[Helmet Optional]- Bike Messenger Documentary SF early 2000s

Great news Guys! I have found a copy of [Helmet Optional]. This was project was an obsession of mine in college as well as a labor of love. It played in few film festivals and was really an exploration of a subculture in San Francisco that is all but extinct today. You may recognize the wall as well as some of the smaller messenger shops that have since gone out of business. Check it out!

[@TerryB]

Thank you for uploading. It's important to have these pieces as cultural time capsules.

[@newosamoht4593]

Well said. Your videos a bike asmr and help me sleep. thanks keep riding

[@coreygolphenee9633]

Terry you expand and expound on all of these works of art im hoping for a track bike summer this year

[@Chasingbrenden]

Happy to see your comment here. Your hot-lines are great, especially the ones with Hawaiian Shirt Jesus 👍🏽

[@user-un7pk7jm8o]

I worked for special T, perfect courier and aero back in 88 to 1990 and then in 1993. I never quite fit in with this motley crew boho messenger messenger community, living on the fringe of society.I always considered myself an outsider, even though I did resemble them in a way, and hung out at Harvey’s and all that crap. I was on bike, motorcycle, then a walker. Glad I got out when I did and got myself a real job, and did not end up as a lifer messenger, I probably wouldn’t be alive to type this out, but they were pretty fond and crazy memories. I will admit.

[@biosfearmag]

Really makes me miss this era of SF. Great flick.

[@patrickdecambra2219]

Me too

[@enolamsamoht]

Me three

[@graasroots]

Ditto I put in about 60 to 80 miles a day now in that area, couldn't imagine back then with all traffic on market.

[@GreggZvideos]

I worked at NoBS around this time. Best "job" I've ever had. I was also a main part of the whole CitySprint debacle before we tore them down. Taught me about the power of the people. It was a great flashback to see this video posted. Thanks, bro. Great to see a shot of "Trout" in this video. RIP.

[@nickdoubleu5637]

This, Proof of Delivery and Beasts of Burden - all great insights into the life of messengers in different decades in the City. What a diverse bunch of folk doing this profession with some skill. The different types - the flyers (about 25 gears), the cruisers (10 gears) and the plodders (no gears). So glad I was part of this scene for a while in the 80s....

[@MarchuxProductions]

Meanwhile, nowadays, the fixie guys seem to be the fastest, in my experience

[@SpacklerTurf]

Gotta put Pedal and Need for Speed on that list also

[@number1mouse]

I was riding in SF at this time and this is great! Thanks for the upload. Now put the bowl down, stop playin’ fuckin hackey sack at The Wall and call me 10-8 ready to roll, rookie!

[@brianehnert]

Yo, holy shit this brings me back. This guy is talking about Western Messenger too it sounds like. I was 845 2001-2005

[@richardtknees]

Pretty good doc on messengers in SF. I did tags in the early 80's-92' and almost always rode with a basket. Was a love hate job for sure with the community of messengers and the street elements filled with danger and bonehead cops. This doc almost made me miss doing tags. Almost.

[@feve6071]

Thanks for uploading this. It's so cool to see and in general a nice time capsule of the era before every documentary was a netflix movie.

[@thepassionofthegoose5472]

I remember this SF. Thank you so much for the upload. Stay well.

[@longlivetheclash]

Brings back lots of good memories.

[@iggychan007]

Thanks for the upload, brings back good memories from my time in Van 98 to 2k1. I still have a blackbird s.f. t-shirt I got in a courier shirt exchange.

[@kumartatsat868]

This is so awesome. Watching this from India. Really inspires me to be like you guys... You guys are awesome. Keep up the work. People are watching your work. Some even appreciate. I'm one of them. :)

[@nealbeard1]

Good soundtrack. Great film.

[@StudioSamSmith]

Such a good video - really nicely put together, interesting and watchable :) Bravo!

[@greasyunionguy7761]

I'll make the first comment. not bad, could be better. overall good. I was a messenger in SF at this time. I had a some years under my belt. this surely brings back memories. the freedom yes. the pain, no doubt. I'm never giving the brutal details in public. short dread brother is cool. his nickname was wrong way. good man, just likes riding against traffic. I know for a fact at least some of the riders in this video ain't in to good shape today. a random one of these riders, if I remember correctly, is one of the saddest tales I know. the story about that messenger wake, that's a true story, as far as it goes.

[@chriscallas139]

way way still working full time as a messenger. its funny cause i was like 5 when this was filmed.

[@greasyunionguy7761]

Fuck... Glad to hear way way is kicking. If you see him tell him sailor tony says whats up. Full time sailor now. Love...

[@patrickbyrne9282]

Way way. Wrong Way was Gary Gary from Black Dog/Speedway.

[@greasyunionguy7761]

@@patrickbyrne9282 yo, you are correct. I kind of remember that guy, but not very well. At the hubba hideout, way way's nickname kind morphed into wrong way, well cause you know he didn't really give a fuck. Solid rider tho, no question.

[@patrickbyrne9282]

@@greasyunionguy7761 Man...so many Hubba memories...

I was a messenger in SF from 1993 to 2001, but that doesn't stop me from seeing that a lot of the messengers in this vid say some embarrassing, illogical shit. It's a pretty effective anti-marijuana piece, tbh.

[@jodywest9044]

Proudly a weed and booze free courier. I do feel you

[@cookieshousecannabisco6963]

**laughs in seven figure income**

[@g_y.rtz420]

Oh wow premium rush was real my dreams can still come true

[@yellowoceanoriginalsongs7142]

Thanks for sharing your video I really enjoyed watching this video cheers

[@myfirstcrappyvideobilly]

It's important work. I don't take it lightly. I'm honored.

[@nistramo]

man...wicked if not sad documentary......

[@s3nsec0rruptr80]

At 2:15 I think that guy was still around in like 2010 when I was working there. Goddamn. And I saw a couple of people I recognized from Port in like 2006. Got dang.

@Alex Rhone No, I think that dude's name is Rick, worked at Speedways for years, sometimes biked, sometimes walked.

[@NomadFilmmaker305]

Amazing!

[@shawprescott]

Wow ! That Brought back some memories. Mike is on my bike that i sold him . Zic Zac. Remember all that . Too bad about Joe . That could have happened to a few people...

[@hanskloss9482]

it was really great times comparing to present

[@thraciuspratt4915]

Ha ha. I was a bicycle messenger at Western Messenger for a micro-second in 2004, and sill have the blue jacket with gold lettering. I think the inside video of the dispatch window was at Western.

[@brianehnert]

Yo. What number? 845 here

[@felixcat9318]

I remember when there was good earnings to be made being a motorcycle or bicycle courier in London. Bicycle despatch riders I knew earned more than their motorcycle counterparts with hugely less outgoings. As a motorcycle despatch rider and blood courier (different jobs) I'd always wanted to try cycle courier work but got out of professional riding due to injury before I got the chance to.

[@aaroni5074]

Same situation here in Dublin

[@stewart8127]

The business is gutted in NYC

[@popecosh307]

Well that took a sad turn at the end

[@emausderratsuchende5447]

Very interesting what happens with the Guys and Girls Today!? The Job it's not easy....physical and mental.

[@jamesaseltine2756]

Green since day1 that's good business

[@liberalsaredegeneratebetasoyl]

My dad was Danny lutge (lucky)

[@patrickbyrne9282]

All those familiar faces...so many years past. Fuck the what!?

[@Fonpill]

Круто!

[@danielmatias8854]

Does anyone have an ID for the track starting at 13:40? What a banger. Awesome documentary by the way.

[@pilotapollo]

I didnt know Carrot Top was still working

[@mvaleri175]

Before UberEats...sad it had to end.

[@SHXRRFF166]

Wow

[@timmytube12]

What year was this made ?

[@Supmouseman]

Put me on the long board

[@gonstotwriter]

4:25 I had no idea what that girl was talking about; was she speaking English?

[@artaniskim2120]

You are watching the Evolution of English

[@sass174]

@@artaniskim2120 so our grandkids just wont annunciate for shit?

[@chris1082386]

she was super high on something. I lived in SF as a messenger at this time and sadly enough there were loads of people in the community with heavy drug problems

[@oreocarlton3343]

White ebonics

[@cashroyale9001]

Communication break down...how many times can a person say 'Like' in any given sentence.

[@coobay4786]

If you're brain-dead a lot 🙉

[@fatcat7msk7ru]

Heep heep! :-)

[@enolamsamoht]

Just think, the techies replaced these guys.

[@bagafatcat]

treasure #shitamori #afrosamurai

[@patrickdecambra2219]

I was a motorcycle Courier I worked for GO Courier

[@twenty2082]

8:28 HAHA! Fucking Way Way

[@wa8d4g8i7]

this is the 3rd bike messenger doc ive seen and each one has a different white female bike messenger with dreadlocks tied in a ponytail. who started this trend?

[@greasyunionguy7761]

I don't know who started it but, if I'm not mistaken, that woman was the fastest bicycle messenger in the world for three years straight. so...

[@greasyunionguy7761]

+Anthony Henry oh yeah, Andrew Brady, if you are watching this... for making me make cold calls for your shitty ass company, I spent three weeks with an open line to nothing. I didn't call anyone. so, fuck you for making me endure that.

[@jodywest9044]

Potatoe salad PRAISE THE LORD...I think the bike courier gals in Boston rip, sometimes as I courier and run up on another (but a female) courier I think to myself that is one of the coolest humans ever in this planet

[@patrickbyrne9282]

Says the feller with the chin-whiskers!

[@nicaus7362]

13:17 is that Jim!?! I think hes dead now

[@brianehnert]

Not to brag but I rode in SF for multiple companies and never got hit by any cars. I have: Spit on cars Unhooked dickhead MUNI buses Done sick moves in emergency situations that I never knew I could Fell down turning left on Pine off Market in between those two lanes of traffic and somehow didn’t get run over

[@alexdelvento1273]

Hey how bout a dirt bike or a motorcycle

[@shredward5441]

too expensive man maybe one of those electric scooters

[@flybeep1661]

Early 2000s?? Seriously, we had way better camera's than this. This looks like early 1990s camera quality.

[@emausderratsuchende5447]

Don't forget, in the 2000 the Hardware,Cameras etc where very expensive..... Handycameras with 2 Millions Pixel.....

[@oldtwinsna8347]

Mini-dv was the standard, 720x480, i.e. 480p but the quality would vary tremendously on the camera optics itself. Cheap handhelds began to be common and had mediocre glass on them.

[@jdiazpdx]

This vid had the classic mini DV look. Hell, even the winners of that era (GL1, VX1000/2000, etc) all looked like this. I like it, its a sign of the era.