By Paisley Dodds, Associated Press, 11/13/97
BOSTON (AP) - Millions of urbanites have seen them -- hard-core bike messengers hell-bent on making speedy deliveries to businesses.
But in this city, it's now those very businesses that have vowed to crack down on the couriers after one of them sideswiped a bank executive and left him in a coma.
On Thursday, the Boston Chamber of Commerce voted to send out a mass mailing to businesses calling on companies to steer clear of unlicensed couriers and blacklist those with bad attitudes.
``Just the other day I was crossing the street and this messenger came really close to me,'' said Judy LaBran, a law firm secretary. ``When I tried to get out of his way, he started swearing at me and calling me an idiot.''
Controversy over the cyclists erupted on Oct. 30, when 62-year-old William Spring, a Federal Reserve Bank of Boston vice president and member of the Boston School Committee, was hit by a bicycle courier just yards from his Boston home.
A hospital spokesman said he was still in critical condition Thursday.
``Immediate action is needed to curb the safety hazards created by discourteous and reckless bicycle messengers,'' said John Hamill, president of Fleet Bank and a chamber member.
There are about 500 registered bicycle couriers in the city, according to the Chamber of Commerce. For $20 and a quick trip to the police station for a background check, anyone can become a messenger. Some bypass the system and go it on their own. Few have liability insurance.
Bike messengers say the accident is unfortunate, but it's not only the couriers that should be put under the microscope.
``This accident seems to be releasing everyone's pent-up frustrations,'' said Ted Riederer, a 27-year-old bleached-blond bike messenger donning a mechanics jacket, black satchel and walkie-talkie.
``Business is treating us like some disposable industry, but everything that goes on in this city passes through our hands at some point.''
Being licensed means the messenger gets an orange patch with a license number on it -- a patch some choose not to wear to prevent people from reporting the cyclists to courier companies.
``Some messengers I know just put the patch under their pillows,'' said Riederer. ``It's too easy for people who already have a grudge to make your life difficult.''
Regina Stone, owner of a Boston Bicycle Courier Inc., says her company only employs registered couriers. Regardless, she said, her business has felt some flak.
``It's a knee-jerk reaction by the business community,'' Stone said. ``But really, I think you have more chance of getting hit by a cab.''
But even the cabbies -- once feared in urban circles -- are scared.
``Today, one of the couriers slapped my car and I almost hit him,'' said Yohannes Fre, a 50-year-old cabbie. ``Yea, I'm scared of them. I don't want to hit nobody.''
The city has created a task force to look at upping requirements for bicycle messengers. One of the proposals it is considering is making couriers carry liability insurance.
In San Francisco, which has 600 couriers and few regulations for the fleet, the same type of backlash has been felt, according to Ben Green, from Western Messenger Service.
``It seems like we go through stretches where bike messengers get blamed for things,'' Green said. ``It's always a battle.''
As for whether upped courier regulations will work in Boston?
``We're blue-collar workers afraid of losing out jobs,'' said Riederer said. ``We may be young, and may not look pretty, but most of us follow the rules.''
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