Hi John, Darren,

Please note, this email is being addressed to you guys right now, as I
see you as leaders in the courier community, and I have your email
addressses! everything below is open to the public, and I would be
more than happy to have you post this on Moving Target.

I just wanted to discuss some of the events this weekend, and see if
there is a resolution to any of the issues.

This year at the BFF I was so incredibly excited and honoured to be
able to show a film about the LCEF, made by the community, for the
community, and to be playing it all over the world! Its an incredible
opportunity to showcase all the positive work the london courier
community is doing, and I was so proud to be supporting it in any way
I could.

Unfortunately, during that very same screening, certain individuals
within the community were acting in a very destructive way in the
Barbican, jumping over seats, causing massive chaos during the
screening, and then furthermore being incredibly disruptive in the
lobby area afterwards to the point where Barbican security was called.

The behaviour carried onto the afterparty, a shop owned by Little
John's friends. people were still out of control and being incredibly
disrespectful to the space. when we tried to remove them from the
shop, (completely within our rights) one individual tried to break
everything in the store on his way out. others were kicking and
screaming, and all of this resulted in fights on the street?

Never in the 5 years I have been doing the BFF in London or other
places around the world have I seen such a thing occur. And the real
shame is, its tied in with the screening where we were trying to
highlight the positive work the messengers were doing.

The BFF has ALWAYS supported the messenger community in every city it
goes to around the world. I have always provided prizes for
alleycats, supported London's calling, and done everything I can to
ensure that the messengers are at home at the BFF.

Yet I have also worked incredibly hard to secure an amazing venue for
the BFF. Now my relationship with the Barbican has been threatened by
this. My relationship with sponsors who were present for these events
has been threatened, and on top of that, I am just incredibly ashamed
to have asked the guys at East London Furniture to use their space,
when the result was their hard work being ruined.

I would like to find a way to proceed in the future of working
together with the courier community and the LCEF, but feel quite wary
at the moment of it, as I'm not sure how to stop the events of this
year occuring again. Do you have suggestions?
Laura Fletcher
Bicycle Film Festival
London
Producer
0780 474 1467
laura@bicyclefilmfestival.com

www.bicyclefilmfestival.com

I can only echo what John has said, although I would add that there is no excuse for the shameful behaviour at the Barbican & the after-party. If you can't drink all day, and behave yourself, you shouldn't drink all day, period.

nothing ever changes, apart from the occasional switch of antagonist.

"If you can't drink all day, and behave yourself, you shouldn't drink all day"

word. somehow though it's always the least able that are the most enthusiastic.

@Sleepy

There was no change of antagonist. Although now we have two :) The only reason I was out the front to see this kick off was that I was already throwing out the usual antagonist for being a wanker.

@Bo,

I dont know what to tell you. A bunch of my friends got beaten because of a fight you started for no fucking reason. You fucked up my friends shop for no fucking reason. You fucked up the party all my friends were at (which is why they all ended up naked at my house). You majorly fucked up my friends event. Seriously, if this was the first time you'd behaved like that, maybe I'd listen harder to that apology.

@ pikey

The only reason nobody remembers you being a dick on saturday is that Bo was getting all the attention. But you were already being thrown out of the shop for kicking shit at the people in the pub next door. Technically, you should have already been barred for trying to start a fight on thursday.


Am I being too hard? Im so tired of tolerating people who behave like this. But I dont know how to deal with it. If I'd barred Bo and Pikey from coming into the shop in the first place, how many of us would defend them? I mean, isnt defending each other what being a community is all about? And given that most of what we do is stand around and drink beer in the street/park/other public spaces, how do we ban someone from that anyway?

Whatever I said above, I do respect the fact that Bo wrote that and apologised. I just think that with the apology has to go some awareness of the consequences, and we need to make clear that we as a community wont tolerate that behaviour. Thats something we dont do well right now.

"If you can't drink all day, and behave yourself, you shouldn't drink all day". Word. (And I say that as someone who has been drinking solidly for the last week) If you dont understand how that applies to your life, youre not part of my community. Membership to the messenger community that I believe in and feel part of requires more than just a bike and a radio and a badly paid job delivering stuff.

Please dont call darren a "leader"

Lookin forward to Jonhs film on line might jump over my chair!

think i might change my name to edit

I think Ryan is getting an easy ride here. He was as badly behaved as anyone, slapped Wayne without provocation, which started the trouble which finished with Seamouse & Wookie getting a beating, and nearly started a fight with a fixie kid outside the venue after the trouble had pretty much petered out.

I cannot point the finger at anyone without pointing it at myself,I wasn't at the after party but I was involved in some of the boisterousness at the film showing.My worry is that the BFF will be barred from the Barbican because of our behaviour there.

I think I was asleep. Am I an angel or what.

Glib yow r right

You are a genius of deduction,a freethinking pioneer,but you have left these shores to grace foreign lands.Will we ever be so privileged to have your like again?It is at these difficult and uncompromising times that such a subtle and insightful mind as yours is woefully absent.To my utmost regret,we never had the pleasure of aquaintance but I'm sure if we ever meet through mutual friends, or if you have the balls to introduce yourself to me,I'll rip your beard off.

Still got the beard then?

and massively handsome

I've seen worse. However this thread shouldn't be sidetracked. You guys should acknowledge that you have fucked up unbelieveably massively, apologise to everyone and move forwards.
The greatest advances often stem from the greatest setbacks.

Thank god im in Oz dont like to see my friends get bashed .Dan have you got a boat?

"it'll all be forgotten in a week"

only if you smoke as much weed as you.

you guys need to stop acting like pussies and take the hint, couriers + beer = stoopid

bo u rock dont take it personal

everyone else suck my cock, form an orderly around my my nuts

charlie hit the nail on the head, smoke more drink less or grow the fuck up

big up seamus anyway, and wookie, lucky ram wasnt there, etc

i heard u broke urs at the screening...

Oh no, not dreads Captain? How terribly Polish. I am appalled. Are you now also adorned with tattoos from the southern seas? Wear bone jewellery and drink cheap plonk in alleyways? I say!

I am glad, this conversation is going the right direction finally.

@ Overdrive Sorry Overdrive I wasnt intentionally taking the piss, but I do try to keep things lighthearted alongside the more serious point of 'excess booze in SOME people results in badness', you know how I am! Hope you had a good week mate.

You cracked me up though, footmassaging Gaddafi?? or should that be you on a Friday night (no - its not an offer)?. God knows I could do with a foot massage tonight.

@Sleepy - ha ha you've seen all you need to see of me in action sonny, and it was your fault - that Royal Wedding party was wicked. Big ups.

To end on a serious note, glad to see good recoveries made by those involved that I know, and hopefully given time the relations between all parties concerned in this episode will resume the normal good terms.