Laid Up!

For the last two days I have been lying around and mainly doing nothing. Although in most cases this wold be because I'm lazy, I do actually have a good reason this time. On Sunday morning it seems that I trapped a nerve in my neck, which made it go into (exquisitely painful) spasm. Doc prescribed a few days of rest, along with a very potent cocktail of co-codamol, 800mg Ibuprofen and Valium, three times a day. Hell yeah.

I've been thinking about this Brazilian magazine article too. Along with some other (much more long-standing) London courier people I suspect that the most vocal members of the community are not its best representatives. Some very articulate messengers, and some of the most professional, are those who do not drink at the Duke, who do not adhere to the rules (OK, guidelines) of the so-called "subculture".

There are plenty of normal, hard-working people who ride bikes for a living in this town. Those who aren't mouthy on-circuit, who don't go on about this or that van-rate job to Timbuktu. People who are fit, strong, fast and efficient - but quiet, making the money to pay rent or feed kids. I suppose my concern is that these sorts of people do not feel the benefit of the mechanisms set up for their own protection (the BMEF and LBMA spring to mind). Because they do not wish to partake in messenger bonding, they are excluded, unfairly.

As it is, I don't really have any ideas for including these riders. Any attempt at formal unionisation will be hijacked by Red Ken and the Powers That Be, and turned into a rider registration fiasco (licensing bicycles - what a stupid idea!) Many messengers are part-time, many are itinerant, and many drop in and out of hte job. So whatever the scheme was, it would need to be incredibly flexible. Hmmm.

For more about London couriers, read these sites.
And keep reading them. Pip pip, ouch.

Moving Target (follow the links too)
MT regularly links to several courier blogs. Photos here.
Muppetleague
London Bike Messenger Association
Bicycle Messenger Emergency Fund
SS&S courier trackday
Cyclone - the best courier company ever.
Creative - the other half decent London employer. Apparently.
Special mention here and here. Cool sites.

Oh yeah, one more thing. This is why it's stupid to hold onto other traffic. Eventually I'll add a permanent linky area to the main blog thingy, but for now I'm not sure how to do it, and I don't have time to look. Salut.