Today was my first day on the job as a bicycle messenger. Being my first day, I had to go through orientation. (I was a little bemused by the notion of having to receive several hours of orientation. You get something from here, you take it there, you fill out the paperwork. How complicated is it?)
I was a little afraid. I was sure that I would be undergoing orientation at the hands of some shaved-head, multiply-pierced, repeatedly-tattooed youngster.
Nope. His name, Tom. He's 57. He's a very nice man, full of sage advice. Before we got started on our day in the Loop, he gave me some pointers. Always wear a helmet, always ride in the direction of traffic, never ride on the sidewalk. The bike cops, he said, were always eager to write tickets, even more so if they knew you were a bike messenger.
Having said that, he proceeded to not put on his helmet, and then we rode against traffic over to Canal Street, where we rode on the sidewalk up to Sears Tower.
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