old faces...

when the days get hectic in can very difficult to get a hold of messengers. they are constantly on the go...the last thing they want to do is reach for the radio. just like us all they are thinking about is cleaning up. some guys are easier than others to get a hold of becaue of radio postion on the bag or because they are not afraid to talk and ride or...well, just cause. others...not so much. some guys keep their radio in the pocket which means it take forever for them to hear us. some cant talk becuase they may be in front of the client. some just cant hear us because of static or lack of signal. some forget their phone with their bag when checking in with buildings and some...well, just dont want to talk.

6464 has been around for a while. he's definitely a vet so special treatment is fine by me but its hard to hook up the work if you dont pick up the phone at all. he randomly calls in to let us know his location and the fact that he's clean. when i say randomly i mean exactly what i sounds like...you never know from where he will call and you never know when he is gonna call. if its busy you can try and get a hold of him to see where he might be but you might be better off wating it out.

6365 will turn his phone off throughout the day. you never know when it will happen. he blames it on the phone day in and day out but there's only so much technology blamming you can do. he always has a smile on his face and is a super nice guy but i do remember him from the days that i use to work bitching about the lack of work. i would imagine this hasn't stopped but why bitch?

there is plenty of work to be done...every once in a while we get slow but not right now. why not just keep rocking and if you need a break just let me/us know...i have no problems giving a break here and there as long as it means you will give me your A game...whatever that may be.

on a unrelated note, i went downtown on monday to do some shopping. the minute i got off the car i bumped into a few old faces. taral or turtle...also, known as the fastest slowest messenger in chicago. always great to see that cat. he use to bring me a 40 at the end of the work week...nothing like going into the weekend with a buzz. i bumped into big steve...for some odd reason i always yell out STEVE! and he replies, WATUP JULIO! thats all...no other words are ever exchanged. weird but cool.

last but not least...bumped into aaron. one of toughest cats i know. the man got testicular cancer and survived. during his sessions at the hospital for his condition he would keep rocking out. some days he would show up late, some he would leave early, and some he wouldn't. the fact that he even made an effort is beyond me...the kid has alot of heart. he's much better now, physically and still continues to rock out the runs. one of fastest cats and great guys i've had the pleasure of working with.

at the end of it all...it's good to know that respect still continues...peace.

they are all just numbers...

no matter what company you work for there has always been a high turnover in the bicycle messenger industry. i've seen many come and go and i've only worked for two companies so far. some last one hour, one week, one month, one year, and so on...not too many stay put in one company. there are some exceptions...fourstar or service first...for the most part, all other companies see many come and go. in the last few months working at standard courier we had a young lady come in and get a job...she did pretty well, especially considering she was a rookie. she quit after about two weeks. about a month after i started the new job at arrow i saw her come in and get the job...again, she quit after about two weeks. not really sure why some people do that...you got in, why not give it a try. the worst part of the whole thing is that all the moving around destroys the industry...the more messengers are unreliable the less respect they get. not saying that this is what happens in all situations but it does happen to often...not only that, it definitely makes my job harder. i count on these cats to show up and rock out for me but then about an hour after im sitting comfortably in my seat i get the notification..."6670 quit today". now im a person short and didn't get enough notice to cover the spot. i do get regulars...6637, 6653, 6645, 6589(no matter how much of a jerk he is), 6665, and others show up. some may show up much later than they should but, at this point, at least they show up?

like i tell a bunch of my guys...you cats are all numbers to me, after work you are fabian, ryan, taral, aaron, and you get the idea...peace.