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“It’s the Job that I Love”: Bike Messengers and Edgework

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Sociological Forum

Bike messengers work in a dirty and dangerous occupation with low pay and no benefits. At the same time, many messengers consider their occupation to be their primary source of identity. In contrast to “dirty work” studies, which focus on organizational structures and workgroup ideologies, this paper explores how the creativity and spontaneity of courier labor allows messengers to become emotionally attached to their job. Bike messengering brings the thrill-seeking of leisure pursuits into the workplace, which creates an authentic self intimately tied to the occupation—an exceedingly difficult feat in an increasingly rationalized system of labor.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to thank Jim Dowd, Joe Hermanowicz, Nicole Pallotta, and the anonymous reviewers for their comments. An earlier version of this paper was presented at the annual meetings of the Eastern Sociological Society, New York City, February 2004.

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  1. Sociology Department, University of California, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, San Diego, California, 92093-0533, USA

    Jeffrey L. Kidder

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  1. Jeffrey L. Kidder
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Correspondence to Jeffrey L. Kidder.

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Kidder, J.L. “It’s the Job that I Love”: Bike Messengers and Edgework. Sociol Forum 21, 31–54 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11206-006-9002-x

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