London couriers?

[Katman]

I have a mate here in Taupo (that's right people - I do have one ) who worked for Courier Systems. I worked for Cannon Couriers and Clockwork.

[madbikeboy]

Any ex-London Bike Couriers on here?

I think I can explain your KB personality a bit better knowing that - and I'm being kind here - when you're in a situation where there is danger all the time, once you leave that environment you're still looking for it. When I was living in the UK in 1991 (that kind of ages me doesn't it?) the Gulf War (aka Bush's little dick causes war, part 1) was raging. A squaddie and a London courier had the highest rating for risk for insurance companies for life insurance at that point...

Sobering thought, you were just as likely to be maimed or killed despatching or fighting in a war.

And, I can confirm Katman has friends, he's on my friend list.

[Pussy]

And, I can confirm Katman has friends, he's on my friend list.

And mine......

[old git]

YEP, still alive and kicking.............and with the same bike....no shit, the old girl is a bit tired with 300,000k's on the clock but i just can't sell her.
In the days before computers{early 80's} i took print plates from Fleet street London to Glasgow for the sunday papers, left London at 5pm sat eve and rode there and back every other saturday for a few years amongst other jobs.
Only got mangled twice doing it! and a lot of minor scratches, and killed a couple of bikes along the way before i decided the xs1100 was best.

[Katman]

I always thought Deadline and Dead on Time were shocking choices of names for courier companies.

Working as a courier made me feel more alive than any other time in my life. Every day was an adrenalin rush - even the days of rain, hail and snow when you could get to the point of just wanting to sit down on the side of the road, put your head in your hands and cry.

Riding for entire days where the temperature never got over 5 degrees was common in winter. Taking wind chill factor into account could see temperatures down as low as minus 10-20 degrees. Riding through freezing fog could see a 5mm layer of ice form on the front of your jacket.

[madbikeboy]

I always thought Deadline and Dead on Time were shocking choices of names for courier companies.

Working as a courier made me feel more alive than any other time in my life. Every day was an adrenalin rush - even the days of rain, hail and snow when you could get to the point of just wanting to sit down on the side of the road, put your head and your hands and cry.

Riding for entire days where the temperature never got over 5 degrees was common in winter. Taking wind chill factor into account could see temperatures down as low as minus 10-20 degrees. Riding through freezing fog could see a 5mm layer of ice form on the front of your jacket.

And now you live in the warm paradise that is... Taupo...? I'd have emmigrated to Dubai.

[Katman]

And then there were the black cabbies (who hated us with a vengeance) who would take off their fuel caps and go around roundabouts spraying diesel over the road specifically to catch us out.

[madbikeboy]

And then there were the black cabbies (who hated us with a vengeance) who would take off their fuel caps and go around roundabouts spraying diesel over the road specifically to catch us out.

But the pay and the challenge made it worth it... ?

[Katman]

But the pay and the challenge made it worth it... ?

The pay could be very good. I got to the point where at our busy time (over winter when all the softcocks gave it up ) I was taking home 600-700 pounds per week. Never managed to bring any of it back to NZ though - we worked hard and played harder.

[Pedrostt500]

Ive got a Cousin in the Naki that was a London motorcycle courier in the 80s, he ended up riding his bike down to South Africa, from London.

[madbikeboy]

Ive got a Cousin in the Naki that was a London motorcycle courier in the 80s, he ended up riding his bike down to South Africa, from London.

Did he wear those floatation thingees on his arms? Was it hard swimming with the bike?

[Katman]

My mate here in Taupo had a job once (at the height of one of the IRA's bombing campaigns)to deliver to an address in Horse Guards Parade. He parked (illegally), went in and delivered the package and when he came out there was a policeman standing beside his bike. The cop pointed up the road to a soldier manning a security checkpoint and told my mate that the soldier had told him if my mate had broken into a run after he parked the bike he would have been shot.

It was a freaky sensation to have a rolling security checkpoint pull up in front of you and suddenly be confronted by four soldiers with machineguns trained on you.

[madbikeboy]

I was living in Kuala Lumpur for a while, during the outbreak of Bush's small dick part 2 - (aka the gulf war). Malaysia is a Muslim country, and they were hosting the Muslim Heads of State conference. I was walking from my apartment to work in KLCC, and I was at an intersection where one road sort of merged to another. Anyhow, a motorcade was about to roll through, and a young chinese guy in a volvo started to run the intersection. There were some cops on bikes, some SUV's, and then a couple of stretch Lexus.

The first cop on bike simply steps off his bike and starts pulling his gun off his chest, and starts shooting at the volvo. I was just standing there, so like all the other Gwai Lo, I dropped my bags and sort of stayed still. SUV screeches to a halt, guys jump out with longs, a couple of them point guns at me and the other westerners, the rest start shooting the shit out of the Volvo. Motorcade screeches by, and then they all get back in the SUV and fuck off.

Chinese guy literally pissed and shit himself, had to be carried from the car as he was bawling so hard, from whence he was duly arrested. He was having a bad day for sure.

Two lessons from this:
1. If you're getting shot at, choose a Volvo, they're fucking bulletproof, and
2. If you're going to run an intersection, make sure that a bunch of gun toting crazy fuckers aren't going to object.

[Pedrostt500]

yup geuss the floaties worked, hes still got the BMW

Did he wear those floatation thingees on his arms? Was it hard swimming with the bike?

[madbikeboy]

yup geuss the floaties worked, hes still got the BMW

Good stuff - those BMW's are indestructable - have you ever seem them in Paris-Dakar?