On the topic of who and who not to work for, it's a pretty decent rule of thumb that if a firm is advertising in the Evening Standard, they're crap. In spite of the fact that there's less activity out there at the moment than you'd find between the ears of the average monotheistic religious fundamentalist, last night's "Sub" was choc-a-bloc with ads for all sorts of sub-contractors. The usual suspects, though....apart from Excel, who had the most ineptly and unprofessionally run circuit I've ever had the misfortune to work on, but who at least have enough accounts to make minimum wage. Courier Systems have four ads in - one giving £500 garras for motorcyclists, while another for motorcyclists makes no mention of garras at all. They're advertising for cyclists as well - don't even think about it. They are also looking for a controller - as they always seem to be. Question is, how do they react to the question that any professional controller, or anyone with any knowledge of the industry, is going to ask pretty early in the application process: "Do you still steal loads of money from your riders?" I mean, the topic must come up. Do they indignantly deny they do it and tell the prospective mikesmith to fuck off? That would rule most professional controllers out. Do they not mention it, and hope that the applicant doesn't know and doesn't notice? Interesting. Do they have a BUPA scheme there? One of these days, someone armed with a baseball bat, a Stanley knife and a one-way ticket to either Belo Horizonte or Wroclaw will be waiting outside and I don't think they'll be too discriminatory about who's really to blame when an office bod steps out of the door. Also advertising are Arrow / Post Haste, who are not quite as good at apppropriating funds as Courier Systems but are still pretty adept - does Judy still bin copies of Riders' Digest as soon as they arrive? (They still advertise in it.) Destinations, aka Alf & Don Cuozzo Couriers aren't too bad - at least they only nick from clients. Special Delivery are in - see advice thread. One lot who just answer "Hello!" in what appears to be an Indian accent, and one lot who still hadn't opened at 8-30 as they aren't answering their phone. CDS/Wyndhams (again, don't even think about it) aren't looking for bikes but are advertising for executive drivers for London's Largest Executive Car Company - pay 'em £200 for hire of a Merc for a week, do £300 worth of work, and get a kite for £100 in a fortnight's time, which might leave you a small profit after paying for petrol.
They've been the same firm for years, Bill...and Mick Sullivan does own them. My fave Sullivan story is from his time at Ambassador in the early 1980s. Drivers and riders were paid in cash. Every Friday morning he sent a lackey up to the Allied Irish in Kilburn High Road to draw out the wages. Same time every week. Bloke walked out of the AIB one Friday, straight into a guy in a balaclava who was pointing a pistol at him. Unlike Jules in Pulp Fiction, the lackey handed over the attache case. Next Friday, same time, same lackey......probably the same bloke in a balaclava, probably the same pistol. Relieved of the week's wages for the second week on the spin. Fantastic Mick's best trick was the "Urgent Medical Supplies" rouse. If he couldn't cover a van job for a top client, he used to take the mike off the controller and, in an impressively solemn voice, explain to a driver who had a punter in the back that a mission of mercy was required to collect the aforementioned urgent medical supplies. Would the passenger mind if a slight diversion could be taken? Worked every time. Tight fisted sod. Still lives in the same house in Hendon as far as I know and still drives a poxy van, even though he's rolling in it. Liam Sullivan just doesn't have the class of his old man.