Whata ya hear, whata ya say?
May 20, 2008
Within my blog I have given the readers information on bike couriers but I do not know every thing about. It is because of this that I asked Tom Cromwell of Breakaway Courier Systems if I could interview him. Tom is President and owner of Breakaway Courier Systems in Boston. I sent him an e-mail asking him if it would be okay to interview him, within my e-mail were the questions that I was going to ask him. He replied the next day with the answers. This is not surprising seeing how all couriers are always on time.
1. What do you do at Breakaway Courier Systems?
2. What do you do as courier?
As the president I work closely with the dispacth staff and the customers. Each day is a challenge trying to delivery 400 on-demand packages on time with 40 couriers.
Couriers pick and delivery packages by bike, car, or van. There are many skills required to do the job effectively. The most important are
A. Safety for yourself and the general public
B. Communication and problem solving
C. Navigation, map reading, and knowledge of the city
3. What problems do couriers most often face in the city?
Potholes and hidden obstacles, aggressive drivers, and uncooperative security guards
4. What do you ride?
I don’t ride. I sit in my chair during work chair. I do ride my bike to and from the train station every day.
5. Why do you think people prefer bike couriers over say UPS in the
city?
Bike messengers always deliver the same day. UPS and FedEx always deliver tomorrow. That is a big difference.
6. What do couriers do when they are not on the bike?
Many work other jobs, many of our riders are involved in the music industry. Some of them are artists.
7. How and what do couriers get paid?
Most work on a commission basis, some work on an hourly basis. All couriers are employees of Breakaway.
8. Do you view bicycle couriers as an underground culture? Why?
No, not really. I would consider them to more of a “community”. Many of the bikers in Boston are friends and share common interests, such as music and art.
9. Do prices go up when winter comes around?
No. Please check out new website at www.Breakawayboston.com for information about all of our rates and services. We also have some great photographs. Be sure to hit the Phote Refresh button on the bottom right of the home page.
10. Why ride a fixed gear bike in the city?
Some of the riders think its safer in bad weather (rain and snow), and also less maintenance.
I hope Tom is pleased with the interview and I hope he likes the blog. I want to thank Mr. Tom Cromwell for the interview and for answering my biggest question of why ride fixed gear in the city?
