Three cheers for the courier: Messenger Appreciation Day is October 9th
When ancient Greek messenger Pheidippides was dispatched to request Sparta's help against the Persians, he ran 150 miles in two days and was able to declare victory to Athenian officials with his dying breath. Homer Macauley pedaled telegrams around Ithaca, California in the World War II-era novel The Human Comedy, often bearing news of a fallen soldier to still-hopeful mothers and lovers. Though the modern-day cycle courier is hardly as idealized—and conditions for their health and safety far from ideal—it is fairly typical of a busy messenger to cover the Athenian herald's distance in the same time span, while continuously bearing information of essential import to recipients in major cities worldwide.In 1991, San Francisco's mayor declared 10-9 to be Messenger Appreciation Day by formal proclamation. Toronto followed suit in 1997, and the day is now recognized by such cities as Chicago, Vancouver, Houston, New York, and Washington DC. Oftentimes the day is celebrated by an alleycat race (a loosely-organized race designed to mimic the day of a bike messenger, involving routing oneself to visit specified checkpoints in the area while maintaining high speed and agility); many advocacy groups hand out food or other free items to working messengers.
While some view New York City messengers as a menace, they are a vital component of a functioning, sustainable city. Thousands of couriers, both male and female, ride daily in all seasons of city traffic. Using bicycles for deliveries reduces congestion, pollution, and gridlock, improves air quality, provides jobs, takes up less space on the streets, and is still the most efficient and least expensive way to guarantee same-day delivery of crucial parcels and non-digital information.
On Friday, October 9, please take the time to thank (and tip) the messengers who may have risked his or her life for your delivery. <a href="http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-3139-NY-Bicycle-Transportation-Examiner~y2009m10d7-Three-cheers-for-the-courier-Messenger-Appreciation-Day-is-October-9th">http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-3139-NY-Bicycle-Transportation-Examiner~y2009m10d7-Three-cheers-for-the-courier-Messenger-Appreciation-Day-is-October-9th</a>;
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