Cupid Courier is a San Francisco messenger service that can serve all same day delivery needs for the Bay Area.
[NEWS]
March 1st, 2010
“Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” -Ferris Bueller
This last weekend, I found myself entertaining relatives who had never been out to visit San Francisco, let alone California. What this of course means is a whole lot of cable cars, trolleys, Alcatraz, Lombard St., Alamo Sq., Fisherman's Wharf, and, well, just about everything else SF-touristy one can imagine. First of all, I have to admit that I have been a resident here in San Francisco for a few years, and have participated in very few of the above-mentioned activities. Not only am I not generally inclined to, say, shop at Pier 39, but sometimes it's those really obvious things in life that we can let pass us by. How is it possible to live here for so long, yet never ride a cable car? I know that I see cable car sights every day at work, and that the ride is a bit expensive, but really…no other city in the States has cable cars (with their history and views). It just seems crazy not to ride one at least once, right?
Ok, I don't really mean to say that we should all go out and sign up for every tourist attraction in the city, but maybe it's important not to let something amazing or beautiful pass us by just because it's mundane or we see it everyday. And although I'm risking this being quite a sappy newsletter, we all live in and around an absolutely amazing city; something that can be easy to forget in the middle of winter, working away the days.
As bike messengers, all of us here at Cupid zoom past quite a tremendous amount of postcard-worthy San Francisco every day, see an incredible amount of urban activity and diversity, and encounter all sorts of wild events and characters; yet it can take a day off showing visitors around to really appreciate it.-bryan
February 15th, 2010
In these high rent times can you imagine having difficulty selling beach front property in San Francisco? What if I told you you could have a home and land in the Sunset district for about $600? This was the case in the late 19th Century, however the land was within vast inaccessible sand dunes and the home was an abandoned street car. If you’re like me you’re thinking that still sounds awesome and in reality it probably was a pretty cool time to live out there.
Around this time rail lines covered the Eastern half of the city and horse-drawn street cars had given way to steam and cable cars which in turn were being replaced by the electric street cars. We still have remnants of them on the Market St F line. The surplus cars had been piling up becoming a space consuming headache for the railroad owners so they were offered up cheap to the public. They ended up repurposed as all sorts of things like sheds, offices and lunchstands but many of them became the basis of an eclectic community in the Sunset remembered as Carville. In it’s heyday of the 1890’s into the early 20th Century hundreds of streetcars became beach cottages, cafes and even a clubhouse for a female bicycle club called the Falcons, to the shock of polite Victorian society. I’m told that several cars still exist out there, hidden within the neighborhood if you know where to look. It’s fairly easy to find a bit of info about the story, but there is also a recent book by local writer Woody LaBounty entitled Carville-by-the-Sea which is quite nice and well researched.
On the subject of repurposing, we Cupoids have recently been putting a lot of thought into adapting ourselves and it occurred to me that we should come to y’all for advice. Are there any types of service that Cupid doesn’t currently provide that you might find useful? Are there changes in how any of you work that Cupid could adapt to better? We can cover most any vehicle sized work we get now(mostly by car but sometimes by creative bike work), however doing more cargo work by bike is one area we are trying to expand into. One of the things I love about our little autonomous collective is our ability to modify how we work when necessary. Since you are our current customer base we’d like to think of your needs first whenever we make plans to adjust our methods. As always we would sincerely appreciate any input from you.
tim
February 1st, 2010
It is a chilly Sunday morning over here in the East Bay. The plum tree in our backyard has the tiniest green budlets, though. The rain ain’t over by a long shot, but the days already seem just a shade longer. I leave my house a little earlier than do my partners in crime and Cupid, so I feel a little more affected by daylight. Or the lack thereof. There is already about 45 minutes more light than our low on the solstice. Did you know here in NorCal, that low is about 9 1/2 hours? Man, that sure seems depressing to think about. I guess it could be even less.
Great news! It is great to know that the United Nations is such a forward-looking body. In December, they designated 2012 as the Year of Cooperatives. Let us optimistically assume that John Cusack movies and the Mayan calendar do not predict the future. Cupid will then share with you a lot of the attention that will be garnered by this little ownership system. Meaning, we will keep a lookout for lots of topical op-eds, interesting articles and multimedia presentations to inform you about. We also will share with you the spotlight itself, as it were, since you deserve as much credit as we do. Our system doesn’t go anywhere without the patronage of our clients.
Here is a segment from our friends along the East River:
The General Assembly,
Recognizing that cooperatives, in their various forms, promote the fullest possible participation in the economic and social development of all people... are becoming a major factor of economic and social development and contribute to the eradication of poverty...,
Urges Governments…to give due consideration to the role and contribution of cooperatives…by, inter alia:
(a) Utilizing and developing fully the potential and contribution of cooperatives for the attainment of social development goals, in particular the eradication of poverty, the generation of full and productive employment and the enhancement of social integration;
(b) Encouraging and facilitating the establishment and development of cooperatives, including taking measures aimed at enabling people living in poverty or belonging to vulnerable groups, including women, youth, persons with disabilities, older persons and indigenous peoples, to fully participate, on a voluntary basis, in cooperatives and to address their social service needs;
(c) Taking appropriate measures aimed at creating a supportive and enabling environment for the development of cooperatives by, inter alia, developing an effective partnership between Governments and the cooperative movement through joint consultative councils and/or advisory bodies and by promoting and implementing better legislation, research, sharing of good practices, training, technical assistance and capacity-building of cooperatives, especially in the fields of management, auditing and marketing skills;
Hopefully that wasn’t too boring. I think it is neat. Have a great February!-Rev
January 18th, 2010
Well I hope everyone had a great holiday season. I know, I'm a little behind on the holiday wishes, but it's been a while since I wrote a newsletter. Also, I start back up on night classes this week, so it really is the end of my holiday. One class I'm excited to delve back into is Spanish (please don't quiz me on the phone, 'cause really I'm not that good). Living in the Mission has really prompted me to try and learn Spanish, something I've really always wanted to do.
As for foreign languages, I just recently came across a fantastic article about languages, in particular 'difficult' ones. Language, communication, and preconceptions have always been an important part of Cupid, and seem to be a bit of a theme through the newsletter lately, so I thought it would be relevant. For starters, the article points out that English really isn't that hard compared to many languages out there. An example is !Xoo, a language spoken in parts of southern Africa that requires speakers to develop a particular lump (scar tissue) in their throat in order to form certain sounds (ouch!). A couple of the languages in the article have really cool aspects. One language spoken by some native Australians requires speakers to know their compass bearing at all time. In fact, they don't have words for 'left' or 'right' and would say something like: “you have a spot on you southwest pant leg.” This language actually conjugates verbs based on compass direction such as: “I will deliver-in-a-westward-direction your package”. How cool is that? Apparently if you get a group of school children together that speak this language and ask them which way is northeast, they will all point in the correct direction immediately. I doubt a group of adult English speakers could do that!
My favorite language in the article has got to be Tuyuca, a language spoken in the eastern Amazon. Tuyuca includes endings on its verbs that describe personal knowledge. This might be something like; “yes the package is delivered (and I know this because I delivered it myself)” or “yes the package is delivered (and I know this because someone told me it was or I assume it was).” Boy oh boy that would be helpful in communication. If only English had this trick, especially when it comes to journalists and politicians! Think about how much b.s. we could eliminate from every conversation.-bryan
P.S. It's looking like a wet week, so please package your deliveries accordingly, thanks.
January 1st, 2010
Happy New Year everyone. I have the impression that most of us are glad to see the aughts come to a close. I’ll avoid the debate as to whether or not this ends the first decade of the new millennium, but I will say that the last ten years are book ended with some disappointments. As we said repeatedly here in aught-9 it was also the decade that saw Cupid come into being and thrive (mostly) past our ten year birthday.
Like Jim in the previous newsletter I’ve been inspired here to write about something I’ve recently read and it dovetails nicely with Jim’s topic.
In her book “A Paradise Built in Hell: The Extraordinary Communities That Arise in Disaster” Rebecca Solnit also produces evidence that altruism and egalitarianism are perhaps our truer “human nature”; that the myth of survival of the fittest and every man for himself in a time of crisis is just that, a myth. We find that the media is most often perversely fixated on a perceived breakdown of morality, unnecessarily demonizing the victims. The reality on the ground is much more likely to be people coming together in mutual aid to take care of each other in ways that clumsy bureaucracies cannot.
Solnit focuses in some detail on the 1906 earthquake here, Manhattan after the Sept. 11th attack and New Orleans in the wake of hurricane Katrina. She also touches on many other crises, tapping into numerous anecdotes of people self-organizing and improvising, providing for the needs of themselves and those around them often by going around government agencies that seem more concerned with reestablishing their own authority than in caring for the public. In these stories it’s easy to see something to celebrate. In a times of suffering and challenge an innate sense of fraternity arises that we could do well to emulate in our daily lives. These crises can also lead to lasting societal change. In Solint’s words “The recovery of this purpose and closeness without crisis or pressure is the great contemporary task of being human. Or perhaps the dawning era of economic and environmental disasters will solve the conundrum for us more harshly”.
My hope is that is comes across as inspiring rather that pessimistic. As Bay Area residents most us have a healthy respect of the possibility that our world will literally come falling down around us. There is also a legacy here of civic life and self-organizing that can serve us well when the need arises. Like Jim suggested, it may be a basic aspect of human nature that we tap into at Cupid. That sense of purpose in working toward a shared goal.
-tim
December 15th, 2009
Happy Holidaze! I am honored to bring you the ever-special end-of-year holiday newsletter. Once again, important notes on coming scheduling: Cupid will be closed the biggies, Dec. 25th and Jan. 1st. That intervening week, Dec. 28th-31st, will see a bare-bones staff, and rates changed to something resembling our late-night charges. The ‘lnb’ charge ($20 in-town, $40 outa-town) will still be put on all jobs, but we will not auto-upgrade tags to rush rates. This seemed like a fair system when we tried it out last year. But really you all should be taking that week off anyway, right?
I saved an article from the Nov. 14th NY Times for when it was my turn for the news. It really spoke to me about a lot of issues. If you glance ahead at the footer (they always stand out, those little guys at the bottom, so go ahead and look down there. Uh oh. Evolution? God? Egad!). A teaser:
Religion is often blamed for its spectacular excesses, whether in promoting persecution or warfare, but gets less credit for its staple function of patching up the moral fabric of society. But perhaps it doesn’t deserve either blame or credit. If religion is seen as a means of generating social cohesion, it is a society and its leaders that put that cohesion to good or bad ends.1
The article is really not very long, if you feel like googling it. It isn’t really so much about there being a gene associated with theism. The author describes newish thinking on why group behaviors have evolved into what we do as a species today, in what they are calling ‘group selection.’ Why have cultural groups acquired all the crazy traits, the ethos, the religions, that they have?
Evolution is formulated to say that it favors the sole, well-endowed individual who has a new mutation that will allow for greater rep in the future gene pool. Group behavior, then, is anti-evolutionary. It is a product of a system where altruism and community are venerated, and where people acting in others’ interests, not their own, are the ones who pass down these long-lasting and powerful religions/traits. We can, of course, insert tons of cynical discourse on what really happens with humans here. But really, religion is just one of many ways that humans come together in action and thought, that they might further the cause of all rather than one. Sound sorta familiar? I am synopsising terribly, and can not do in 5 paragraphs what Wade does in 12. His article just got me to thinking about Cupid. Sometimes I feel like we are something new, nearly revolutionary in our free market/capitalistic iconoclasm. And then sometimes we are just plain old, really old, as old as religion itself. We survive by acting collectively towards a shared goal, and I have to wonder why it feels like we are so unique in the American business world? That’s crazy.
Sorry to bore you - we hope you have a great all-inclusive season of fests and joy with your loved ones in these dark cold days!-Rev
1Nicholas Wade,”The Evolution of the God Gene,” New York Times (Nov. 15th, 2009)
December 1st, 2009
Holiday Schedule News (Please Read): Once again we are approaching the holiday season, and we here at Cupid are trying to figure out our schedule for the weeks around Christmas and New Years. We never know exactly what our clients’ needs are for the week, so any feedback would be greatly appreciated. For starters, we will be closed on the 25th and the 1st (both are Fridays, which makes it easy). The big question is whether or not we should be open the week between. Most of you are generally closed that whole week, and we hardly get any calls. In the past we have stayed open with a skeleton crew, but have treated deliveries as after-hours calls and charged the standard rates plus the after-hours $20. Please let us know if you plan to be open, and if this works for your office. If you have any questions/concerns about the holiday schedule, please just give us a call.
Here I thought that I had finally, days later, digested Thanksgiving, but alas I found the leftovers in the fridge (especially the gravy), and now I can't move again. So, I figured I'd take advantage of my comatose state to write this newsletter. Hopefully everyone had a great Thanksgiving, and better yet, a great 4-day weekend.
I know traditionally I was supposed to start on my holiday shopping, but I think I just ate too darn much. Plus, I suppose I'm not much of a 'black Friday' go-to-the-mall kind of guy. If any of you are, thank you for your part in jump-starting our economy. For those of you that haven't started, or are still trying to find gifts, I would love to plug a local group called NOBAWC. For those of you who aren't familiar, NOBAWC is a network of worker-owned business here in the Bay Area (we've been happy members for years). Our website is nobawc.org, and you can find a whole list of shops and services (bookstores, movies, baked goods, groceries, bike shops and more). Might be a great way to support your local economy. As for plugging local businesses, how about Cupid? Yup, we make all sorts of weird deliveries during this season and love doing it. So if you want to send your client a bottle of wine, a basket of cheese, tickets to the opera, or pick up a truckload of cupcakes for your office holiday party, just give us a call. We do just about every type of same-day holiday delivery, although we still don't have a proper 'wrapping' charge.
-bryan
November 15th 2009
On a recent cool morning I was taking a break in the park down on Mission Creek. Directly in front of me standing on the old pier timbers were, from right to left, a brown pelican, a cormorant, several sea gulls and a great blue heron, all seemed to be warming themselves in the early sunlight. Circling above was another pelican that came diving down into the inlet with a splash, coming up with a fish in it’s mouth. Nearby were a pair of cavorting sea lions and a little squad of western grebes. I thought about how fortunate we are in the the Bay Area to have these wild creatures going about their business in the midst of our human commerce.
I’ve written here before about how I appreciate the signs of nature near at hand; that fringe benefit of working outdoors if one is observant. You can see dolphins and whales, coyotes and raccoons all within the City and County of SF. That SOMA raccoon I saw on my street late one night looked pretty scruffy and citified though, not your clean and fluffy National Park variety.
This past Friday while having lunch in Washington Square I observed a hawk having it’s lunch. It had caught a small bird and was tearing into it atop one of the cypress trees while being harassed by a dive bombing crow. You can often spot hawks perched atop the Cathedral here and our famous Telegraph Hill parrots are sometimes their prey.
Speaking of eating birds and being appreciative, Turkey Day is coming up. Once again Cupid will be closed for Thanksgiving Day, and Friday, November 26th & 27th.
-tim
November 2nd 2009
Hm. Daylight savings time, Thanksgiving later this month - Christmas music in elevators and Salvation Army Santas ringing bells on the street corners must only be a few weeks away. If you read last period’s newsletter, you might join some of us in blaming Bryan’s hubris for the impending blizzards of snow. It is time to start thinking about short days and snuggling up with books by the fire. If you have a fireplace. And it isn’t a Spare The Air day.
I have been marveling lately at just how little time there is, daylight being saved notwithstanding. Errands, cooking, dishes and other chores can really suck up the day. It is getting very easy to see why people buy frozen and prepared foods. Not just saving on prep and cooking times, but also cleanup time. How people can get anything done with children too is an impressive mystery. I’m taking some shifts off at Cupid to accelerate the cold-proofing efforts of our pad. There are so many intertwined projects that will make it happen, though. It is hard to even recognize how far we have gotten in the year since we closed on the li’l’ fixer-upper. We know its a lot, but we haven’t even touched the electrical system, which seems to hold everything else up.
Today, the first day of November, is a great example of how time gets spent. We drop off buckets with the baristas at the local Sunday farmers’ market and return later in the day to pick up all of their used grounds. The amazing Cat Chang, my better half and an accomplished gardenfarmer, makes black gold (compost) out of it. She is also volunteering with City Slicker Farms, helping them make a market farm in a super-seedy West Oakland park. Today we helped break ground and build raised beds for urban agriculture. There was coffee of our own to roast. It takes just a few minutes in a West End Poppy II hot-air popcorn popper, actually. Give it a try some time (outdoors, as the chaff goes everywhere) with a $5 thrift store popper. You can get green coffee beans online, or at my local corner store, 48th & Telegraph in Oakland.
All that, and this boring newsletter to write too, wow. This was just some fun stuff we do that might be interesting. I hope you all have something that you can while away the coming fall and winter hours with, that makes you feel accomplished and complete and content. I often have a hard time seeing the big picture for the brushstroke, the forest for the leaf, and it can be frustrating. Don’t be like me. Even when you putter around, doing the fun little things, those matter too!-Rev
October 16th 2009
As I'm sure everyone can remember, last Tuesday was a rough one. That much rain in one day is pretty rare, especially this early in the season. Luckily for me, I had that day off! OK, not to rub it in too bad for my coworkers....I'm sure there will be plenty of wet days left in the season for me. This is probably a good time to remind y'all, our clients, that, well...it rains, and it's a good idea to take this into consideration when sending out packages. We all have some pretty great waterproof messenger bags, but extra care in packaging, especially if you think your package might stick outside our bags, would be helpful.
As I'm writing this newsletter I am listening to a news report about how we're heading for an El Niño winter. Apparently, that doesn't necessarily mean that we'll have an especially wet season, but I'm still cautious. I have to admit, I like the seasonal change. Maybe it's my Northwest upbringing, but these shorter, wetter days have a bit of a romantic feeling...excuses to stay in at night with a hot toddy and a good book. Of course, all of us here at Cupid still have to go outside for work all day. As much as I'd like to say working outside in the rain doesn't bother me, of course it does! Would I rather be doing something else?....probably not, but just don't ask me while I'm wet and can't feel my toes.
There is another way at looking at messengering through the winter, though. At least we see the sun! With days getting shorter, and darker, many people go to work when it's dark and come home when it's dark. Us messengers, however, get to see daylight all winter long, even if it's accompanied by a cold, wet, wind. And it still doesn't snow here in SF, so what are any of us complaining about anyway?-bryan
October 1st 2009
When asked about long bike tours I often explain that while not easy they are generally simple. You get up in the morning. You ride your bike all day. If you see something interesting you stop for a bit then continue on. Eventually you’ll find you’ve ridden a thousand miles. This is decidedly different from a bike messenger’s day where you get up, ride all day and if you’re lucky you find you’re back where you started.
I’ve long wanted to ride my bicycle across Nevada, the state I was raised in, so when my friend Ian suggested we ride out to Durango for a mountain bike event, it seemed like a great chance to do it. Ian, being British(among other things) was a good choice of touring partner because he has a dry sarcastic sense of humor, a stiff-upper-lip type of persistence and little experience in the Great Basin or Southern Utah. Most people wouldn’t knowingly ride across the driest state in late summer and all the cyclists we met on the road had little love for Nevada. The 1000 miles from Carson City to Colorado is arguably one of the toughest bike tours in the U.S. I loved it.
As Mr. Gandolpho, my 8th grade Nevada history teacher, taught me, Nevada has more distinct mountain ranges than any other state. Geologically it’s known as Basin and Range topography; the spreading continent has cracked into tilting blocks. This creates a series of north-south mountain ranges with long broad valleys in between(most have awesome hot springs!). This also means a lot of climbing as you ride across it. In Utah we traded the basin and range for mesas and canyons, so still more climbing. Ian added up over 30,000ft of uphill for the ride.
While I don’t expect others to share my enthusiasm for the desert, I do bristle a bit when I hear people describe Nevada as boring or ugly. They are simply not looking closely enough and through a windshield at 70 miles an hour you’re not going to see much. The smell of wet sage and blooming rabbitbrush as you cruise across a deceptively vast landscape under an afternoon thunderstorm is exquisite. -tim
September 16th 2009
Civility: or Returning Power to the Overdog
Lowbrow South Carolina Representative Joe Wilson’s shout during the President’s speech last week just ticked me off. Seems like I am not alone - Maureen Dowd in the NYTimes got whiffs of racism and condescension in her column last Sunday. To me, having just endured eight years under Wilson’s party, to which truth was not always the most important message, this sure seems ironic. Second, this is healthcare we are talking about, not an overseas land war. How could he dare to break that kind of everlasting protocol, respect, and decorum over this issue? Healthcare is only nominally about life and death. Not to mention that it only adheres to our internal citizenry (oops, that what he was cry-babying about), not international standing or the decimation of a foreign populace.
Then me and my ol’ lady saw Inglourious Basterds this weekend. This and Mr. Wilson and memories of Dick Cheney dropping the f-bomb on the congressional floor all got me to thinking. Liberals and Democratish-types are wusses! Quentin Tarantino’s latest made me think how awesome it would be for Jews to have an ass-kicking band of thugs to hero-worship; plus they can always fall back on The Golem (the Jewish legend, not the Tolkien character). And maybe African-Americans can now think of King Kong as another defender against victimization and enslavement, and, well, you should probably see the movie. It’s got some moments.
But now, the Left needs some ass-kickers, a roving (Rove-ish?) bunch of behemoths, with poor manners, bad grammar, and a just-not-going-to-take-it-anymore attitude. Forget gun control - they need Glocks and Kalashnikovs. They are the ‘party in power,’ but keep using the tone and language of well-educated, even-tempered pragmatists. THAT’S B******T! They’ll never get anything done if they keep letting jerks trample all over them and theirs. I want Joe Wilson’s scalp!
Does the Left really need to ‘man up’ and ‘grow a pair?’ I don’t know, but how about those sexist phrases? Maybe testosterone is the problem in politics, huh? And maybe in the long run, this even keel and this apology acceptance will be constructive. Maybe it will serve the country and the world. Time will tell, but for now I will dream of a good-looking, muscular Will Smith-as-Hancock-type raffish superman who can slap some politeness into some folks.-Rev
P.S. Apologies to all GOPers out here (there must be some, right?); I imagine here in SF it’d be pretty hard to find conservatives who approve of the latest Tourette’s outburst in Washington DC.
September 1st 2009
Who Represents the Messenger?
We’ve heard a whole bunch these days about ‘Town Hall Meetings,’ especially in regards to the ‘hopeful’ healthcare debate. And I think what gets a lot of us really worked up about the whole scenario is how much of us and our ideas are being represented. And to be fair, both sides of this debate should be upset. Of course ‘death panels’ are not even close to an accurate representation of what the reformers are proposing. Also, I bet a lot of folks who would like to see measured or no change in healthcare policy don’t like being represented as a bunch of loud-mouthed folks screaming “communism.” Unfortunately, it’s the loudest voices who end up representing folks way too often.
I just attended a ‘town hall meeting’ myself, although not about health care. This meeting was almost completely about representation. In this case, a good friend of mine belongs to a trade organization which recently released a publication that was disgustingly homophobic. The meeting was set up so that the members could have a conversation with the board that published the material. Of course, not only were they hurt directly by what was published, but also because the trade organization/magazine was their ‘voice’ in the general public. They don’t want to be portrayed as homophobic by the very body that’s supposed to be representing them!
So who represents us, the bike messengers? Well there are organizations such as the IFBMA and the SFBMA (the International Federation of and the San Francisco Bike Messenger Association(s), respectively) who do a lot of great work as representative bodies, but unfortunately most of the general public have never heard from or interacted with either (have you?). So when most of the public looks for the ‘representative’ bike messenger, they are faced with the ‘loudest voices’. What do I mean by that? Well, I think that when most people think of ‘messengers,’ they think of folks doing incredibly reckless things in traffic. Just search ‘messenger’ in youtube and you’ll find all kinds of videos of folks doing all sorts of stupid things in traffic. What really bums me out is that a lot of these folks you see aren’t even actual messengers! So who are we? Well, I can’t really answer that (and I can’t promise that I never ran a red light), but I bet you’d be surprised by how mellow you’d find most of us really are. It’s just the loudest folks who end up representing us.-bryan
August 17th 2009
Several months ago, an Australian messenger friend of mine was in town and he'd been reading this book, Traffic, Why We Drive The Way We Do (and What It Says About Us), which he recommended to me. My first reaction was "I spend the better part of my time dealing with traffic. Why would I want to read a whole book about it?" However, I did finally get around to picking up the book and it turned out to be a pretty engaging read. The author, Tom Vanderbilt, taps into the innumerable studies that have been done on transportation, and driving in particular. The psychological aspects of driving can be quite fascinating. One of my favorite studies had researchers staring at drivers who were waiting at a red light. If the driver noticed they were being stared at, they would almost invariably speed off more aggressively when the light changed.
Much of the information in the book confirms what we may already suspect from experience. Obsessive lane changing on the freeway doesn't get you there more quickly; people on cell phones, hands free or not, are less attentive to their driving. There are also some surprises, though. A Dutch traffic engineer found that if you removed many of the safety features on a thoroughfare (protective barriers, excessive signage, etc.) people will drive more carefully. One of the recurring points of the research is that the more safe we try to make driving, the riskier our behavior becomes. Vanderbilt describes the driving environment as "...a toddlers view of the world. A landscape of outsized highly colored objects and flashing lights with harnesses and safety barriers that protect us as we exceed our own underdeveloped capabilities."
I've long felt that we don't give driving and traffic the respect it deserves. Our brains and bodies aren't designed to travel at such high speeds and with so much mass. Being in traffic is one of the primary modes of social interaction we have, yet each driver is encapsulated in their own "private" sphere and we often act accordingly and with a lessened regard for those around us. Maybe we should all be on bikes or in convertibles. Studies have shown that drivers in convertibles with the tops down are less likely to cut others off or drive aggressively. Studies have also shown that most of us think we are better that average at driving. Because this is a practical impossibility, that means most of us are not as good at driving as we think we are.
-tim
Schedule note: Cupid will be closed on Monday, September 7th for Labour Day.
August 1st 2009
Hate to say it, but boy, am I glad that July is over. It started with the planning and execution of our 10th anniversary party. Even with the division of labor, there was still a lot to do. You know you’re nearly obsessed when you find yourself unable to sleep and go to the grocery store to buy 9 pounds of hot dogs at 4 am two nights before. The 3rd of July was spent making ~6o pounds of vegan yet tasty salads. When we got out there, it was pleasant to learn that Sunday street closure in GG Park extends to Saturdays on holiday weekends. Hurray to an extra 250 yards to haul 2 extremely full truckloads of party supplies and infrastructure! The ensuing fun and exhausting chaos was of course worth the effort.
That was quickly followed by a trip to the East Coast. That included driving from NY to Boston and then on to a week in the Adirondacks with my 19 nieces and nephews (!). More exhausting chaos.
That was quickly followed by a road trip last weekend to the Oregon coast to perform another wedding ceremony (my 7th, wow!). Indeed, even that was more exhausting chaos.
One thing that I didn’t really afford myself over this period was the time to reflect on the past 10 years. There was one odd moment, driving over the Bay Bridge on the morning of the 3rd. It was on the way to Costco, of all things, to shop for the big party. I was flooded with a very powerful emotional surge. Suddenly, 10 years of indefinite feeling seemed to be hitting me all at once - success, failure, happiness, worry, hurt, glee, hope, pain. It has been such a road that there seems very little way to even begin to sum up or encapsulate our history and meaning. Let it be said that I feel immense pride in Cupid and the place it occupies in our community, in all the fellow worker-owners over the last decade, and in our ability to serve you clients extremely well while putting food on our own tables. As the only partner around since day one, I have worked with every single Cupoid, and consider myself lucky to have worked with such an incredible cast of characters.
Here’s to a restful and recovering August, and ten more years.
Peace ‘n’ love, Rev
P.S. A massive special thanks to Ms Meghan Mack, our cofounder, whose idea this whole crazy thing was in the first place. She came down from Portland for the big anniversary, and we never really got to the big speechmaking time. She deserves unbounded thanks and praise from every Cupoid and satisfied customer from over the years.
July 15th 2009
We've been talking everyone's ear off about it, and now it's official, Cupid Courier is a decade old! We all had a great time celebrating out in Golden Gate Park as part of the annual "Independents Day" BBQ (which celebrates the network of small independent messenger companies in San Francisco.) If you weren't able to make it you missed out on some great food, good beer, and some wild times. If you were there, thanks for coming! We had some great help from friends within the community whom I hope all know how appreciative of their efforts we are. Cupid had a small run of shirts made celebrating our ten year anniversary. If any of you are interested, we might have a few left over. I think we're selling them for $10. Oh yeah, Sean also printed up a slew of Cupid Courier beer coozies, which I think we'd part with for a couple bucks a piece. Again, just ask any of us. -bryan
July 1st 2009
According to my records it’s been almost exactly 7 years since we started including these love letters to y’all in the bills. Apparently we celebrated Cupid’s 3rd birthday a little early in 2002; Jim mentions the somewhat infamous pig roast we had that year, as well as a couple clients that have come and gone since then. We’ve been writing these newsletters for so long now that it’s hard not to feel like we’re being repetitive. One common idea that is probably ok to say over and over is just how sincerely appreciative we are of all of you that keep calling us and keep our quirky enterprise going.
Well, if you do the math above or have been listening to us gush about it, you know by now that this week Cupid Courier Collective is turning 10 years old! Our various personal distractions and the sluggishness of the business in general may appear to have dampened our moods just a smidge, but the fact is that we’re excited. I think back on the roster of cupoids past and present and it’s a substantial list of truly unique and memorable people. Cupid really is more than the sum of its particular parts. The idea that in another 10 years Cupid could still be out here pedaling with an entirely new set of faces is both scary and wonderful.
I feel like it’s safe to say that we’re all proud that from our iconoclastic, misfit, bike messenger roots that we’ve found a way to sustain ourselves while also being a positive force in our community. If any of you all are looking for something to do in town on July 4th, consider coming out to our little party as we start our second decade as an entirely worker-owned and democratically-run endeavor. We’ll be at the Horseshoe Pits in the Northeast corner of Golden Gate Park (Fulton & Stanyan), Saturday July 4th from noon 'til dusk.
-tim
Historic San Francisco Courier Company Celebrates Birthday
The Cupid Courier Collective, a wholly worker-owned and -operated messenger company, will reach its milestone tenth birthday on this year’s Fourth of July weekend.
San Francisco, CA, 4 July 2009 - Founded in 1999 amid labor upheaval in San Francisco’s same-day urgent local delivery business, the worker co-op has been forging their own path while fully supporting the workers’ movement established by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) in 1997. The founders began what was one of the first and continues to be the longest-active messenger collective in the United States.
Bike messengers are often considered to be a counter-cultural, ‘outsider’ urban demographic. Surprising creativity, industry, and intelligence lurks therein, however. Such has been the case for the Cupid Courier Collective during its ten year lifespan. As an attractive workplace, it has long attracted the most experienced messengers in The City. The combination of this experience with the responsibility of ownership seen by clients in their own offices and on the road has inspired an incredibly loyal and well-served client base.
The Network of Bay Area Worker Cooperatives (NoBAWC, pronounced “no-boss”) defines a worker cooperative as an enterprise that produces goods, distributes goods and/or provides services and is owned and controlled by its worker-owners. Ownership of a worker cooperative is vested solely with the worker-owners on an equal basis. Moreover, worker-owners control the resources of the cooperative and the work process. Each worker-owner has equal decision-making power and ultimate authority rests with the worker-owners as a whole. Worker control can be exercised directly or indirectly by worker-owners. If exercised indirectly, members of representative decision-making bodies (e.g. a Board of Directors) must be elected by the worker-owners and be subject to removal by the worker-owners. Cupid is a long-time member of NoBAWC.
CUPID COURIER COLLECTIVE - Serving the Bay Area business communities needs quickly, efficiently and responsibly since 1999.
June 16th 2009
It's pretty hard to believe that 10 years ago I was just quitting my first messenger job working at kozmo.com. Who out there even remembers kozmo? It was an online video-rental/convenience store. Remember the orange ads everywhere? In fact, it was a pretty great service for some folks. Heck, whenever I'm sick these days, I wish I could go online and order a movie and ice cream, wait an hour and have a messenger deliver it right to my door. The problem with kozmo, of course, was its wacky business model. Actually, everyone, especially in SF, can probably think of a whole slew of poor businesses during the 'dot-com' bubble. Most of those companies really existed on 'imaginary' money. There really was no long-term profit plan at kozmo (pretty slim margins already on $3 movies and $4 dollar ice cream) but as long as people kept investing money on top of other people's money...well you get a running enterprise that hopefully you cash out of before everyone realizes what's going on. Sounds a bit like the current 'housing bubble,' huh?
Luckily, around the same time that I was quitting my job delivering movies with investment capital, a couple of people were creating a new business model for the messenger industry right here. A company that had close to no margins, no need for venture capital, and, well unfortunately, no ice cream. Yup, ok, Cupid Courier is turning 10 years old! That's right, our birthday is this July 4th weekend, and boy are we proud. It's pretty amazing to think about all of the different partners over the years that have been involved with Cupid, and how our company still exists, especially that it is still a 100% worker-owned and a democratically-run operation. (Although if anyone knows any wealthy venture capitalists that want to invest a couple million in 'e-cupid.com' or 'cupid real estate holdings', I'll be happy to give them my card).
That said, come celebrate our decade of existence with us! We're having a bbq out at Golden Gate Park on the 4th of July. There should be a ton of food, and some fun 'n’ games. Look for us out there all afternoon by the horseshoe pits (northeast corner of the park). Ask any one of us for more details, or just stop by for a beer.
Also, if you haven't gotten a chance to come check out Sarah's new shop, this Friday is the perfect opportunity. Nice Tim is having a show of some of his photography at the shop. That's at Pushbike 3045 24th St. (@ Treat) from 6pm-9pm.
Lastly, Cupid Courier will be CLOSED on Friday July 3rd, for the Independence Day holiday.-bryan
June 1st 2009
There has to be something other than the effects of the current economy about which to write, there just has to be. We and all of you are getting pounded, by the feel of it out here on the streets. We really need to get more work/clients, which is a years-old situation magnifying our current difficulties. Please keep Cupid in your thoughts if you hear of anyone needing urgent deliveries done.
I have been tripping out on cell phones lately. We are reaching oversaturation when people need to see legislation passed forbidding them from doing it while driving. From the cyclist’s POV, nothing is worse than seeing someone’s head tilted, elbow out, while behind the wheel. Or maybe it is good - you know they are guaranteed to the stupidest thing possible, so you can prepare for the worst.
Texting drives me nuts. I am an old man, to be sure, but what is the attraction? To have two (or more) conversations going at the same time? To not have to actually use the vocal chords? To not enter fully into true dialog? Is it sneaky/cute/endearing? American kids are averaging around 80 texts per day, taking valuable rest time away from (hopefully) still-developing minds. Scientists are worried. Twitter freaks me out. Where do people find the time for all this stuff. Communication technology sure has seemed to speed up and increase its volume, but seriously downgraded its over-all quality. You know you are a curmudgeon when you view most modern means of communication as tools mostly of rudeness.
Some other companies now have software that allows them to receive orders from clients via e-mail. And this is seen as an improvement. Speaking to you all on the phone is such a part of our business that I can’t see how. Definitely let us know if this sounds interesting to you, and we can investigate further. The voice, in its tone and content, can convey so much more information faster than any fingers and thumbs, right? And it seems so much more real. I’d hate to not talk to you all any more.
We had a situation come up a few weeks back, where a sister company liquidated its bike ‘board.’ This means firing all cyclists and subcontracting out all the work. We are pretty sure we could have done all that work and taken one of the riders, but lost out in the deal to another company, basically because of speed. We ‘wasted’ time sussing out the whole situation. We spoke to friends (the firees and firers), talked among Cupid, and spent a lot of energy trying to grasp a quickly moving opportunity. We lost to another company that got in there instantly, one owner that leapt at a large discount and made some promises that will hopefully pan out for those involved.
Which hurt. Not only could we have used the business, but it, for the first time ever, brought our business model’s viability into question. We can not move quickly. Or not as quickly as one person can, anyway. It has taken some time to ‘get over it,’ but I am ready to stand firm with the model once again. The only way we could have ‘won’ would have been by acting very rashly and very competitively. I feel like the model has always been resting squarely on a very sturdy table of high ethics somewhere along the high road of ideals, supporting its clients, its community and its members as best it possibly can. We are your, and our, Cupid.-Rev
May 16th 2009
When European scientists first came across termite mounds in Africa they were so impressed by the complexity that they imagined they were built by an intelligent creature comparable to humanity. The mounds which can be over 30 feet tall show a complex city-like organization and social structure. If you think bike messengers can be smelly, imagine communicating by secreting odiferous chemical trails like termites do.
Our conventional wisdom is that human society is something distinct from “Nature”; that we have our cities and suburbs and that nature is something we go visit at a National Park. I’d say though that a skyscraper is not fundamentally different from a termite mound. The Earth is a closed system, just as millions of insects collaborate to convert the surrounding soil into a towering home, all our stone, steel and concrete come from natural resources. Unless we really were planted here by UFO’s thousands of years ago, humans and our endeavors are just as much a part of the natural world as dolphins or waterfalls.
One could worry that this belief that whatever humanity does is ultimately “natural” could be used to justify any activity no matter how destructive. However, we also have an arguably high level of self-awareness. I feel that if we really took this to heart, that we are the Earth, not just upon it, the way a Buddhist recognizes that there is no separation between oneself and the world around you, we’d take more care with it.
One of my favorite Far Side comics by Gary Larsen shows a pristine landscape with a naked couple scampering off from a broken specimen jar labeled “humans”. From the heavenly clouds above we see God saying “oops”.
-tim
May 1st 2009 "MayDay!"
Hi!
Some of you may have noticed that I only work two days at Cupid. I've been preparing for my other business. I'm happy to announce that it's launching this week! Pushbike! It's a clothing and accessories shop for cyclists. Don't worry, I'll still be with Cupid. I love being a bike messenger!
Pushbike is located at 3045 24th St. at Treat St. Open every day, 11-7. We stock Swrve cycling apparel, Freight Baggage, Chuey Brand, Fabric Horse, and more! It's a lifestyle shop for today's city cyclists! We stock a mixture of practical and fashionable clothing, allowing our customers to build a utilitarian cycling wardrobe. We want to bring together products that we believe in, with an emphasis on locally manufactured goods. Cycling knickers, jeans, windbreakers, hoodies, techwear, bags, and hats!
The cycling movement in San Francisco is growing for environmental, economic, fitness and fashion reasons. We plan on making the shop a hub for the cycling community and will encourage our new customers to join us for group rides, local races and events.
Also, don't forget Bike to Work Day is Thursday, May 14th! There will be various energizer stations along popular commute routes. Check out www.btwd.bayareabikes.org for info. I'll have some treats at the shop during the after-work commute!-Sarah
April 16th 2009
My favorite way of knowing that Spring is upon us? Well, it's the start of baseball season, of course! In fact, my own favorite team has just come through the Bay Area. Although I was excited and had my tickets already, I unfortunately have to fly out of town. These two things (flying and baseball) actually tie into something that a couple folks have asked me about lately: pricing. To be exact, it's quite common for me to field the question,"So what do you guys charge for a delivery?". It can be difficult at times to answer, because we have dozens of possible charges.
What, you ask, does our delivery pricing have to do with baseball and flying? Well, if you go to a baseball game, or fly commercially, everyone else at the game or on your plane has paid a whole range of prices for seemingly the same thing: the same game or the same flight. I know this first hand. My flights this week are really expensive (last minute) and my baseball tickets were both really expensive (good seats) and really cheap (2 bucks for not-so-good seats).
There are a couple of reasons pricing is variable like this. Sometimes it's all about charging the most you can, depending on your client. Movies are an excellent example: it's the same movie, but they've figured out that adults can pay $10 while students and seniors can only afford $8. It seems like they’re doing a service, and they are a bit, but really they're charging everyone (approximately) what they can afford.
Messenger companies do this to a degree. We offer rush rates for those clients who need them. But really, it's all a bit more complicated. Airlines are a great example: if all of their passengers booked flights a year in advance, prices would be really cheap, as they could structure routes, planes, and times to maximize efficiency. But in real life, there's people like me, who need a flight right now this week! And what do they do to offer this service? Well, they charge me a whole bunch!
Cupid is similar - if all of our clients called in their deliveries the night before, and gave us 24 hours to do them, our lives would be so easy, as we could line deliveries up in a row and just act like a paperboy with one big route. But really we have to figure out prices that can make sure that couriers are available if three different clients call in rushes going in three different directions all at once. I've worked for maybe 12 different messenger companies in 4 different cities before joining Cupid, and it's an industry standard: lots and lots of different prices. Hopefully, with Cupid, the differences in price for any particular delivery make sense and are competitive with the industry as a whole. If you have questions about why your bill shows up with lots of different prices, just ask any of us. I'm sure we can explain why that is. Also....Go Red Sox! (or Giants or A's or whoever your favorite team is (except the Yankees). And here's to Spring!-bryan
ps Did you know that Cupid offers a discount to nonprofits? If you know of anyone in the nonprofit world who could benefit from a messenger service, let 'em know!
April 1st 2009
It is with great sadness that we at Cupid announce the end of our great nine-and-a-half year run as the first and longest-operating worker-owned messenger company in the SF Bay Area. It has been a great honor and pleasure serving you. As you receive this bill, the FDIC and the ATF are undertaking a rapid interdiction and review of our finances, and complete seizure of our assets. A series of risky loans, both underwritten and undertaken, as well as heavy leverage in the credit default swap markets and massive exposure in the Lehman Brothers dissolution, not to mention cheap foreign competition, outsourcing, reserve shortages and prospective gun control by the new administration in Washington have all brought us to this great great day of unknown provenance.
If Hallmark invented Mothers’ Day, who invented April Fools’ Day? Budweiser? Spencer's Gift Shop? Even Wikipedia is surprisingly unhelpful. There seem to be a few vague and/or fake-sounding ideas, shocking in the wiki world.
A few weeks ago, there was an over-long and -explanatory article in the NYTimes about the new vegetable garden at the White House. It brought me back to about a year ago. I had been reading about Michelle O and her nutritional ideas. Just after that, I stumbled onto a televised Q&A panel with restaurateur/food activist Alice Waters. She was asked what see wanted to see for food in the future. She began her reply,”Well, I want to see a Victory Garden on the White House lawn.” It has stuck with me because I love food, but also because a chill went up my spine. People were actually talking about Barry-O as a real contender right about then. And I remember still not really believing it. Still pessimistic and unhopeful.
This brings me to capitalism. When you are flush, and have reserves, well, that is wealth. One need be wise with it, though, because tough times always come. When they do, you will be able, in all likelihood, to help others as well as yourself. There is capitalism of ideas, of diplomacy, of faith, of politics, of everything. Markets do work, because markets are just another word for nature, be it human or global. The last administration got elected because enough people thought we could afford to have a man with no brains[struck through] business acumen or diplomatic skills but all faith in the big white house. And he spent every last bit of international standing, and as much money, as he could. This to the point where we are deep in debt, literally and existentially.
We’ll see how long this honeymoon with the new guy lasts, but remember how impossible it seemed even two years ago? A presidency like this? Wow. November was 5 months ago now, and there is still hope capital for me. Is it real? I keep hoping. No foolin.’-Rev
P.S. Pumpkin’s AIDS Ride fundraising continues with another alleykat race this Sunday. 2pm $10 registration, 3pm start, ending at the Knockout, 3223 Mission St. where lots of prizes will be awarded. Ride around, or just head for the KO around 4pm to donate and/or hang out with some fun peeps!
March 16th 2009
Last week I was having a drink after work, and the bartender told me that I was part of the most romantic nights of her life. Of course, my first reaction was, “Uh oh, who are you and boy am I sorry...” As it turns out, years ago when I trying to make a living by pedicabbing around the mission at night, I had rode her and her current boyfriend around on their first date. She remembered me from way back then.
So I decided I wanted to take them out again, even though I haven't ridden the pedicab in years. Then I thought, if I'm going to go through all the trouble of fixing it up, maybe I should ride it around other nights of the week when I have the time. First day of spring is this Friday, and I imagine people could use a lift in spirits. It could also help me raise a little money for the AIDS Lifecycle ride that I'm participating in this summer.
Maybe some of you already know that I'm riding to Los Angeles the first week of June to help out the SF AIDS Foundation and the LA Gay and Lesbian Center. It should be a great time, and I'm looking forward to it. Hey, if any of you know anyone between here and LA, maybe you should check out the route map at aidslifecycle.org. Maybe I might pass through their town and drop off a letter for you! How awesome would that be, Cupid delivering all the way to LA by bike!!
-Sean Mosley aka pumpkin
March 1st 2009
I get asked for directions a lot. A bike messenger is probably an obvious choice when you’re driving around an unfamiliar city and you get lost. I do have a good friend though, a recently retired messenger, who had a pat answer when asked where something was; “Oh that’s 2 blocks up and one block over.” He’d say this even if he had no idea what the answer was. This wasn’t really malicious (though he’d make sure he was going in the opposite direction), he just liked to have an answer for people. It reminds me of how, while trekking in Nepal I was advised not to ask directions in the form of a yes or no question. “Is the village of Ghorepani this way?” This is because as a generally friendly and positive people the Nepalese often just want to give an affirmative answer even if they have no idea what you’re talking about.
I personally take pride in giving people good directions if I can. I was once asked for directions to Fresno, which I thought was a strange thing to ask someone on a bicycle in downtown SF. However, I know the answer, and gave the best route. What people do with this info is another question. I often feel stumped by people, not because I don’t know how to get somewhere but because I know that someone shouting at me from a car window is only going to remember the first few turns at best and if they have to cross Market Street you know they’re going to get confused. I guess you get them going in the right direction and they’ll leap frog directions from someone else.
It’s possible that with this topic I’ve stumbled onto another minor obsession of mine. I usually like to know where I’m at and where I’m going, literally if not necessarily metaphysically. I love maps and getting to know the lay of my surroundings and beyond. I earned a reputation, while traveling around to worldwide messenger gatherings, of being the guy to shepherd an unruly pack of messengers back to whatever couch, floor, basement or bush we were sleeping at after a long night of revelry in an unfamiliar city. One can see how this talent is part of what led me to my chosen profession. An ability to know where one is going (in the short term anyway) is a common trait of a good messenger. I’m often surprised by the arcane info we store in our brains. I often don’t know where I left my house keys but I can remember the suite number of an office I haven’t been to in 2 years.
-tim
February 15th 2009
Well, I hope y'all had a great holiday weekend. Boy, Friday the 13th, Valentine's Day, and President's Day, all in one weekend! Valentine's Day, for obvious reasons, is particularly important for us here at Cupid. I think it is a shame that it fell on a Saturday this year, as I think it's fun to see all of our clients on our 'special day.' Hopefully everyone had a special someone to spend it with. Tim, Sarah, and Pumpkin did a good job of putting together a last minute 'Cupid Courier Valentine's Day Challenge' on Saturday. Some little kid's bikes, good friends, and a few beers in the park sure can make for a good time (even if the weather isn't our normal California sunny).
Wow, speaking of weather, it sure feels like winter has finally arrived. I think the unusually dry and warm weather of recent times has made me a bit soft, 'cause man, that rain is cold! Even when hiding out at my house, I feel it. I don't think that my 100+ year old apartment has ANY insulation. A reminder, though, for you, the clients: please take the wet weather into consideration when sending out packages, especially if you think that your delivery might be large enough to stick out of our weatherproof bags. This even goes for the few packages that will probably be done in a car, as we will most likely pick or drop them off by bike (saving us the trouble/time of parking).
Cupid has also recently added a couple new clients to our business, which is always great, but especially during our current economic situation. While signing them up for our service, we handed out some stickers, brochures, etc. Which got me thinking: many of you have been using our service for a number of years now (of course, awesome!), but may have never seen our brochures. Please, if you or your officemates might think it would be nice to have quick reference guides to our service and rates, just ask and we'll drop some off. We also have stickers and business cards if anyone would like them. Is there anything else we could supply that would be handy, useful, or just fun? Let us know (especially now, as we will probably try to come up with fun 10 year anniversary stuff). -bryan
Last minute note: Sarah did a great job of putting together some Cupid Courier cycling caps. They're handmade by friends of ours and look really great. You'll probably see us wearing them, and if you or anyone you know might want one, just ask us. There are a few different styles left for sale.
February 1st 2009
What an honor to get to write the first post-inaugural newsletter. Did you watch the inauguration ceremony? It really felt like the whole world was tuned in, like the Apollo 11 lunar landing. There never was a defining soundbite, like JFK’s “Ask not...” line that defined the Camelot years (and went a long way in inspiring people and progressivism that made the late ‘60’s roar). But it wasn’t missed - I still could (can) not believe what I was watching. It was hard to choke back tears of disbelief and wonder. Maybe it was just a personal feeling. It really is something that can give an entire global society some hope. Maybe it will never pan out, all the great things people expect, but for now we can dream again. Which is a lot better than the cynical, regressive, fearful and angry power-projection politics that we have been exposed to for at least 8 years. The politics that made me embarrassed to be an American, not in an unpatriotic way but in that I knew we could be SO much better. So we are here. Good luck to us all, and especially the skinny left-handed dude in the big white house.
It is time to get ready for the tax man, sad as that sounds. Here’s wishing that none of us owes any taxes. Things seem pretty tight as it is for just about everyone you talk to these days. Cupid has seen a marked slowdown in January, which isn’t that abnormal. We just hope that you and us all see business pick up real soon.
That being said, it is time for us to issue our annual “Please pay us soon” plea/mantra. It really keeps the books clean when we get paid for all of the preceding year’s invoices before we submit our final numbers to the tax preparer. You all as a group are doing really well, with just a couple of stragglers out there. At this point, though, all 2008 invoices are at least two weeks overdue.
Maybe the great American holiday, Super Bowl Sunday, will be the great unblocking of the international economy. All the amazing commercials will stimulate people’s appetites for stuff, to get that car to go mountain-climbing in, to get that tv to watch NEXT year’s Big Game (and its ads) on, and so on. We often speak in a more Luddite, slightly anti-consumerist and eco-friendly tone here at the bottom of the page, but what this economy really needs is people buying stuff. I bought a new oven the day after Christmas in a Doorbuster sale, so now it is your turn. Ok, just kidding, but have a great February!-Rev
January 16th 2009
Most of us, when we think of nature and evolution, think of competition as the predominant factor; survival of the fittest, with superior traits winning out through natural selection. Cooperation, though, can be an equally strong force, and some would argue that it is an equal if not more important element in evolution.
Herd animals are an obvious example of survival through cooperation. Think of elephants or muskox (what a cool ice age relic) sharing the protection of their young for the sake of the group. There are lots more subtle examples as well, including some strange inter-species relationships. Flowers would be lost without honeybees, but plants also have fungal and microbial friends that they rely on underground. We’re not left out either. Inside us are innumerable tiny organisms that we quite literally couldn’t live without. One is never truly alone.
Competition has it’s value as well, promoting innovation and efficiency. However I often feel we revere it too much in our profit-driven culture. When the s*** hits the fan, I’d think folks looking out for one another will be more effective than a Mad Max world of might equals right (as much as I love the genre).
At Cupid we took the traditional messenger model and sort of flipped it around. Instead of a crew of messengers competing for a limited pool of work with the fastest or smartest getting the best work on commission, we choose to work as a team, sharing the fruits of our labors. Both methods can be equally effective when times are flush. But when the work thins out in an competitive environment, things can get a bit ugly.-tim
p.s. Speaking of working as a group, our fellow Cupoid, Sean (we like to call him Pumpkin) has signed up to do the Aids Life Cycle Ride this June. He’s going to need plenty of help meeting the fund-raising goal. If any of y’all are interested, feel free to let us know.
January 1st 2009
Wow, 2009 is upon us and the new year is already looking like it's going to be a great one! First off, many of you may have noticed (or remember!?), but Cupid Courier was started back in 1999, which makes this year our 10th calendar year in business! That's right, by this summer (July 4th), we will be a decade old. Keep your eyes peeled, 'cause I imagine their will be festivities abounding when the anniversary comes. Boy, it would be pretty cool if we could get some, or all, of the past Cupoids to participate also...
And what about the dude who co-founded (with our friend Meghan) this whole operation back in '99? Well, Jim has had quite a great start to his new year, as he and his terrific wife, Cat, just moved into their new house in the East Bay. Yup, instead of paying rent like the rest of us, he gets to reside in his very own abode (ok, maybe it's mostly the bank's) and join the Landed Class. Seriously though, their new place is already looking amazing, as they've been putting in a TON of work in it. I think seeing him and Cat go through the process has been one of the most inspirational things I've been around lately. If you get a chance, make sure to congratulate Jim as he comes through. I think he's pretty stoked.
2009, let's hope, is also going to produce a fresh start to the economy. I can imagine the recent times have put strains on everyone's businesses/jobs/bank accounts and I am always happy when our clients continue to call in deliveries. I feel like we've even heard from a few of our infrequent clients lately, which is just great. As a worker-owned co-op, none of us are in the position of being laid off, but we have had to make some adjustments. I think Tim has mentioned this already, but it's been really great to see our team adapt. These changes are not only saving our 'bottom line', but more importantly I think we've been able to improve our service in the process. There has been a good deal of 'back patting' going on here at Cupid.
Lastly, this year is finally going to bring in a New President! I know that putting much faith in any administration is probably not the best idea....but man is it going to be nice to wake up to the news in the morning and not have to hear the current guy talking about anything. I feel like even those of you who might not have voted for Obama might agree with that!
Please Also Note: Cupid is Closed on Monday January 19th for MLK Day.Here's to the New Year!-bryan
December 15th 2008
News (check the holiday stuff):
Brrrrrr. Brrr. ‘Tis the season, eh? Ok. Another reminder about the holidays! Listen up, pea-puhl! This gets confusing, even for me. After extensive research and exhaustive interviews, Cupid is ready for the end (of the year). We are indeed closed Dec. 25-26, and Jan. 1. Holiday rates apply on Dec. 29-31 and Jan 2nd. These are similar to late-night rates except there is no automatic rush upgrade. In-town jobs see a $20 add-on, and out-of-town jobs see one for $40. Very few of you are even open at all during that period, so enjoy yourselves! We will try to remind each caller in that period about this plan, but please pass on the word through your office if you think people will need work done.
Nice Tim has once again done a beautiful job on our holiday cards. Sometimes it is hard to not think, is this all we can do? You are all so awesome! The sentiment inside the cards is very sincere, and we try to iterate this message with almost every newsletter, but do you all really get the message? You rawk!
Has everybody seen the Gus Van Sant film Milk by now? It is pretty great. We never did a post-election wrap-up op/ed piece in this space, and it really returned some feelings to this past November. Somehow the old Prop 6 fight was reborn 30 years later and this time the ‘left’ lost. So bizarre after such progressive change was seen with Obama’s impending accession and the many other Cal Props that were on the ballot. I understand there is nuance and the potential for even more emotional attachment on the Prop 8 issue. But jeez. Really?
Join the hajj and go see Sean Penn on-screen at The Castro Theater until Dec 23rd. After that comes (what I bet is extremely popular and hilarious if somewhat grating on the nerves) Sing-along Sound of Music. Ooh, Julie Andrews is so fab-u-lous.
Ok, probably I could ramble on about the Milk/election thing, but that’d take more space than we got here. We’d just like to wish you and all Californians and all earthlings a great season. It is a time of year that for some is based on love and sacrifice for others, by a guy whose absolute single-most self-professed important message was to treat others as you wish to be treated. That is it. Peace and love to all, now and on into 2009, Rev. Jim
December 1st 2008
You never step in the same river twice. That's one of my favorite Buddhist aphorisms on impermanence and change. There is also a quote by the poet Diane DiPrima that I can't seem to find so I'll paraphrase; since we all change as people over time, one should be conscious and intentional about that change rather than being changed arbitrarily by circumstance. With this in mind I found the theme of our recent political season amusing. There is a certain brilliance in selling the one thing that is truly inevitable in the universe, heck even so called "conservatives" seem open to change. Though I'm as optimistic as the next person about the direction of things, positive and meaningful change is rarely handed down from on high. My hope is that the inspired enthusiasm I see is reflected in our actions.
As a small, democratically run workplace I feel that Cupid can adapt a bit more quickly and creatively than most. For those who don't know Cupid is closing in on it's 10th birthday. Over the years we've used many methods to meet our clients needs and our own. It's actually hard for me to completely remember how it was when I first began working here because our workload and road team has evolved so much. I'd like to think that we are able to accommodate our clients, especially in the small details like troubleshooting, in ways that a larger or more rigid company couldn't be bothered to. With each delivery it's nice to know that we have a full range of options on the table. We've used cars, trucks, trains, boats, blimps(ok not yet but someday!), and of course our overwhelming favorite, bikes to get stuff from A to B, or C, D, E... For the record it's the limiting factors (time frame, distance, mode) on these methods that affect the cost of what we do. In general, the more options we're given on your delivery the more affordable it will be.
A reminder about our holiday scheduling. We will be closed on Dec 25th & 26th as well as Jan 1st. Holiday rates will apply on Dec 29th, 30th & 31st and normal service will resume Jan 2nd. As always, feel free to call with any questions.
-tim
November 15th 2008
Wow, almost eighty degrees here in the city for the last few days, and I can't believe I'm writing the pre-holiday newsletter! I have to say, I'm heading out to the East Coast here in a couple weeks and it makes me want to never leave our temperate, warm California weather. It is funny though, and I believe Tim pointed this out to me, that this recent heat spell is a bit rare during any season here in the City, and could also happen during any season. So goes our strange local weather pattern. Anyways, I don't think anyone's complaining, and I'm sure not!
A couple seasonal/weather reminders though. First of all, believe it or not, but we have definitely entered the rain season here in the Bay Area. Please keep this in mind as you send out packages throughout the next few months. We here at Cupid try to use the best waterproof bags and equipment, but wrapping up packages with just a bit of extra care during these months is always smart. Also, next week is Thanksgiving already, and we will be closed for that day and the following day (11/27, 11/28). We will probably also turn off our phones an hour early on the Wednesday before (11/26) (closing at 6 pm versus our regular 7 pm late-night service). Please, please, please feel free to let us know if you might need courier service for that Friday, 11/28, or late-night service on Wednesday, 11/26, and we will attempt to accommodate your needs.-bryan
November 1st, 2008
Wow! What amazing times we live in. I can’t help but think of the terrible film “Point Break,” starring Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze. Often when things seem really special/outrageous/spectacular/unprecedented, it brings to mind Bodhi’s 50-year wave (if you haven’t seen the flick, don’t). And getting handcuffed in the surf by Neo, the ultimate b****slap. Ow.
Greenspan calls the economic situation, one that the brightest minds of these living generations could not foresee, a once-in-a-lifetime tsunami. Imagine, rampant (and often insanely risky) debt leads to catastrophe.
Election Day Tuesday, 4 Nov 08! The Democratic Party is looking mighty strong right now, for the first time in decades. They stand a good chance of making history by putting a non-white man in office (and do so thanks to a woman who created a positive tension in the nomination race which in turn helped sharpen his message). The Republicans counter with a VP candidate who is a woman in her 40’s. Jeepers.
But what about all those Propositions? Locally and statewide initiatives are keeping us riveted. No matter which side of the aisle you sit or stand or hop in, there is a lot to look at. Can’t imagine the ones costing a ton of money will go through in this economic climate, but Touchstone California has all eyes watching. Prop 8. It is probably more professional to keep politics out of this newsletter, but is anybody in SF going to vote for that? Hard to imagine.
It’ll be good for everyone to see Dubya go. Even for him; I bet he is just plain exhausted. Will he or any other neo-cons be able to travel abroad in their lifetimes? For all the vitriol they’d face, it might be good for them to renew their passports and see why Americans care about what the rest of the world thinks about Americans.
Stocks cliffdiving! Houses foreclosed! Soup kitchens? Cupid for one is definitely hurting. Which means that some of you, our clients, are probably hurting. The next president won’t solve this international upset overnight, so keep cool under pressure, be Jonny Utah, and don’t be the one wearing the cuffs looking at that titanic wall of water. We’ll hopefully be out of this little situation with a little patience, if not pleading.-Peace-out, Rev Jim
June 30, 2008
I recently finished reading Alan Weisman’s much-talked-about book, The World Without US. In it, he examines how the various impacts of human culture would change if the entirety of humanity were to vanish suddenly; i.e., the rapture, the alien mothership scooped us up, or some super-virulent disease quickly wiped us out. With a couple notable exceptions, most of what we think of as solid human endeavors would become reincorporated into nature, often rather quickly. Untended radioactive waste would be an extremely long-lasting mess, but these glass and concrete cities, our sprawling suburbs and even the mind boggling quantity of plastic we create would all erode into a not particularly impressive layer in the geological record.
Weisman suggests that it wouldn’t take too many seasons of freeze and thaw cycles to make all our billions of miles of paved roads all but impassible. Maybe for cars, but I’d hold out more hope for bikes. I love a nice section of freshly paved asphalt as much as the next roadie, but I also know that even bicycles with skinny road tires can get through where cars would have to turn back. I found myself on just such a road a couple of weekends ago when and a friend and I took a bike-camping trip down the coast. Just out of Pacifica is an abandoned blacktop that hasn’t seen an automobile in maybe 50 years. It’s a fun way to bypass the none-too-bike-friendly Devil’s Slide. Some friends of mine dubbed it the “Planet of the Apes Road” for it’s resemblance to the crumbling infrastructure of a long-vanished human civilization. The pavement is cracked and crumbly throughout and missing at some points. In many other parts the foliage has overgrown, leaving a tight path through the scrubby bushes and poison oak. Most any òbike with a modestly determined rider can make it up and over to Montara. It’s the perfect place to practice your post-apocalyptic bike-handling skills.
In the meantime, there are some more immediate items on our bike agenda. This Saturday, July 5th, as part of a weekend-long messenger event called the Quake City Rumble, Cupid and a group of other “indy” messenger companies will be hosting an Independents’ Day BBQ. Feel free to join us at Marx Meadows in Golden Gate Park (near 25th and Lincoln). This also happens to mark the 9th birthday of Cupid Courier Collective!
Also if you get a chance, check out this deck of cards at: http://www.chromebags.com/products/accessories/show/59/. They were made earlier this year to support various messenger associations, and there happens to be a couple of Cupoids featured. If you’re curious ask one of us where you can pick up a deck directly.-tim