broken record...

two lanes were one...people walking on the street cause sidewalk was not walkable...cars slidding/stuck everywhere...potholes hidden...friday, one of the busiest days in the messenger industry...snow predicted to end around six pm...lets just say, i predict a total of 13 runs being completed on time...













hope everyone rides safe...peace.

maybe its the weather?

a couple of posts back i talked about 6637 getting hit by a bus and breaking his nose and pinky. he also was barely able to move around. well, he came back on friday...i could not believe it. we tried to keep him on short runs, strictly envelopes, and, for the most part, one at a time. there was no need to work him hard, even though he probably would not object, so we eased him back to work. he said he felt good but still was hurting...when you need the loot you can deal with a bit of pain. either way, it was good to hear his voice and it was good to know that the hit didn't scare him off the bike.

funny thing, we get 6637 back but, on the same day, we lose 6688. he has a late start cause he's part time but is very good at what he does. rides fast and never says no. very similar to 6637 so its funny that the accident happened to him. not sure where it happened but he ended up getting doored by a lady coming out of a cab. he said the lady freaked out and he felt bad for her so he just told her not to worry about what happened and let the lady and cab go. can you believe that? he's crazy. anyway, he calls me up...

6688...eighty-eight.

j.dot...what up?

6688...i just got doored. i think i broke two fingers. im fine but im not gonna go to the hospital cause they'll probably just tape them up and thats no big deal.

j.dot...what? umm...did you get info? you sure you're okay?

6688...yeah, im fine. i think i'll just clean up cause im hurting a bit, then im just gonna head home.

j.dot...you serious? you sure you dont want me to send someone to pick up what you got? you sure you dont need anything?

6688...yeah, i'll be okay.

well, he cleaned up and fairly quick. he calls back and says he's clean. i send him home and tell him to keep me posted as to how he's doing. im sure he's fine but if it was me who broke fingers i probably would've gotten a whole police report and cried during the whole situation.

on another note, i'll be working the third shift to cover for someone going on vacation...not a big deal but im gonna miss dispatching my soldiers...peace.

man down...man down!!

okay...since there's two dispatchers i wasn't working with 6637 at the time so i was kept out of the loop for a minute. i hear a little bit of a ruckus at work and i go check it out...turns out 6127, a driver, saw 6637 get hit by a bus. he immediately pulls over and throws 6637 in the van along with his bike. this is where i pick up.

j.dot...wtf? you alive?

6637...(mumbling) i cant feel my teeth. i think i lost my teeth.

j.dot...what the FUCK? damn, your bike is jacked up...

6637...i got hit by a bus, i feel like shit!

j.dot...dude, i hope you get better soon. let me know what happens.

the driver then takes him to the clinic and 6637 undergoes a series of tests to check if he's bleeding internally and how many broken bones he has. he shows up to base towards the end of my shift. he could barely move but at least he's walking. the doctors didn't give him a neck brace because they dont want the muscles to stiffen up. he has a broken nose and a broken pinky. his bike is completely trashed...i couldn't get a good look at the bicycle but the wheels where beyond being taco'd. the benefit he has right now is that he's an employee and not an independant contractor. this means the company pays for everything or at least they should.

okay...so what happened? he's not 100% what bridge this all happened on but it sounds to me like it was the lasalle bridge. a bus came from behind him...not sure which way he was headed(north or south). the bus then hit/bumped 6637 in the back of the head with the sideview mirror forcing 6637 to make moves. he then was pushed by the bus into a hole/gap in the bridge and his front wheel went right in forcing 6637 to flip over his bars and into the grated bridge. the bus stopped for a second and then kept going.

i told 6637 to call cta and let them know of the incident. maybe they will be able to track the driver who hit him by letting them know what time and what street? also, i let him know to post something on craiglist to see if any witnesse come forward. someone had to have seen something.

at this point...all i know is that we almost lost a soldier. one of the first things he asked me was if i had a front wheel he could buy...i know he'll be back soon. i told him to take his time coming back cause the last thing he needed was to get hurt again. i hope the medicine/pain killers they provide are strong enough for him to sleep at night...i also hope the driver is able to sleep at night knowing that he might of killed someone...peace.

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.