by Brenda J. Buote

Boston Globe, June 8, 1994
 

Once they were considered road warriors, flitting in and out of traffic on two wheels, dodging cars and weaving between pedestrians. Now, Boston's bicycle messengers will have to soft-pedal it through the downtown area.

Prompted by complaints from downtown workers and residents, Boston police have decided to put the brakes on bikers who speed through the shopping area.

Officers from the Boston police licensing department have visited many of the 31 messenger companies in the city and given them fair warning: There will be an increased effort to enforce an ordinance on the books since 1992.

The ordinance requires a bicycle messenger to wear a safety helmet, obtain a $20 commercial license, wear a bright orange vest with the license number on it, and comply with the rules of the road. Messengers who violate the ordinance may be fined up to $100.

Police did not have statistics available on the number of courier-related accidents that have occurred in the area, or on the number of messengers who have been fined for violating the ordinance.

David Stahl, 23, of Allston has been a courier since October. A few months ago, he was stopped by a foot patrolman in the downtown area and warned for not carrying his license.

"I don't make a lot of money doing this," said Stahl, who was attracted to the job by its flexible hours. "Getting warned woke me up. I started carrying my license with me all the time."

Stahl was the only messenger seen displaying his license number in the downtown shopping area. The spandex-clad courier had cut the number off his mandatory reflective vest and taped it to his bag because, he said, "the vest gets in the way while I'm riding."

Other messengers spotted in the area seemed even less willing to comply with the ordinance, although some were wearing safety helmets.

"The rules are bogus," said a fuming 30-year-old messenger from Brighton, who asked that he not be identified.

''The police want to protect the pedestrians?" he asked rhetorically. ''Who's going to protect us from them? They cross against the lights and jaywalk. It's a constant battle out here."

During lunch hour, the battle is at its peak. In a rush to get where they're going, pedestrians and bikers compete for space on narrow city streets.

Molly Lister of Rowley has been working in Exchange Place for 10 years. She often visits the downtown retail district during her lunch break, looking for a good bargain or a tasty treat.

"I've had a few close calls," said Lister, citing a near run-in with a messenger at the intersection of State and Congress Streets. "I don't care for them at all. They're rude and often ride in the wrong direction on one-way streets."

While police concede some of the accidents that occur in the area are not the fault of the bikers, they say enforcing the ordinance is the only way to ensure public safety.

"Most of the messengers are good, but unfortunately there is a small group that we have had problems with and that is what we're going to address," said Lt. Russell Black, commanding officer of the Boston police licensing unit.