Fixed Gear Friday: L.A. Bike Messengers

Feb 29th 2008

By: Moe

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Photo via weye.org

Bike Snob NYC did a of post about the possible extinction of Bike Messengers. He also tried to start a ‘Save the messengers’ campaign, but it was quickly abandoned.

So then, it just hit me, I don’t think I ever seen a bike messenger in L.A!

Even though I don’t hang around downtown L.A. much, the times I’ve been there, I don’t think I ever seen one. A search on the internet yielded a page of L.A. Bike messengers that has not been updated since 2004. Could it be that Bike Messengers have already become extinct in LA?

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David

February 29th, 2008 at 17:52

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I’m told there is are bike messengers in Downtown LA (but I’m not down there enough to confirm this).

What I do know is that about the Century City/Beverly Hills area you will find a number of bike messengers hanging about.

The thing about LA is that it doesn’t have a major centralized metropolitan area where major buissnesses that need bike couriers congregate. In LA most of the couriers work by car, driving to and from DT, The Valley, Long Beach, Burbank, Hollywood etc. etc. There is a use for bike messengers to deliver parcels within certain areas, (given how expensive it is to park in some parts of LA) but that is only a small niche within entire courier industry here, which is said, because I’m trying to find work as a Century City bike messenger to supplement my income. (Might as well have one job that is something I enjoy doing)
Ghost Rider

March 1st, 2008 at 08:53

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I don’t know about extinct…have you seen this:

http://labmc.com/shop/index.php?main_page=index

They’ve got 2007 events on their events page.
jeff

March 2nd, 2008 at 16:42

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They do exist in downtown LA and can usually be found at the corner of 5th & Flower (outside the Central Library) on weekdays…
Quinn

March 3rd, 2008 at 09:51

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I don’t think I would want to be a messenger in the LA area, to much risk of getting hit by a 16 y/o driving an Escalade.
Michael Doughty

March 24th, 2008 at 13:07

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I’m planning to start a small messenger service in Long Beach.
Spencer Hingerford

April 1st, 2008 at 22:05

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Dear Michael Doughty,
I live in Long Beach and am looking for a job. im interested in being a bike messenger. Is there a site or anyway of contacting you?
Michael Doughty

April 11th, 2008 at 14:48

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Hi Spencer,

I anticipate starting around June 1, 2008… The web site is JUST ABOUT to be launched. I’d be happy to work with you, but suspect things will be rather slow to start. Let’s get together sometime and discuss it.

MD
Michael Doughty

April 13th, 2008 at 13:46

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Sorry Spencer…

You can email me at:

woebegone03@hotmail.com
Robert Jackson

May 18th, 2008 at 14:20

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I’d estimate that (at most, and very liberally) 100 messengers work in downtown L.A. and 25-50 work in Century City.
The last I heard from DTLA, everyone had been kicked off of the fountain area by the central library, but people are probably still in front of 444 Flower. People also hang out north of 333 Hope, along a wall (i.e. The Wall). You can also find a number of people outside of district court on Main, and to some extent at LASC.
Robert Jackson

May 18th, 2008 at 14:21

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I just wanted to throw in that most of the messengers are pretty nice, but brain function tends to be (perhaps predictably) low.
Lou

May 29th, 2008 at 23:56

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In spring of 2004 I worked as a bike messenger in Century City and the 5 to, sometimes, 10 mile radius around. Anyway, I was the only bicycle messenger for the company I worked for (so I got worked to death). Other companies had probably up to 7 bike messengers. However, most of the messengers in Culver City sat down playing dominos most of the time and they were out of shape (from what I remember). Only a few dare devils worked Century City and these did not hang out at any place for too.
Bianca

October 12th, 2008 at 12:21

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We are in LA. We don’t like lame ass weenies poking around in our personal affairs and trying to steal our jobs. Robert Jackson the mind of a messenger is deeper than the atlantic, how else can you survive playing in traffic for a living?
Rando

October 15th, 2008 at 12:42

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hey robert. by chance can i get some companies that use bike messengers on the westside?

thanks in advance
jay

January 3rd, 2009 at 18:29

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which companies hire messengers in century city? And how old do you have to be? thanks.
gabriel

January 13th, 2009 at 01:33

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i work in century city as a bicycle messenger. majority of my day is spent on the fox lot; picking up packages and bringin’ them back our little establishment for the drivers to deliver. although i do deliver personally to the century city/beverly hills. these are the runs i get commission on, along w/ my base pay of min wage for roving the lot.

the companies that employ bike messengers in century city would be worldwide, ace, time machine, first legal.. etc.. also the numerous courier companies usually have a stable of 1 or 2 bike messengers.. so call around.

you can usually find the messengers hanging out in the alley behind 1875 cpe via constellation.
Damion Palmer

April 28th, 2009 at 16:42

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I’d lke to work as a bike messenger either down town or on the west side. Can you tell me where to start looking?
Michael Doughty

August 29th, 2009 at 14:21

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Hey Bianca, Whose “Personal Affairs” did YOU poke around in when YOU were a “Lame Ass Weenie”?
Juan Moreno

November 6th, 2009 at 11:38

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You know what i been looking for messengers and i always find alot on flower and 4th st across from the boneventoure hotel. they give me info and their always passing out cards to people who are intrested.
mike tkd

September 16th, 2011 at 18:43

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I want to be a bike messenger in Long Beach, Cali…where do i look for work?

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Fixed Gear Friday: L.A. Bike Messengers

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