Alternative Post
William and Gerry both sent us a link to a story on the BBC about a bicycle messenger who is becoming an alternative to the Royal Mail. Great stuff. He's not just competing against the might of the Royal Mail, he's competing against their fleet of 33,000 bicycles. Which sounds even cooler.
The related photo, above, was taken in Paris a couple of weeks ago. The name says it all. Alternative Post.
So now we have a theme and now I have a reason to chuck a load of photos of postal workers into the theme.
The Royal Danish Post.
Hungarian postal bike and a US postal service box on a bike.
And here's a slough of Danish postal shots featuring the bicycle. The Royal Danish Post designs their own bikes. They have new ones now and all the old ones went to Estonia. I used to deliver the post on Saturdays and the bikes are sturdy and reliable. The cargo bikes are pretty decent, too.
There. Got all that out of my system.
10 thinking out louds:
The French « Alternative Post » is a terrible example. Despite the very catchy brand name that makes a great title and picture for your post, I would even suggest that you withdraw it from your post because it is undermining the whole point here.
Alternative Post is one of the first private competitor to the public La Poste and their only aim is to cut cost at any cost and makes as much profit as possible. They mainly hire very young men, pay them minimum wage and next to zero benefits or welfare. They use bikes only because it is cheaper (they provide motorcycle for their staff in small towns/villages). Their staff always look on the verge of heart attack because of the pressure and the workload.
In a nutshell, here we have: using bike = poor working conditions = more profit for greedy corporate crooks that disband our well-functioning, staff cherishing public institutions.
Alternative post is not alternative. It is moving backward.
The US is undeservedly in this great mix. Those postal boxes are very light and very sturdy, and are left laying about all over the place by the Postal Services. As a result, they're "borrowed" all the time. (Here's an article about it: This is the link)
So your image is not of a valiant postal worker pedaling his rounds, but more likely a regular guy who probably doesn't realize he's also a petty thief. (But, hey, they do make good carriers -- light, strong, flexible.)
Our lot aren't quite as stylish, but they do good hill work. Look at those legs.
http://bristolcars.blogspot.com/2009/06/post-always-gets-through.html
What is the small "wheel" that is visible attached to the Royal Danish Post bikes below hub level, between the front wheel spindle and the bottom bracket?
That would be the parking stand in its up position.
Then there is the coffee (beans) delivery bike of Coffee Collective in Copenhagen
http://bit.ly/3WNOEo
Cheers
Stefan
I was surprised to find out Miami Beach's US Postal Service actually has a bike fleet!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dmperez/4036881257/
They look like butcher bikes, and I think they are awesome. Too bad they are only in the South Beach section. Still, better that than nothing.
I can just imagine the uproar from Canada Post if it would ever be suggested that they use a bike.
They have a contract with a taxi company, and if they are a block away from where they have to go to, they'll wait 15 minutes for the cab.
Believe it or not we have bicycle posties here in Sydney. They're the best people top pedal up to for directions if you get lost (in my experience :)
In the UK post cycles are now being phased out. This is because they're
a) "Inefficient" (unlike transporting postmen & women around in vans & having them hang around on street corners waiting for their pickups)
b) Not going to be required once the union and management involved in the current dispute have finished destroying customer confidence in the system.
Post a Comment