10/10/2014
Happy 10-9 Messenger Appreciation Day to all the messlife..
It’s a tradition that started in 1991, when the mayor of San Francisco formally declared October 9 to be a day of annual messenger recognition. Ever since, 10-9—which essentially means “repeat” or “huh?” in radio code—has been celebrated in courier communities throughout the world.
Messengers generally get a bad rap as reckless scofflaws, but from my experience as a courier for seven years in Portland, Oregon (where admittedly a good chunk of the job’s “fast-paced danger” involved weaving through Priuses and trying not to drop my coffee while crossing wet streetcar tracks) many messengers are as safety-minded as possible, out of sheer self-preservation.
It’s hard, low-paid work, and one of the few rewards is the opportunity to ride your bike all day in the rain—still a better deal than any desk job I’ve had since—but it’s not without its car crashes, broken elevators, and hardships.
So if you use the services of bike messengers, tuck a little extra beer money into their pockets today or at least offer up a respectful, courteous high-five. And most importantly, try to steer your conversations away from the weather—they get really sick of talking about that.
Happy 10-9 day, messengers!
