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The bike messenger is still alive and well in Boston

Technology, bad weather and pedestrians be dammed
By LIZ PELLY  |  May 11, 2011

 Liz Pelly interviews three  bike messengers about their work in Boston

We're told that technological advances are killing the bike-courier business, yet messengers still zip around downtown Boston every day, carrying packages to law firms and courthouses. There's even a Boston Bike Messenger Association, a registered 501(c)6 nonprofit, to proove their presence. Messengers spend their days dodging careless pedestrians and angry drivers in a city not known to be the friendliest for bikers, so it makes sense that they can be surly and aggressive about their intriguingly intense livelihood. Since they seem to have strong perspectives on our local bike culture, we had to track down a few. And though these guys were quick to explain they're pretty new to the field — they've been at it for one to three years, while some messengers work for decades — they've already racked up a few interesting war stories.

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Related: Does the bike of your dreams offer more than just a shiny frame?, Boston's new hubway system could transform how you get around town, An interview with the co-founder of Tufts Bikes, More more >
  Topics: Lifestyle Features , bike culture, pedestrians, cyclists,  More more >
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