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Women Bicycle Messengers in New York City
by Cherie Turner
Photos taken by Heather Halliday
The romance of rebellion resonated throughout my upbringing . My parents were
hippies who participated in protests and sit-ins. I was shuttled into the
world with loose rules, religious ambiguity, and advice to live my dreams -
many of which don't come with a 401k plan. It is no question then why I am so
intrigued by the profession of bike messengering.
Independent. Physically active. Free to choose their daily path. These are
the idyllic attributes of racing day-in day-out through a city, carting
packages to keep the daily grind moving forward. NYC messengers weave among
the taxis, tourists, and pedestrians slipping through openings the width of a
handlebar, flowing through the anarchy of Manhattan streets. We caught up
with a rare subsection of them, women, who represent about fifty of the 3,000
bike messengers in Manhattan.
The camps of the messenger scene are distinct; those who do it by choice and
those who are there by necessity. Messengering has long been the last resort
for people whose options were slim including ex-convicts and other
down-on-their-luck characters. But it has also become a beacon for young
bohemian types shunning the indoor corporate life. In the spirit of Jack
Kerowac, they take to the streets and turn a simple delivery occupation into
a lifestyle and culture.
Like any alternative lifestyle, there many drawbacks. New York City is the
harshest of messenger forums with the highest bicycle messenger mortality
rate. Messengers garner little respect from clients, pedestrians or drivers,
and there is little hope for benefits or raises as there is no proverbial
ladder to climb.
The women we met were varied in their interest, but not in their zest for
life and learning. They, like most women on the job are clearly in the "by
choice" group and look to the lifestyle to find art, personal growth, and
freedom. The work is hard, the pay is meager and the streets are unforgiving,
but the experience and social community is unbeatable. They are: Rebecca, the
legend, Amy, the photographing traveler, and Pit, the rebellious and
thoughtful German.
NYC Bike Messengers:
Rebecca "Lambchop" Reiley:
Amy Gibbs
Pit Kirstein
TERMS:
*Fixed gear - A bicycle with one gear and no freewheel, i.e. if the rear
wheel is moving, the pedals are moving. Sometimes ridden without brakes in
which case the bicycle is stopped by the rider stopping the pedals. This type
of bike is very common in the messenger world.
*Track stand - Balancing on the bike in a still position while keeping both
feet on the pedals. Often performed on a fixed gear bicycle at stop lights
while waiting for the light to turn green.
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