Couriering in London

Its about a bike ride in London ,between Lancaster Gate and Brompton Road, which I took with my mobile camera.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• London
• motorbike
• courier
• messenger

[pufc66]

Great vid, first I have ever seen fit to comment on. I spent 3 years as a Dispatch Rider between 88 and 91 and they were probably some of the best years of my life. I will never forget the freedom and camaraderie between the DRs (as we used to refer to ourselves)

Some days it just felt right, the feeling that the bike was a part of you as you weaved your way at speed through the traffic etc.

Thanks for the memories.

[deyanc]

Thank you for the comment.

I started with BONDS couriers when they we only 12-14 people with office on North Wharf Road, then was FOB - best company to work for, then came XL and finished with Ecouriers who nowadays don't even use radio but communicate with messages to the control and getting the details of the pickups on XDA!

You hardly speak with anyone anymore...

[mogalboy]

Nice :) Brings back memories of a much simpler life. Was despatching on and off in London '85 to '89 - looking through rose tinted specs I'd love to go back, but I also remember how tough it could be. Funny, I always fancied doing a photo project but was always too busy (POB), thanks for the memories!

[deyanc]

Its not the same any more,the couriering, like was on the old times..every corner and bus lane fitted with cameras,speed cameras,traffic... and the money not good even when you are very good. I did it between 1995-2001 and in '03 to '05.

But hey, was great fun and feeling for freedom!!! Proud moments :)

[deyanc]

Thanks for the kind words.

It's very nice of you to say them.

I am glad that you felt the mood in the movie and you are right for everything you saying up there.

Very well put it, actually.

[JapseyeOgri]

Hahahh, Markyboyz1300's comment about head down on the tank at 130 coming back in from Reading reminds me of something.

Probably '87 or '88 and there was a clip on the news. "Jam tart" with dash cam chasing a white GPX750 @ about 120 to 130ish on the A40M. Weren't too many of them about and I had my suspicions. Next day I popped into Gough Wallace to check and right enough, it was a guy that worked there called Kim. The filth managed to get a read on his number plate and stitched him up bigtime

[markyboyz1300]

rukkas, crappy old nicholsons, " im going in the door now" when your still in the broadgate having a cup of tea, constant free mots from the filth, heated grips and handlebar muffs, complete superiority over every other road user, head down on the tank at 130mph on an xj 900 coming back from reading in a blizzard late friday night still 40 quid below my guarantee.

I dont miss a thing

[JapseyeOgri]

Back in '86 to '90 I used to love coming along Clerkenwell/Old street and getting a free run through the Old street /City road roundabout flicking left, right, left and going straight through to Shoreditch high st. Then dropping down to hit the big, wide, grippy one way system around Whitechapel.

Hyde park corner was great too with all the shell grip, but that didn't mean shit after some taxi had dumped a gallon of diesel. Recall some surprising/entertaining slides there (;-))

[67genxer]

this video should win a prize but not sure if anyone but despatch riders would get it, we are part of a family always will have those crazy memories won't we.

[paulandlisae]

Only cos you were hanging off as if your life dependend upon it ;-)  good days.

Best radio call i ever heard, dodgy signal: controller "is that a roger?", Chris "if i roger you anymore my legs are gonna fall off"

[pufc66]

And when you went to the company where so and so earnt mega bucks they never appeared for you! I think the best I worked for was a cowboy type outfit called Point to Point. The office was incredible, they had a lego train set where the girls who took the jobs had to stop the rickety train and put the dockets in, which then went round the track to the controllers. Very hi tec!

[pufc66]

I too had cx500 and cb250rs. My crowning moment was getting my knee down on my cx500 round Hyde Park Corner. The grippiest tarmac this side of Brands Hatch!

[Saffabiker]

I wish I had a Fiver for every time I'd heard myself or another despatcher saying stuff like that, or "F^#& it, I'm going to (?) Couriers - I've got a mate there who earns..."

Oh the memories:

"Give it another 10, rog"

"I know you're off in 5 minutes & live in Willesden Green, Kilo 43, but you're the only bloke we've got who can take that EC1 - Reading, and it's mega urgent!"

Lord help me, I'm starting to miss it!

[solomonstemplers]

why do we do it:we have a higher kill death ratio than a soldier serving in iraq winter is shit the money is shit the contractors dont give a flyin fuck about you drivers dont give a flyin fuck about but we still do it!!!!

[JapseyeOgri]

Jeezus, just realised those old Gaernes of mine are now slightly more than 1/2 my age 8~). They've been re-soled three times. As for mileage, I haven't got a clue but I reckon I must have done about 160,000 miles in the first four years despatching alone so I'd think maybe somewhere around the half million mark. Know what you mean about the reassurance factor, had some pretty spectacular happenings with those boots on and the only injury to my foot/ankle/shin was a fractured big toe, shit wheely