HANGING OUT at Fort and
watch the world pass by, listening for their call number on their portable
radios. :

B

~ COURIER Scott Lynch talks on a portable radio to his dispatcher. The sticker
on Lynch’s helmet reads, “Think car.”

NINETEEN YEAR OLD Scoit Lynch cinches his toe clip tighter as he prepares
to make a regular contract run. The pick-up and delivery takes him less than
10 minutes, travelling from the downtown core to Pembroke Street and

back.

Continued from Page 2

“I guess I’m in it ‘cause it’s fun and
you get to be outside,” Gilson, the
only woman courier, said.

“And I like cycling. It’s exciting. I
-worked in clothing and convenience
stores, but it was boring.”

Yet the fun and excitement can
wear thin after a while, especially
after a few close calls. Gilson acknow-
ledged she has been lucky so far, but
also says she doesn’t take chances.

“Some of the guys are crazy,’ she
added.

After a year, 18-year-old courier
Troy Wells speaks with the assurance
of a veteran. He might not consider
himself crazy, but he acknowledges
the risks. Last year when Wells, a
Select Express courier, tried to get an
edge on a traffic light, he encountered
a driver doing the same.

“T landed on a hood once,” he said
matter-of-factly. “A car jumped a yel-
low light and so did I. We collided.”

Given the hours spent on the street,
the number of serious accidents
remain few. However, two years ago
a courier was seriously injured when
he was hit by a semi-trailer. Ironical-
ly, he was riding home after work.

The risks and regular wear on their
bodies mean the working life of a
courier is usually about two years.
Some only last the summer, loosing
their enthusiasm as winter arrives.

The veteran riders often have
problems with their hips, ankles and
knees. McNeil said his knees often
lock up after a hard day. Most recog-
nize their careers are short-lived and
see riding as a stepping stone to
something else.

McNeil is an aspiring musician.
“Lots of musicians in the bigger cities
are couriers,” he said. “It’s better
than roofing... where you trash your
fingers.”

Yet others never really leave the

business. John Percy recently took a
job dispatching for Loomis, after
working for the company for four
years as a courier. Occasionally, he
still rides for them.

“My knees and hips are worn out,
he said. “I ride for recreation now.”

As 18-year old Wells said, after
relating the story of his accident,
“You can only ride for so long before
you fall.”

BURIED IN A BOOK, Matthew Brown, 21, passes the time whilé he waits for a
run. Brown, in his third week as a courier, intends to return to university in

January.

PHOTOS BY CHUCK RUSSELL

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