There was nary a flight of stairs nor a poorly timed open car door that could deter the once indispensable and undefeatable bicycle messengers that proliferated the clogged arteries of America’s busy streets, weaving in and out of traffic to deliver the goods…until a new highway developed known as the Internet.

You remember unhygienic Puck from MTV’s Real World 2? He was one of them.

According to an article by David Sharp, now that large documents can be delivered instantly and cheaply to just about anywhere, the need for couriers has dwindled.
“ In San Francisco, Speedway used to have 30 bicycle messengers but there are now 12, said Lori O'Rourke, one of the owners. Another company, Quicksilver, had 14 messengers five years ago and now has only two, said dispatcher Stacey Means.
In Chicago, Velocity has half as many bicycle messengers as it did in 1999, when there were about two dozen riders, said Kyle Wiberg, a co-owner.
In Seattle, Dynamex had 15 to 20 riders at the peak; now there are five or six, said Phil Matthews, senior dispatcher.”
But couriers remain optimistic.
"There's still potential there. There's still stuff that needs to be hand-delivered," said Bob Smyth, a former bicycle messenger in Boston and San Francisco.

There's also the rule of the "Survival of the fittest", and I imagine it's not really a job with long term prospects or promotion.
Just the pollution intake alone from your average city street would be enough to deter all but the most determined.

I know in the UK, you can claim so much per mile for cycling, maybe this amount could be raised as an incentive? Whaddya say?

Paul

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London Web Design Agency | London IT Support | IT Support - Mac & PC

One thing I learned from living abroad: the rest of the world doesn't mind riding bikes or driving stupid looking tiny cars. In Japan, cars are taxed by the kilogram and gas is the equivalent of $4 a gallon. There was a particualar type of car that had .67 liter engine and had to display a special yellow license plate to let others know how slow it went. Here in the states, we still expect premium gas to hover around $1.25, most of us wouldn't be caught dead in a clown car--seriously affects one's sex life, and bicylcing is for hippies, teenagers, and fitness nuts.

Alas, this is the hegemonous American dream culture.

As for cycling incentives...have at it, but I'll still be squeeling my mustang to the convenience store across the street. My apologies to those who breathe everywhere.

I filled up on petrol (gas) today in Wales and it was 88p a litre which translates to £3.33 per US gallon or $6.35 a gallon. Now do you want a small car that does lots of miles per gallon or a gas guzzling monster that lloks cool but is way expensive to run.

carju1

OK OK I really want the gas guzzler AND a pay check that can afford that amount of petrol

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Oh well everyone else does it - http://www.jctdesigns.com - http://www.swanseawaterbeds.co.uk - http://www.aquabathroomcentre.co.uk/onlineshop/

After spending six years abroad during my military days, I often thought *and still do* that the US should fall in line with other nations and pay their fair share for oil. We're such a materialistic and greedy people, maybe $5-6 per gallon would force us to take energy, resources and conservation serious.

I'm not trying to hug the trees here, so to speak, but I think we're out of control.

Why should Germany, England, France, Japan etc. pay 300% more for the same product?

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W. R. Mineo