oh...chicago...

so, as i stated before this week i have been covering for the night dispatcher. not a huge deal but i miss out on all the fun throughout the day. i looked out the window before heading off to the new shift and chicago is under a winter storm of sorts. winds are about 30 mph, there's snow everywhere, and the temp went from mid/high 40's to single digits in less than 24 hrs. i dont envy the other bike dispatcher because i know what this means...no shows, call-ins, and everyone slows up.

i looked up the ten day forecast and it seems as if the temps are gonna range from the teens to the thirties...this does not include the wind-chill factor. the forecast also shows snowy and wet days. cold and wet do not go together at all. packages will definitely be late this week and next.

now...what to do? bikers are gonna have to keep their head, hands, and feet dry and warm. they're gonna have to look for spots to stay warm...messenger centers, thompson center(100 w. randolph), 7 eleven's, libraries, dunkin donuts, and my all time favorite...the front seat of gina's truck.


pic by mareesha...

gina(the pizza lady on madison just east of wacker), the messenger mom, will always take care of you. she carries a bunch of random things in her truck to help out messengers...extra jackets, pants, and so on. the best part is that you can stop by and buy a cheap slice of pizza and she'll let you enjoy it in the front seat with the heat at full blast.

i wish i was around to help deal with the stress that these next few days will bring. hope everyone stays warm and stays safe...peace.

incentives...

well...times are changing. the weather is getting wet and cold...the true soldiers will come out and play. from now until about mid-march messengers will start quitting, showing up late, taking more days off, or just rocking out. either way, this is when a stronger bond among each other begins. at our old company we never did anything for the messengers as an incentive to come out when its freezing and snowing or raining. the most i could convince the company to do was offer coffee to messengers in the morning...it actually worked. alot of guys showed up early to enjoy a cup of coffee and a cigarette before the madness. it amazed me how something that simple goes a long way.

at the new company they offer a bit more than coffee. arrow has messenger centers throughout chicago...not sure how many buildings they own but its spread out north and south. this means that when a messenger cleans up they have the option of trying to warm up at these centers. the centers have hot chocolate and hand/feet warmers...how cool is that. alot of people complain about this company cause of the strict uniform rule and a few other things but this is just a nice thing to do. they also, on very nasty days, offer an extra dollar per package. it may not sound like much but it can add up. if you rock out 30 runs you get paid whatever you made plus the extra 30 bucks...amazing. not sure how they decide what weather conditions would be suitable for the extra money but believe me when i say that i try my best to get that extra dollar everyday the weather is 30 or below.

messengers also dont have to come to base for anything...they can get direct deposit so they dont have to pick up their check...they can drop their log sheets at 131 south dearborn, a messenger center for arrow...they can fax in their log sheets...the only time they would have to come in is to fill out vacation forms, time off request sheets, meetings, and so on. its not that the base is way out of the way, its actually on the way home for many, but its nice to not have to stop by base.

one more thing...every once in a while arrow buys popeyes for their crew. thats right, i said POPEYES...peace.