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eric in west seattle

Posted: Mon Mar 31, 2008 8:30 pm

Joined: 17 Mar 2007 Posts: 13 Location: W. Seattle

Hi:

My 17 year old son wants to be a bike messenger (NOW!). Not a pretend one, but a real one for $. Were or are any of you folks real bike messengers?

Can you refer me/him to an honorable firm and individual?

Can you tell me/him who to stay the hell away from?

Does he have to wear one of those studded belts that all the hip cool fixie riders are wearing nowadays? Is it OK if he wears a helmet and has brakes on his bike?

Thanks,

The other Eric S. (in West Seattle)

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Eric in West Seattle

MyNameIsJeff

Posted: Mon Mar 31, 2008 9:10 pm

BOOSH! Joined: 17 Jul 2007 Posts: 2042 Location: Nearest bar.

eric in west seattle

Posted: Mon Mar 31, 2008 9:17 pm

Joined: 17 Mar 2007 Posts: 13 Location: W. Seattle

Yournameisjeff:

Thanks for your input, but this is not the Hair Club for Men Forum.

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Eric in West Seattle

frozenquest

Posted: Mon Mar 31, 2008 9:34 pm

Joined: 26 Feb 2008 Posts: 155 Location: CD

It's cool that your kid wants a job.
I suppose if my 17-year-old wanted a job I'd be happy (besides looking forward to his ass getting the fuck out of my house in another year)...
Either way, if the kid wants to be a messenger have him go to the several messenger employers in the city. Check out http://www.cascade.org/Community/bikemessengers.cfm

And...

Eric_s

Posted: Mon Mar 31, 2008 9:51 pm

Joined: 07 Mar 2007 Posts: 1691 Location: the dirty south

eric in west seattle wrote:

Hi:

My 17 year old son wants to be a bike messenger (NOW!). Not a pretend one, but a real one for $. Were or are any of you folks real bike messengers?

Not anymore. Most of us are big time nerds, with desk jobs.

eric in west seattle wrote:

Does he have to wear one of those studded belts that all the hip cool fixie riders are wearing nowadays? Is it OK if he wears a helmet and has brakes on his bike?

Basically, yes to all of those. Many of the messengers hang out at the monorail espresso on pike at 5th. He can talk to some of them if he really wants to find out what it's like. (from what I understand, dangerous, low paid, and often physically demanding). Also, he may run into problems with labor laws until he's 18, and he might have more fun riding bikes with p83, or fast friday, or some combination of those.

Eric S.
Who grew up in west seattle, but no longer lives there, and who really does not know much about being a bike messenger since I've had a good job for a while.

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That's Lemmy, Not Jesus.

Finn

Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 10:14 pm

Alabama Joined: 15 Sep 2006 Posts: 303 Location: Central District

(But on wheels)

jeff

Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 10:49 pm

SOC pussy Joined: 05 May 2006 Posts: 4501

Do dishwashers organize their own boxing tournaments?

STFU and ride (the bus).

pete jr

Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 11:01 pm

Joined: 13 Dec 2005 Posts: 1930 Location: balls deepx

here

henry

Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 11:29 pm

somewhat piggish Joined: 05 Aug 2005 Posts: 5415 Location: on porch with shotgun

pete jr wrote:

here

waltzed directly in to that tarp.

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winter men

Milx

Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 8:34 am

Joined: 10 Dec 2007 Posts: 348 Location: Capitol Hill

Being a bike messenger is cool and all, but the final and deadly showdown can be a problem. Plus, he could end up living in a warehouse with a ballet dancer!

bott

Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 10:52 am

will kill you in your sleep Joined: 27 Jul 2005 Posts: 868 Location: Landlandia

now with wheels! but outsourced to Taiwan.

beware the robot bike messenger apocalypse.

TrikerTrev

Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 11:25 am

Joined: 23 Oct 2006 Posts: 2303 Location: FOCO, MOFO!!!

<disclaimer: I'm just kidding, jebus, take a joke>

eric in west seattle wrote:

Hi:

My 17 year old son wants to be a bike messenger (NOW!). Not a pretend one, but a real one for $. Were or are any of you folks real bike messengers?

That's cute, aspiring to be a bike messenger. It's humorous he thinks he'll get paid for it. From what planet is this "West Seattle" your on anyway?

eric in west seattle wrote:

Can you refer me/him to an honorable firm and individual? Can you tell me/him who to stay the hell away from?

An honorable firm? You're kidding right? You've obviously not met any messengers. Neither exist on this planet, nor likely any other that has enough gravity to keep wheels on the ground. You'd be a better parent allowing him to wear a thong and ball gag and walk the streets of Cap Hill (where, incidentally, most messengers are spawned from) on a Friday night.

eric in west seattle wrote:

Does he have to wear one of those studded belts that all the hip cool fixie riders are wearing nowadays? Is it OK if he wears a helmet and has brakes on his bike?

He'll need girl pants 3 sizes too small, Chuck Taylor shoes. Studs and helmets and brakes? Oh my! No self respecting pseudo-messenger would be caught under a Metro bus with a helmet and brakes! Does he not read the news? And you didn't even mention what kind of bike he'll be riding? THAT MATTERS!

If you used to be a track racer, pre-child, and you've handed down said heirloom, he may be a semi-worthy candidate. If hes cut down his bars to stubs and added mis-matched wheels (24' in front, 700 in the rear, is typical and acceptable) then he' might fit in with little questions. However if you've blown a few hundred over at, say Bike and Board (since you're in the wes-shizzle), he's likely going to be a laughing stock and will likely succumb to the sirens call of the Aurora bridge. And trust me, the phone does NOT work!

If you love your son, keep him FAR away from the above mentioned "coffee shops", buy him an Apple Mack BookAir, an ex-box and a 64 inch plazma tv. This would be a far better investment then the life if ridicule and misery of true messengers (not to mention the fact you're more likely to get grandchildren from him if he's a gamer/computer dork).

yours truly,

trike snob SEA

Last edited by TrikerTrev on Thu Apr 03, 2008 12:55 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Insufferable ass, est. 1969

the dreaded ben

Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 11:48 am

Grumpy Greeb Joined: 20 Aug 2005 Posts: 5329 Location: flavor country

no wonder messengers don't like you kids.
play nice.

let the 17 year old be a messenger if you he wants. all he wants is a job where he can ride a bike. of course i hope eric doesn't mind his kid developing a drinking problem. meh, we all have them sooner or later.

my suggestion is to get a job at a restaurant that does bike delivery. snoose junction comes to mind.

jeff

Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 11:53 am

SOC pussy Joined: 05 May 2006 Posts: 4501

How long before some messenger reads this and administers a beat down to some unsuspecting cyclists with a .83 spoke card in their spokes? (Soon I hope).

Talking shit about people who ride bikes for a living? Really?

It's a damn good thing I ride the bus.

bott

Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 12:14 pm

will kill you in your sleep Joined: 27 Jul 2005 Posts: 868 Location: Landlandia

oh noes.
the point83 forums have transformed and been taken over by meanies!

pete jr

Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 3:32 pm

Joined: 13 Dec 2005 Posts: 1930 Location: balls deepx

Milx wrote:

Plus, he could end up living in a warehouse with a ballet dancer!

yeah, for serious! i just tried watching that movie recently. where the hell did that scene come from?

but ben's mention of food delivery is a good one. jimmy john's is another spot that has bike delivery and frequent openings.

and trevor is just an insufferable ass, but we all knew that

wingedc0w

Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 3:44 pm

Joined: 18 Oct 2005 Posts: 233 Location: SEA || 206

Jimmy Johns down in P-Square is opening. They'll hire him. He's got to wear a stupid uniform, that will get him heckled by the legit 10hrs/day messengers. Plus, he might have a tough time getting in on a job seeing as how it's a disappearing field.

Snoose is good too. They have bikes w/ front racks, so your all set. Those spots will give him a taste of what its like, wait for the rain...

Most .83 guys are dicks, same with some messengers downtown. Fuck'em, do what you will.

I hope some kids on this board catch a beatdown, it'd be funny. Have some cheese with your whine bitches.

TrikerTrev

Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 3:48 pm

Joined: 23 Oct 2006 Posts: 2303 Location: FOCO, MOFO!!!

[quote="pete jr"]

Milx wrote:

and trevor is just an insufferable ass, but we all knew that

pete, my ass suffers. alot

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Insufferable ass, est. 1969

langston

Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 3:59 pm

Joined: 25 Jul 2005 Posts: 5547 Location: Columbia City

wingedc0w wrote:

Jimmy Johns down in P-Square is opening. They'll hire him. He's got to wear a stupid uniform, that will get him heckled by the legit 10hrs/day messengers. Plus, he might have a tough time getting in on a job seeing as how it's a disappearing field.

Snoose is good too. They have bikes w/ front racks, so your all set. Those spots will give him a taste of what its like, wait for the rain...

I hope some kids on this board catch a beatdown, it'd be funny. Have some cheese with your whine bitches.

and the owner of Snoose is down with .83
I've been out with him and his girl and Daniel on a weekend bike ride, and been in a few times for slices. Greasin' the wheels for some sponsorships :)

lantius

Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 4:10 pm

1337 Joined: 22 Jul 2005 Posts: 6705 Location: right over

jeff wrote:

awesome, i can just see a pack of angry messengers chasing you down on their bikes as you trundle along running for the metro stop.

eric in west seattle

Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 7:31 pm

Joined: 17 Mar 2007 Posts: 13 Location: W. Seattle

Thanks for all the advice and entertainment too. I'll let him read everything and figure it out on his own. I'm still not sure what this forum is about. I'm assuming some of the people actually ride bikes.

17 years old is not a little kid, for those of you who haven't looked around. One of our young pals wrestles for Garfield HS at a solid 285 lbs. Think you can kick his ass?

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Eric in West Seattle

ethan

Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 7:57 pm

Joined: 21 Jan 2008 Posts: 920 Location: Maple Leaf

Eric, all's I can say is: best of luck to him!!! I started my first messenger job when I was 17. *Damn* is that a fun way to make money when you're 17 yrs old... or at any age I suppose.

Any advice I could give probably wouldn't be relevant though, since that was in a city a few thousand miles away, where the messenger industry and culture are, I'm guessing, a tad different. Oh and also, this was about 18 yrs ago. :)

Eric_s

Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 7:58 pm

Joined: 07 Mar 2007 Posts: 1691 Location: the dirty south

eric in west seattle wrote:

this forum is about talking shit on the internet. The bike riding happens every tuesday and thursday.

_________________
That's Lemmy, Not Jesus.

bott

Posted: Thu Apr 03, 2008 9:18 am

will kill you in your sleep Joined: 27 Jul 2005 Posts: 868 Location: Landlandia

Eric_s wrote:

this forum is about talking shit on the internet. The bike riding happens every tuesday and thursday.

exactly. all this posturing about beat downs and ass kicking is hilarious.

Eric_s

Posted: Thu Apr 03, 2008 10:21 am

Joined: 07 Mar 2007 Posts: 1691 Location: the dirty south

The Internet Is Serious Business, and anyone thinking that this group of semi-professional internet trolls is serious about anything but shit-talking is even funnier.

_________________
That's Lemmy, Not Jesus.

wingedc0w

Posted: Thu Apr 03, 2008 11:15 am

Joined: 18 Oct 2005 Posts: 233 Location: SEA || 206

Eric_s wrote:

The Internet Is Serious Business, and anyone thinking that this group of semi-professional internet trolls is serious about anything but shit-talking is even funnier.

THANKS.

langston

Posted: Thu Apr 03, 2008 11:43 am

Joined: 25 Jul 2005 Posts: 5547 Location: Columbia City

eric in west seattle wrote:

The reason the internetz here work how they do is that (most, minus a few day-time trolls) we know each other primarily through riding bikes together.

Most of us ride even more than we talk shit. Even Derrick's fat ass pulls down 50+ miles a week I'd bet.

tehschkott

Posted: Thu Apr 03, 2008 3:20 pm

daywalker Joined: 09 Nov 2007 Posts: 6108 Location: Hatertown

wingedc0w wrote:

Eric_s wrote:

The Internet Is Serious Business, and anyone thinking that this group of semi-professional internet trolls is serious about anything but shit-talking is even funnier.

THANKS.

ownd!

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GREAT UNITER / ORACLE / ELDER

MOOAAR DONGS

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