Flying by the seat of my pants

As with everything in life, some lessons are easy, while others are learnt the hard way. Some things have been fun, others hard, while others still intriguing as a new challenge. I still haven't decided if it is the job for me (and it was always soposed to be a summer job anyways), but here is a brief summary of what I have discovered/learnt so far during my first week as a bike courier.

1. ALWAYS listen to your boyfriend when he says new shoes won’t be comfortable for work that day
2. Curbs and stairs are not to be considered impediments to progress
3. Follow the path of least resistance
4. Your Dispatcher is an omnipotent god (Just don't tell him I said that)
5. Common sense isn’t
6. If you are going to leave something behind, it will inevitably be the $300.00 pair of Oakley sunglasses you need for riding. Go back quickly!
7. Bike couriers are the fastest way to get a package delivered downtown and everyone knows it
8. There are a lot of bike couriers downtown
9. Being a bike courier is a very competitive venture
10. Everyone I meet says they want my job
11. Merging into downtown traffic is like a knife cutting through butter
12. ALWAYS look over your shoulder
13. Remember to lock your bike even when in a hurry
14. Unlock your bike before attempting to ride away
15. NEVER turn the wrong way down a One Way Street
16. Buses ALWAYS have the right of way, even when they don’t
17. Cars have brakes and will use them as necessary
18. Most buildings have mailrooms to drop stuff at and no one will take it anywhere else
19. Finding mailrooms is not always easy
20. Revolving doors are the bain of my existence
21. There is a coffee shop in every building
22. There are beautiful offices downtown and the views are awesome
23. There is a lot of unused/unleased office space downtown
24. There are NO public bathrooms
25. Security is unbelievably extreme, everything and everyone is locked up
26. There is a lot of “art” downtown
27. Downtown has it’s very own culture
28. You can buy anything you want downtown (three words: Mountain Equipment Co-op)
29. Most elevators have TV’s in them
30. There really aren’t 13th floors in most buildings
31. Not all elevators go to every floor in the building. Serious. Finding the right elevator is half the battle.
32. Boy bikers think girl bikers are hot
33. Boys in general seem to think girl bikers are hot
34. If I look lost, someone will appear to tell me where to go
35. Just because you are a courier doesn’t mean you are given the right address
36. Just because you have an address doesn’t mean it actually exists
37. The client is always right. No, really… even if they are a hag. Just smile nicely.
38. Never be surprised as anything that can happen, will
39. Other bike courier companies will actively attempt to recruit you