Job as a courier / messenger?

hi,

just joined the forum after being told of it's existence. bought a fixie off my mate about 6 months ago and have enjoyed every minute of it. Any way just trying to finish some tedious a levels and then am free. was curious about a job as a messenger. anyone no where to start? or have any advice?

haha, yeah i got that nick name from rock climbing. but i'm relatively faster on my bike than on rock

Read this: http://www.londonmessengers.org/FAQ

jeers hippy that was useful!

and the ability to live on very little.

start now and you might be able to make it through the summer when there's fuck all work.

well my girlfriend actually bought me a real nice chrome back from n/y it seems pretty much bomb proof!!

not as bomb proof as a grobag

how comes there's not much work during the summer?

Because every man and his dog wants to be a courier when the weather is nice..

hippy Because every man and his dog wants to be a courier when the weather is nice..

and the punters get quieter , with people on holiday and all

so the cold and wet months are the money months.

you will have to work at a shit company that will dick you around untill you learn the city and how messengering works. after a few months (probly just before winter) you can move up to a better company like creative (who i worked for) or city sprint. there is fuck all work over the summer, so you would have to start soon. if your quick you can almost make enough to live off. check out the messenger zine moving target. and head down to the john snow in W1 on a friday to meet some people.

get your self an a-z, a good pump, spare tubes, multi tool and good tire levers chain breaker, extar chain, a folding tire, and a damn god waterproof jacket.

what model chrome do you have? i hate to shit talk them cuz they started in my home town, but their bags don't expand very much, its a good start, but you might want to get something bigger. bigger bag= more drops= more money.

good luck

you should get to Moving Target and read Bungalow Bill's FAQ and other very useful things regarding starting out as a Bicycle delivery person

edit:
the southern hick got there before me.

Well.. more than summer, yeah. What's a courier earn these days? I got more cash sitting in an office.. and did more riding.
Over here you will get actual, real life, fakenger-hating full-time, proper earning couriers: http://www.movingtargetzine.com/forum/discussion/597/advice-threads/#Item_0 :)

read what bill has to say...you could do a lot worse.and Chris!

"if your quick you can almost make enough to live off." - That's the bit that would worry me. :S

RPM you should get to Moving Target and read Bungalow Bill's FAQ and other very useful things regarding starting out as a Bicycle delivery person

edit:
the southern hick got there before me.

southern. fuck you buddy yakee boy all the way. ;)

yesss lisssen to mee my pressiousss

how much you like messengering realy depends on who you get on the box, the frist company i worked for, the controler was a dick and was screaming down the radio all the time. at creative i mostly had martin or bill, both of whom are good controllers, and who i probly gave heart attacks on a weekly basis.

and hippy we make fuck all. it really depends on the company, but at a bottom level company durring the summer your making minimum wage or less

hippy "if your quick you can almost make enough to live off." - That's the bit that would worry me. :S

its not a good career choice... really, its not something you do for the money.

chris crash

southern. fuck you buddy yakee boy all the way. ;)

hah, knew I'd get you.

bloody Canucks

fuck you and your mom, the world knows that canadains are only slightly less cool Americans!

your just upset cuz you have to train while i get to drink.... even though i dont drink really

you don't drink?

that's boring.

I would have got you a beer when you return

dont really drink... i do drink just not often/ to excesses like i used to

well I do that.

fucking hell, I'm practically teetotal compared to what I used to put away about 5 years ago

same... being in high school and living with a bunch of punks in a warehouse with shows 6 nights a week = lots of drinking