For the average pedestrian, weaving through cars, rolling over manholes and struggling through construction sites are minor inconveniences. But for the tough-nosed Boston bike messenger, deftly navigating a citywide obstacle course is a common occupational hazard in which any uphill track poses a threat to business.
“Bike messengers can be either romanticized as a dangerous, sexy, uber-cool lifestyle, or it can be demonized as a low-class, dirty, unrespectable occupation,” said 23-year-old Boston bicycle messenger Phuz Flamingo on her blog about her experiences in the often-unnoticed field.
Bike messenger Nick Scotti said there are no “typical” messengers because each has his or her own distinct method to managing life on two wheels.
“People think of messengers as tattooed adrenaline junkies on fixes, but in reality everybody just does their own thing,” Scotti said. “The one thing everybody has in common is a love for riding a bike.”
Scotti said an average day begins around 9 a.m. when his dispatcher sends him a text message letting him know where and when to pick up and deliver packages. He said delivering mostly legal documents, architecture blueprints and original artwork did not initially produce the income he was promised.
“Turns out I didn’t make nearly 600 dollars,” Scotti said. “But I stuck with it, found some better companies and learned the city extremely well, and now I make a pretty decent check at the end of the week.”
Though he thrives on outlining routes and flowing with the chaos of the streets, he said the occupation can sometimes have a painful twist.
“My worst experience was breaking my arm after a collision with a car that ran a red light,” Scotti said. “It was my first real injury about a year ago, and it kind of freaked me out to realize that you can get seriously injured on this job, and that taking your eyes off the road for even a second can land you in the hospital.”
But injuries are an accepted risk that the job carries, he said.
“Problems pop up constantly,” Scotti said. “The wrong address or a locked door can turn a good day bad.”
Scotti said Mayor Thomas Menino’s recent initiative Boston Bikes, which calls for improvements to improve biking in the city, will help make his job safer and more efficient.
“I think it’s great that the city is taking steps to help out bikers in this city,” Scotti said. “If it provides a faster route I’ll use them, but I love playing in the traffic.”
No definite plans have been finalized for Boston Bikes, but legislators and biking enthusiasts will debate the measure in a citywide summit this week.
“We’re trying to prioritize the needs of Boston,” said Boston Bike Coordinator Nicole Freedman. “My job is to listen to as many groups as possible, including the bike messengers.”