Moving Target

Two London cyclists killed in two days by lorries
11 March 2010 by Buffalo Bill

On Tuesday, at the junction of Weston Street and Snowsfields, and yesterday, on Victoria Park Road. With terrible irony, these deaths came in the same week that the Mayor of London launched his new Cycle Safety Action Plan.

Larry Z dies, wake 13th February 2010
2 February 2010 by Buffalo Bill

Sad news, this from Josh:

Sorry to anyone who hadn’t heard the news yet, Larry died 4am 30th of December, just less than five years after he was hit by truck on his way home from (courier) work. He wanted everyone to have a big piss up after he died.

There has been a lot of confusion about when and where he will be buried, no one seems to know but it probably was or will be in the States. So because he had so many friends here there will be a wake here, could not decide where to have it – at the Vanburgh Tavern in Greenwich (where he worked for a few years) or the Duke of York.

So it will be both. 13th of February, Saturday. Vanburgh first early afternoon and ride over to the Duke later on. A lot of his friends from Greenwich, Southwark and Bristol will be there. It would be great if his mates from the couriers came down to Greenwich for a beer and the ride into town.

More on the forum here.

UK courier roller race championships, 19th February, Horseshoe
23 January 2010 by Buffalo Bill

Describing the last 2 messengerpaluzas as amongst the most atmospheric Rollapaluzas ever, (by which I think they mean noisy, unruly and, most importantly, fun), the guys at Rollapaluza have announced that there will be a roller race, open only to working couriers, which they have titled the UK Courier Roller Race Championships or Rollapaluza Goldsprints 2010, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the revival of roller-racing as a spectacle in the UK.

The Horseshoe was the venue for the very first London courier roller race, then called ‘Goldsprint’, after the Swiss version, and a very fine venue it is too. More on the history of Rollapaluza here, results from last year’s Messengerpaluza II, and Messengerpaluza I.

Overdrive's courier quiz
19 January 2010 by Buffalo Bill

In lieu of some actual original content on here, why not try John’s quiz?

Sample question:

In the postcode of W1, what is unusual about Tottenham Court Road?

On the forum, here

Department of Transport study exonerates 'lycra louts'
16 December 2009 by Buffalo Bill

From the Guardian:

Cyclists disobeying stop signal or wearing dark clothing at night rarely cited in collisions causing serious injury. A tiny proportion of accidents involving cyclists are caused by riders jumping red lights or stop signs, or failing to wear high-visibility clothing and use lights, a government-commissioned study has discovered. The findings appear to contradict a spate of recent reports speculating that risky behaviour by riders, such as listening to music players while cycling, could be behind a near 20% rise in cyclist deaths and serious injuries in the second quarter of this year.

8th female London cyclist killed by lorry?
15 December 2009 by Buffalo Bill

Reading the comments in the follow up to a report of a cyclist/lorry collision in Greenwich a couple of weeks ago, it seems that the cyclist has died of her injuries. This would be the 13th cyclist to have been killed in London, and the 9th to have died as the result of a collision with a lorry, of which, 8 have been female.

London Courier Emergency Fund Xmas Party this Friday
15 December 2009 by Buffalo Bill

The London Courier Emergency Fund, which exists to help bicycle messengers who have been injured whilst working, is having a party to celebrate the advent of the festive season. It’s happening this Friday 18th December at the Foundry.

According to the LCEF web-site ‘Cities In The Dark will be presenting their finely-honed visual platter of pedal-powered light shows, duelling projectors and for those who missed it first time around, a very special screening of their Ugandan odyssey filmings, Africat. Dj’s throughout the night on rotation including Nutzo, Sleepy, Baba Jonah and Akeley bringing all your favourite pop tunes and fresh off the ticker, by public demand, a rare exclusive, MC Ben Rapattack and his Sunken Heads crew will be bringing us a taste of their much-hyped live hip-hop review. And all through Too Up Soundsystem’s most tastiest, bottom heavy PA with absolutely no neighbours to have to please. Did we mention the rotating dancefloor?? Plus, as if that wasn’t enough, over two rooms, a dedicated Art Show showcasing the cream of the London courier communities creative talents. Painting, photography, drawing, sculpture and much more..’

Sounds like fun!

Police appeal for witnesses to fatal collision, 11th London cyclist killed
26 November 2009 by Buffalo Bill

From the Met Police press office:

Traffic officers are appealing for witnesses and information after a cyclist died following a collision with a bus in central London. Police were called at approx 23:00hrs on Wednesday 11 November to reports of a bus and a cyclist in collision on Southampton Row, at the junction with in Theobalds Road WC1.

LCEF makes the London Review of Books blog and Road.cc
25 November 2009 by Buffalo Bill

Sympathetic coverage coverage of the courier’s plight over here

Riding a bicycle round London for ten hours a day is grindingly difficult. A bike courier is paid £2-£3 per job (with a 10 per cent bonus for working a full week if you’re lucky), income can be fickle, and a slow week spent standing in the rain is no fun at all. Though it varies dramatically, couriers cover distances averaging around 300 miles a week. Couriers are obliged to deliver whatever a client wants delivered as quickly as the client requires; if you can’t get from pick-up to destination within 40 minutes, you don’t get paid. Covering London from (roughly) Wapping to Knightsbridge and Camden to Elephant and Castle, you see a lot of the city, a lot of weather, and a great many post-rooms.

I don't pay road tax
18 November 2009 by Buffalo Bill

A common gripe against cyclists is that we don’t pay road tax, aren’t insured (actually I am through my memberships of the CTC and Audax UK) and don’t have to pass a cycling test before we are allowed to use the roads. None of the these objections stand up to any examination.

London courier appreciation day, Thursday 26th November
17 November 2009 by Buffalo Bill

The London Courier Emergency Fund, which is the organisation that helps out couriers who have been injured whilst working, is promoting a courier appreciation day on 26th November. They will be handing out free coffee and food to working couriers at the junction of Shaftesbury Avenue and Bloomsbury Street, aka the Island, aka Princes Circus. Exenger Ross, of Tour de Ville, will be doing free bike check-ups, and no doubt you will be able to buy a LCEF cap, whether you are a messenger or courier or simply a civilian.

Action movie with messenger as central character
16 November 2009 by Buffalo Bill

Movie blogs report that a new action movie is planned, in which the central character will be a bicycle messenger. The plot sounds a bit like Diva, a french film which turns on two tapes in the possession of a french postier who rides a scooter, one of which incriminates a bent Paris cop. The title is reported to be ‘Premium Rush’, which is clearly a cue for jokes about the greatest hits of Canada’s prog-rock trio.

As far as I know, only 2 feature films (as opposed to documentaries or shorts) that feature bicycle couriers have ever been released. The first, and most famous, was Quicksilver, starring Kevin Bacon, and featuring Nelson Vails, and the second was 2 Secondes, an altogether quirkier film made in Montreal. Quicksilver is notorious for a chase sequence in which the protoganist shifts into a larger sprocket to increase his speed.

In other news, the Fixed Book competition is now closed, and the lucky winners have been notified by email. The correct answer was, of course, Andy Capp.