have to look at the numbers and see the 90+ on time percentage drop considerably...i'll deal with this crew for now but i do see some new cats coming in the very near future...peace.