How To Survive On A Bike Courier's Salary - And Still Buy Weed (HBO)
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- čas přidán 8. 09. 2017
- Sean, a bike courier in New York City, says his on-demand job has a special perk - the freedom to plan his delivery route through the neighborhood where he buys weed.
On-demand jobs like Postmates, who Sean bikes for, are rapidly growing in popularity. In 2016, 3.7 million people worked on-demand jobs; by 2021, that number is expected to triple. The Postmates app works similarly to Uber, except users are able to order food or practically anything else sold in stores to their front door. Sean started working for the company part-time to make extra cash on the side on top of his other job at a spa. He typically pulls in anywhere from $10 to $200 a week working up to 20 hours.
Sean currently rides a couple days a week, sans helmet - and health insurance. VICE News followed him along his route during a typical day.
VICE News profiles Americans working in jobs today that reflect that landscape of our current economy. This episode follows Sean, the on-demand Postmate, as he takes on his work day by bike in New York City.
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Sean currently rides a couple days a week, sans helmet - and health insurance. VICE News followed him along his route during a typical day.
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I commute on cheap bikes, but that thing is really sad. Sad.
Studies have found that car drivers regard bicyclist who are wearing helmets as "safe", and consequently don't give them as much space or pay them as much attention and are more likely to hit them. The rather minor increase in crash survivability is not worth the increased likelihood of a crash.
I’m a bmxer and it would be my dream to be able to get paid to ride fast and ride spots on the way to deliver
@@isaackarjala7916 "Studies" huh? Studies have found cyclists with helmets are more likely to be hit by drivers? Pure nonsense!
How about the meta analysis of 55 studies over 28 years that found that the use of bike helmets was found to reduce head injury by 48%, serious head injury by 60%, traumatic brain injury by 53%, face injury by 23%, and the total number of killed or seriously injured cyclists by 34%. There is no debate about it being safer, the debate is whether or not people want to wear one. Don't make stuff up... just say you don't want to wear one.
That guy really needs to raise his saddle
he'd go faster and waste less energy if he fully extended his legs by raising the seat.
karateporkchop
His knees and hips will be toast in 2 years if he keeps it up. He also wears headphones.....biking 101 no no. At least not in thick traffic.
karateporkchop
0:58
OMG he is also peddling like a mad man in high gears and going nowhere. Whats with these people. Their legs spin at 1000mph and they are going 2mph.
Magnus Bekkengen as a bike courier who rides 60-80 miles per day I literally cringed when I saw that. Like WTF?????? This is how you can tell this video is staged. My spine would be in flames in an hour of riding at delivery speeds like that. Most couriers I know are hardcore cyclists before anything and ALL have an obsession with a good, if not the "perfect", ride geometry. This video is bogus.
rodrigo fiallos Wait, so you mean a paid promotion for a bike courier Uber on Vice isn't gaining traction? Really? But what if you REALLY need nipple guards?
OMFG Vice hasn't pegged my cringe meter, it's made it's own complete section of cringe.
Some people didn't even realize this was just an ad for postmates.
huh? i'm a 31 year old mechanic veteran. I watch this shit to see losers riding bicycles smoking weed. the real pos is the girl who is at most fucking at least 2 other guys and sleeps with this one so she doesn't have to pay rent
Pretty terrible AD...
Jeremy Clyde this isnt an ad. they have to disclose if its paid promotion or it violates youtube's terms of service and ftc guidelines
as long as the check isn't made out to "Vice" it could be made out to anyone. super clickbait too
If this is an ad, why did they spend so long talking about how postmates offers no health insurance?
The way he pedals with his heels is deeply offensive
Doing it with heels let's you make a full circle and you use less energy for more thrust
Tl:Dr : it's better and easier that way
@@nerkec603 nobody listen to this guy he doesn't know what he's talking about^
@@nerkec603 are you joking bro, I can't tell
I love that he does everything you could think of wrong, no helmet, no insurance, a terrible bagging system, no phone mount, listens to music while riding. I love it b/c maybe less people will be interested in bicycle deliveries leaving more for me!
People can be extremely uptight about sh!t-like not wearing a helmet-in a tribalistic manner these days. Pro helmeters act like anti helmeters are stupid ( except when talking about the Dutch) snd really say some nasty sh!t about anti-Helmeters
@@jzen1455 bunch of shmucks
@@jzen1455 non-helmet users are already half-way brain dead. only once an accident happens is when they receive the other half.
@@dapwn3ritswatido But I could just as likely fall down the stairs, I do a lot of stair climbing as I live upstairs and there are stairs in my house, it only takes one trip or slip or misplaced foot once in the multiple times I do this every day and I could recieve life altering injuries to my spine or head- should I invest in a helmet for that too? It is mostly quiet around my area- so if I am just doing errands or visiting someone, I often don't bother, if I am doing something more high risk, like mountain biking or BMX, I'd wear a helmet as the likely hood of falling and hitting my head specifically is much greater, if I was riding through heavy traffic and filtering in between it, I'd want a helmet too, my son is just learning and is less sure of himself, so he wears a helmet, I wear a helmet if I am on a motorcycle, the speeds involved are far more risky, but I could still land on my head and cause a concussion and a spinal chord injury, we all take risks- riding in a quiet area with no helmet is probably less risky than driving a car!
@@5688gamble I knew someone that cracked their skull slipping in the shower. My grandma tripped on the sidewalk and broke her leg. I guess we should start wearing a helmet in the shower.
Dude so high he didn't even lock his bike at 1:17
man i know im late but that made me laugh so much🤣
Hhahaha damn i just noticed😂😂😂
LMAO omg I missed that
-1 Hipster point for not riding a fixie
And -1 for having no brakes
-1 for no milk crate tywrapped to his shit bike
@@NaeMuckle Hey, milk crates are the zenith of bike cargo solutions.
@@toasty8547 who cares
This name is fake no one
Ads are getting smarter
If it is an ad id say its pretty shitty. $10 for almost 3 hours of work? Seems like just a lazy attempt on Vice's part.
Made 10 bucks and spent it on weed. Smart.
i have profitted less on Tibia
Ok
No sir he made a video about making 10 bucks he made way more than 10 bucks views go up cause he can now put weed in the title probly make more revanue video because of that than if weed wasnt in the title... smart.
Ur Gay
Got to spend your money on something. Dealers got to eat too.
this is a terrible representation of bike courier life. watch any other video on them and you cant tell most are legit, and not receptionists.
Why is he locking the pole at 1:18 ??
lol must've been just for the shot or something, at 1:25 the frame is locked when he comes back.
Simon Kjær
He was obviously on drugs
make sure no one steals his pole. his dad gave him that pole
I messengar sometimes and i do it to make my bike look locked saves time i guess and your usually in a nd out
no, his dad gave him the lock. no one gets to steal the lock.
I spent 2 years with riding my bike from sunrise to sunset, making deliveries and smoking weed almost every day while on the bike. It wasn´t such a big city and less cars, but I loved the freedom.
That sounds beautiful.
He, like, says "like," like a lot. Like.
1:14 Like, in the winter when it would get really snowy, those were like the days that were really good cause people like wouldn't want to leave their house. People would be like, ordering like, burgers and stuff that were like 3 blocks away.
Like 6 times in like 2 sentences, like, wtf, like.....
LFSPharaoh like u actually typed in exactly what he said like wtf
After, like, listening to how much like "like" he says, I had to like stop the video and like give it like a thumbs down
Jay Poe you like, could've put in like a shit ton more likes like...wtf like. Really?
weetikissa who invented this.i thought only dumb girls talk like that . now it's like everybody.
Is this satire? Was the person who produced this one of his five roommates or something? Looks like he’s never ridden a bike in his life.
Yeah and pissing in stores restrooms??? Be a real man and piss on the streets! I'm telling you man I'll piss anywhere, did it on the main road like Monday, cars whizzing by whatever man.
He complains about his safety yet he doesn't wear a helmet!?!?!?
The science behind it is kind of weird. People who wear helmets are more likely to be in an accident, but they're also less likely to suffer major injury (unless it's catastrophic). So there's a trade-off. Is it better to be slightly prepared for a crash, or to not crash at all?
_
There really nothing wired about that, it likely that the people at most risk of an acsident (who cycle the the most on the most dangerous roads) are the people most likely to choose to wear a helmet. It not that helmets make you more likely to have an accident it's that people who are most at risk of having an are the most motivated to wear a helmet.
Where did you get that information? madeupmonkeyshit.com??
You guys do know that there is ZERO point to bicycle helmets, except to sell bicycle helmets and announce to the world you're special and pedal a childs toy...right?
If you think that $200 piece of styrofoam is going to save your brain, you don't have a brain worth saving to begin with.
Chuck Farley I didn't wear one during High school years but now I do as I don't use the Little BMX bike I had, now it's highway traveling on a much faster 700c. I max out on all gears 'cept the last one because of the wind resistance, I would estimate 35 or more MPH .
3:05 high pressure tires kept on lowest possible, almost flat condition. NEWBIE courier with hipsta tattoo. Vice, this is lame.
Max Althemyst good catch! that is indeed appalling, what an idiot
This guy knows nothing about cycling. Lol at him bouncing up and down as he rides.
Max Althemyst - and noob video guy, they reversed the video, check which side the gears are on at 3:06.
So I just found this video ( I know, late to the game ) but did you catch the weird edit that put his entire drive train on the left side of his bike at the same time stamp?
Agreed, lame and sad
3:20 $10 in 2 hours? Wow! That's almost minimum wage.
So his main job is a receptionist. Why you click bait vice?
because there bleeding money so they need views to stay alive
No money in youtube views anymore.
Because this is a sponsored video by postmates. No one will watch this video if it was called "How to survive in NYC with 2 salaries- and still buy weed"
should be called "how to have a second job"
because he cannot afford to live on one job which he should be able to in a healthy economy?
1:19, bro that's not how locks work.
Matt Newman omfg WTF IS HE DOING
Hes blazed leave him alaone
he was high
I see this all the time.
why does it always has to involve weed?
does it bother you, if so why?
I wasn't manipulated into anything or the way I think. I was just wondering why it bothers you watching a person doing something harmless.
cause once you have a kid you turn wise out of no where amiright
Why not?
iBfuckin weed is not worst than alcohol. I will be more than happy if my kid ate weed cookies instead of drinking alcohol.
It's a difficult job but very rewarding if you love cycling .
Very true
olã!!
How to survive a bike couriers salary: have another real job
well if he gets 450-750 per week he gets more than most US jobs...what ar ewe even talking about?
Johnny but the guy has another job and this is just part time they dont actually say how to survive the video isnt representative of the title
yep basically clickbait...they put a "how to survive" line to make people like me get interested in the topic.
Thriving still counts as surviving.
You can actually make that much no problem
Actually, that's a lie
You will have major problems.
The main one being that if you don't eat right you will absolutely kill your body, which means no work
I know because I work Postmates too.
But making that much in a week certainly is doable. Just get yourself an electric bike and you'll be fine
He isn't even a courier? I want to see the life of the guys who actually do this stuff
This guy needs to go to a bike shop to be fitted to his bike. 😂😂😂 He is wasting so much fucking energy with his current setup.
I really admire guys like this dude. He thought out of the box and does what he needs to do in order to lead a decent life. God knows it's fucking hard for a young person on the job market right now. I have two masters degrees and speak four languages, and it took me almost ten fucking months to find a job that I liked.
Damn, what's your degree in?
So he gets like 1800$ per month and pays 600$ for rent... to me it seems like he had 800$ for weed a month 🤷♂️
Bro how much do you think weed costs?
klegend0 Not that much... an oz of weed if he's smart can go for like 250$ in the bx
plus other job.
He also has 5 roommates which makes having expendable income after rent and utilities a lot more likely. So maybe even more for weed.
Alv what it’s like 180 lol
misleading title.
3:00 this cracks me up- him talking about worrying about safety and he's not wearing a helmet
I can't believe people pay for quinoa tacos and avocado toast. Go to the damn grocery store!!!!
worked for 3 hours..then buy weeds..then complained " i need to work to buy stuff i want, apart from weeds"
Why not get an actual bike messenger?
Calum Neill seriously
Calum Neill cuz it's an ad for postmates
idon'tcare If this was an ad, its a pretty shitty one lol. Dont think they would advertise their low wage
I sure hope vice intended this to be a parody of being a bike "courier" in NYC.
Everybody criticizes this guy instead of praising him fr making a decent/honest living, not being homeless/drug addict and a burden to society...God Bless Him
This is not a professional courier. He could not afford to live off what he could make riding a bike the way he's doing things.
LMAO My man so high he locked the pole 1:17
I cringed when he says he rides with his headphones on. Headphones and no helmet equals recipe for disaster.
you can wear headphones. Doesn't mean he's listening to music. You can put them in for example to hear the GPS.
Am I the only one appalled by his foot position on the pedals. My god. Get some foot retention or some clips if you bike this much dude. Otherwise you're gonna have some serious issues... also... just do a bike fit bro... and bike shop will do a rough one for you i'm sure.
His seat looks too low - he'd make hsi deliveries faster by having a higher seat and accessing more of his leg muscles...
Saddle is way too low...
he will destroy his knees in a hurry
This is a great short documentary about a person's life in NYC. Much respect to VICE for keeping the average man relevant in these crazy times.
J H this ain't the average man.
colin wunder he is a perfect example of the average American.
Raise your saddle!
People talk about the job...I'm just amazed that with 5 freaking roommates he still pays 600$ in rent a month. Fucking New york is insane.
Welcome to NYC! You either make it or it breaks you.
Thats such a retarded mindset. It's like saying "hey either u live with random strangers at age 40 or you're in the upper class". It's called upper for a reason. Middle class is the majority.
Well, its true. The middle class in NYC have 2 or more jobs just to pay rent and still have some left over. For some people; that's too much and move out to NJ or Upstate NY. It's all about that hustle. It may seem retarded for someone that does not live in NYC but it's true.
To me for that to be just accepted is so stupid. I mean I pay about 800$ a month for my apartment (In Sweden though). And I have more than 3x that after my paycheck arrives eatch month after taxes. To basicly work 2 jobs and lets say have 200$ left over seems insane to me. Thats not a quality of life. I'd move away immediately.
True, I do see your point. However, it also depends on wherein the city you live, 200 plus dollars is enough if you live outside Manhattan/ any popular areas outside Manhattan and don't have a family. Also, moving is not cheap, most of the people in NYC don't have cars so you would have to rent a car(if you know how to drive) or get the movers to move your things(not always cheap).
He is just asking for his two wheels to be stolen by not locking his bike properly!!!
I wonder why he still has quick release for those wheels. Its NYC, they will get taken.
The bike's a piece of shit anyway, no one wants that garbage.
Psyk078 its new york. Anything that is not bolted down will get taken.
Seriously, I've seen children's bikes in Chicago with missing saddles
Charlotte Galvin haha
i literally felt overwhelming by seeing this dude god bless you buddy
3:05 you mirrored the footage horizontally to fit it in the general - riding to the right - sequence. Drivetrain always on the right hand side. Looks awkward to an cycling enthusiast :D
1:17 he didn't even have his U-lock connected to the bike lol
1 look at the bike and you knew pot had to be involved.
Good video. I'm all for more bike stuff!
"By 2021 that number I'll nearly triple"
You have no idea
stoned driving a cheap bike in traffic w/out a helmet.... ok then.
Get off the couch try it some time
HE DIDNT FUCKING LOOK HIS BIKE AT 1:19
Tbh just by seeing the title I immediately thought of Suits😂
I was on my phone and I could only read the first part of the title before clicking on the video "how to survive on a bike courier's salary - and still" and I said out loud "and buy weed" after clicking I was not disappointed at all.
He is not a bike courier. Watch him lock up at 1:18 LOLZ
For a 'Courier' this guy has a really bad bike, but more to the point, seriously shit technique and position on the bike.
People on bikes don't get hit by cars, they get hit by motorist.
You guys are saying he needs a helmet and to adjust his seat, but what he really needs is to stop wearing headphones while he rides. I think people are hating on it more because he isn't an actual courier. To each their own. I don't blame the guy for just delivering food on his day off work, but the title is super misleading.
That lock job @ 1:16
Great... people are ordering food 3 blocks away that has to be put into disposable containers... perfect.
lol we're all fucked
You get to make money...
You can do cardio...
And you can smoke bud...
ALL AT THE SAME TIME!!!! Sounds like a winner to me.
I remember bike messengers in the 1990s. They were cool punk rock chicks and dudes, who smoked Marlboros while delivering blue prints for multi million dollar projects. Now its a hipster guy named Sean who wears salmon colored shorts, and delivers quinoa tacos. Sheesh.
He's worried about health insurance, but doesn't wear a helmet and wears earbuds while riding . Good one.
doesnt wear a helmet and is concerned about not having health insurance....like.
Me watching him quietly crunch pizza. 👁👄👁
such a good positive dude
i used to do bike deliveries for Grubhub in my college town. was a lot of fun. except the uphills lol. neat video, always interesting to catch a glimpse of someone else's routine
Aaron Zane And a great way to keep fit too. Cycling in cities is quicker to get around & it's costs nothing in fuel expenses.
Riding a bike in a city, with both earphones in, not wearing a helmet, while high on THC...is very dangerous.
We often underestimate how much we will regret something, until it's too late.
My knees hurt just from watching this guy ride around.
So the video starts off good with a good idea behind it to make extra cash when hes not smoking pot and then we see that hes not locking his bike correctly, telling us hes spilled his drinks and ruined orders, telling us hes only earned 10 dollars in 3 hours, then using that money to buy a slice of pizza and pot, and hes white so i guess he gets away with smoking it in public and the video ends. Motivational man.
1:18 didnt lock his bike
1:17 thats not how one should lock his bike.. Probably too stoned
Its crazy how many times this guy said the word "like" 😂😂
:"So I picked up two quinoa tacos and an avocado toast" - his first order lol..
"How to survive" 2.2k - 3k monthly salary is not that low.
MtotheM in NY hell yeah it is lmao
@@infam0usP not really lol.FA salaries are much lower than that lol.
All he got that specific day was 10 bucks, multiply that by 30, aaand yeah no way near 3k
Count the 'like' he says. Probably more likes than this video
Step 1: Stop smoking wasteful joints and opt for peas instead...
Update Postmates does offer health insurance. Also you can get free health insurance from the city :)
1:17 - wait? that's not how you lock up your bike.
God bless him, I do something similar on the side
Thankyou for your positive vibes Larry, alot of hate on this video
Good bless bike couriers, I bike commute 51 weeks a year it's rough out there. Be safe brother 👊🙏
grooviest needle yea because its fake, and a poor attempt at convincing hes a legit courier
What's your average riding speed when delivering?
Never put the food on the ground I learned this in La when I was working for a courier service there
"like" "like" "like"
That young man has LIKE the LIKE most limited vocabulary ever.
The trend of certain North American citizens to say "like" every other word is not only a sign of limited vocabulary, but also a sign of lacking comprehension of grammar or proper (professional/formal) communication.
Clearly spoken by one without a relevant degree.
I'm sure you like have like the most formal like, um, commutation in like the world, man. Ya know?
@@Jafje Turns out it is common in other languages as well.
@@KBlade1 Such as?
Did he lock anything at 1:17?
I work for Favor (which is like Postmates, but better lol) here in Houston and instead of bikes, we use our cars. It def has its ups and downs and I do enjoy working for them. I only do it to make money on the side.
Someone needs to make a movie based on a cycle courier....criminal type contracts....maybe some bicycle but mostly motorcycle ....I think it really has potential! Could have crotch rockets and dual sport dirt/street and basically anything with two wheels depending on the job requirements
Premium Rush with Joseph Gordon Levitt
Bike courier? What courier keeps bouncing like that when he/she rides? Get a bike fit and for God's sake adapt your gears and put your feet properly on the pedals...and PLEASE raise your saddle. Maybe if you smoked less weed you could focus on actually riding properly?
It's a really tough job, last thing we need is for posers to come in and ruin what people already think about cyclists and millennials.
Also, you smoke? Good for you, just don't go around promoting it.
He looks horrible on a bike. Gross!
It's ok. He's a noob cyclist. Look at his ride lol
Nah man it'll ruin the aesthetics. Be happy he isn't riding a fixie with completely slick tires.
Thank you
Well said I posted something similar but deleted after reading this. Leave it to the professionals or at least people who know how to ride.
How to work a job that barely pays anything and still waste money of drugs and be a degenerate. Better title
Jag Singh lmao
j 619 don't comment on something you don't know nothing about, these types of jobs can be very slow at times, however when it picks up 2 pics up really good. Also jobs like these depends on the location in various areas he delivers in. I have a friend of mine who is an attorney and even though he's a lawyer he still make an extra $800 each week on the side. Although I don't agree with smoking pot, classing someone as a "degenerate" just because of smoking pot is wrong. 👎
Wow that description , love how he can deliver food in the neighborhood where he buys weed...in new york...
That foot placement though ... Surprised his biked doesn't have a flip flop hub and brakes.
Why are people hating on this guy? He's doing whatever he needs to do to get food on the table - he made 10 bucks in two hours and you're shitting on him because he's a "millenial"?
Don't do like drugs kids or like you'll like have to like deliver like food like on a bike.
LMFAO THE DESCRIPTION OF THE VIDEO KILLS ME LMAOOOOOOO
Thought this was a ad for a second lol
Enough of the weed stuff, Vice. Put more reporters in warzones.
*FUGGIN HIPSTERS 😒*
Epic Screen name
Just a fancy word for dirty junkies
He seems totally harmless, and a nice guy. Relax.
Matt Kav
That's what people said about Hitler. That's what people said about psycho killers. He's a junkie and promoting drug use is dangerous, especially when kids watch this channel too
I still think this is a wind up. I should believe that you think a bicycle courier who smokes weed should be compared to Hitler? :)
Matt Kav
That's not what I said. You said he seems like nice guy. Anyone can seem nice and psychos are the ones who come across very nice.
Bottom line is, he's a drug addicted junkie
that prediction was right. in 2021 deliveroo pushed it's IPO and rider counts raised above 15000 (from 35000)
He is just standing around talking to Vice meanwhile the food is getting cold "come on man hustle I'm hungry"
Vice news used to do some real decent reporting. The Russian roulette dispatches were amazing. Now the cancerous hipster shit from regular vice has spilled over onto here. Unsubscribing.
Hey vice...!!! How about a story on people that are straight edge and don't do drugs..?
go somewhere else for that. Vice has never been that and never will. If you don't like it, leave.
why do you think the name they chose was "vice"
MadMrMatter well they suck at it then, they need to be more edgy, do a story on a male trans that regularly hires prostitutes and still survive on a pan handling income, while doing crack. This some mild metro sexual shit.
10peppermill Actually, the original name was "Voice of Montreal", but they "dropped the 'O' for legal reasons":
www.theguardian.com/media/2008/mar/30/pressandpublishing.tvandradioarts?gusrc=rss&feed=media
Well that sounds like a great idea for a really boring documentary.
That slice of pizza even sounded awesome!
There's no such job like that here in the Philippines. I'd love to go bike around and deliver stuff for people as a summer job!