Diary of a courier girl.

So you may have read my intro in the newbie section.

I am starting my new job on Monday; I’m going to be a courier. :unsure:

Many mixed feelings of anticipation anxiety and excitement.

I go to the main office at 10 AM for my induction, which I am sure (or hope) they will show me how to use the XDA’s and possibly cover radio etiquette then I’m on the road at 12.

Is it that easy?

Time will tell.

The bike is in top condition, well as much as it can be for a 10-year-old queen and I’ve got all my documents ready.

Its really important to have copies of correct despatch riding insurance etc, if the police were to pull you over and you don’t have them on you they can take you back to the cop shop till they get confirmation from your company, which leads to lose of time / lose of money.

Also I stress copies, cos you wouldn’t want to mess up the originals, they wont last long on the road.

Got to take the usually things to like passport, proof of address, N.I number and the most important Bank details if they are to pay direct deb.

Well I think I will enjoy my last lay in tomorrow till next weekend, and make full use of the toilet for the lack of use on the road. If anyone has any tips on where women can pee it would be appreciated.

Note to self. Don’t forget the map book! Courier’s bible.

Talk to you Monday guys.

Good luck with your new job.

Best of luck, please keep the diary entries coming!

Hey good luck with your new job. I used to find the hospital are the best bet for loo’s!

yep always nice and clean

good luck in your new job

Good luck with the new job, sounds like it’s gonna be fun, keep us posted…!

Good luck dan,

knowing you i’m sure you’ll be fine! gis a buzz monday night!:slight_smile:

Hey SR Fan, goodluck, i hope by now you are cutting through traffic like a knife through butter…

Some tips would be buy a TuffMap, infinity used to do them, tear-proof/waterproof version of an AtoZ, comes in really usefull.

Buy Thermal base layers, and if you dont mind the affect they have on controls some handlebar muffs, You will also go through gloves amazingly fast, dont buy the most expensive ones for work…

Its sods law whenever you have a spare moment and pop off somewhere to grab some food/use the toilet you will get a job on the radio… Take with you snack things that will keep you going through the day and are quick to eat.

Keep all your petrol recepts, as its likely you are considered your own business and thus will be responsible for taxes, you should be able to avoid them by claiming back all your petrol…

Not much else i can think of, the first week or so will be very stressfull as you learn the major routes between drops, after a while you can start branching out a little, finding ever faster ways through each run… Goodluck…

Good luck for your first day!! :cool:

GL to you lass, and take care out there! Go steady.

Hope the first day on the Job was ok?! I bet your super tired now though! Keep the diary entries going!

When you’re paying a visit in the hospital loos, see if you can buy a spare pair of eyes. You’ll need them.

Everyone is blind.
Everyone is on the phone.
Everyone is drunk.
Everyone is a tourist.
Everyone is out to get you.
YOU ARE INVISIBLE!!

Repeat as often as you remember to and you should stand a better chance of picking up some cash at the end of the week.

Firstly a big thank you to all for your kind words of encouragement.

I am still alive and have made it through the first 2 days without an accident, written parking ticket, pulled over by cops (don’t know why they would but anyway) and have managed to get lost more or less to and from all drop-offs and pick-ups.

I thought that I was ok at getting to and from places with a good general knowledge of London, I have since found out how crap I am.

Well at least I have the freedom at the moment to take my time and explore my way to and from the destinations.

My first day was a disaster!

I was sent SE1? way of which I can say I have never really been to. Got lost went round in circles for ages, eventually found the place but also had to get a pick up in the area too.

It’s so hard to ride safely whilst trying to navigate your way around completely foreign lands.

I completed the day with only 4 jobs of which I was none stop with those, how shameful!

Today was a little less tense I done 6 jobs so on the up and the locations were a little easier for me to get to but I was still very slow. It’s a good job I don’t work for a company who has a name like kwik Kouriers or something (I did try to make up a company name there so if there is a company who goes by that name I have not knowingly or unknowingly made a dig at you, just trying to cover my ars) cos how ironic would that be.

I have also been trying so hard not to get parking tickets, like if you are doing a drop-off or pick up then I will park on a yellow or what ever will allow for me to but it’s the time when iam on stand-by that I find difficult. I have been very luck to squeeze myself into solo bike bays but this will not always be the case.

Well yes I am very tired, emotionally drained and still scared S******s but I live enother day.

Talk to you all soon.:smiley:

Good to hear it’s been an adventure so far everyday will be pretty much like that I’d imagine, as for the cops pulling you over you’ll get so used to it, it’ll be like going to fill up with petrol, no-avoidable!

Do you have Sat Nav on the bike?!? If not, would be a good investment and help your delivery times improve…

Enjoy!

Good to hear from you was getting woried about you! Just remember be safe out there ok!

Keep going, the knowledge of the roads will come, takes time for sure, keep safe!

SatNav is rubbish for city work. it gets confused with one-ways and such, just give it a week or two and you should be far less stressed…

Nothing like getting a job on the radio and knowing instantly the whole route from where you are now through POB all the way to the destination.

I reckon if you got satnav you would end up relying on it, nothing beats a good working knowledge.

Also buy a big chain and lock and drape it over the back of your bike so one of the two rows of your reg plate is cough cough obscured, helps with money making cameras, and if questioned… well oops it has just slipped down to that point. :Whistling:

Oh and i hate SE1 too…anything south of the river is pretty crappy TBH :stuck_out_tongue:

Oi :stuck_out_tongue: There’s nowt wrong with SE1!!

Good on ya girl! Sounds like you’re going to have a LOT of fun once you’ve settled in :slight_smile:

Please keep the diary coming, they’re really good!

:slight_smile:

yea i agree with the sat nav situation, im a lorry driver and i didnt have it and within a week or 2 in the city i was well on my way to knowing it, imagine if the sat nav breaks, u’d be stuffed if you rely on it and yea its not very good at 1 way systems and its also a distraction

HEY! SE1 is Zone 1 central London, as well as being the coolest postcode ever. Learn it or weep ;0)

Good luck though.