r/bikemessengers

Hey, it's been a year since my last post here.
I thought I could say Hello and give you an update on what I have been up to.

There is still the instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nodispatch/

There is now a new website: https://nodispatch.fr

I had to setup a donation page to pay the server bills: https://buymeacoffee.com/nodispatch

For the usage: between 100 and 200 checkpoints everyday. The app is mostly used by messengers mostly in Paris but also in all of France and multiple countries of Europe, and North America.

I still don't make any money with this but the app is clearly usefull for a bunch of people.
Sometimes people come meet me to tell me about how they use it for their daily tasks and it just fill me with hope.

So, in any order, here are a list of all the new features in NoDispatch developped this year:

• There are now 22 languages supported (most eu languages and japanese and chinese). To be fair, this is mostly thanks to AI. I don't have the means to translate without it. Any help with this would be gladly accepted 👍
• metric system and imperial is supported as well.
• LOOOOOTS of bug fixes. A lot of work was done on reliability. Crashes are now rare. More than 99.5% crash free sessions. As user, you have 11 chances out of 12 to never meet an issue with the app. 🎉
• the pathfiinding algorythm and re-ordering algorythm have been reinforced. here, reliability was the focus. I worked each time a new edge case was found, now they are quite rare compared to last year.
• Schedules are now supported: each time you setup a new job, you can set a window to complete it. This means you can now set an average speed and an average stop duration. That way you can tell your clients when you expect to arrive.
• A new map design: I built a map design based on all the frustration I always had. It's all made for readability and safety. No more beige on white shit. No more dark blue on darker blue. You now have a high contrast vectorial map based on OSM data. The idea is to not lose your path and to be able to read the map with just a single glare at your phone.
• Light and Dark mode: The new map and interface now come with a light and dark mode depending on your preference.
• Video game inspired compass: there are now 3 modes, north fixed, follow your heading, free rotation. I also added a feature where you can see the heading of your next checkpoint. It's mostly usefull when you arrive, you can instantly see where you are compared to it.
• New website(again): https://nodispatch.fr and a buy me a coffee. I do not make any money with this project. all donations go to pay the server bill. Thankfully I am quite good at keeping the cost down so it's manageable.
• Hybrid pathfinding engine: You may have noticed that, usually the first time you use the app, it takes ages to calculate the itinerary. Well, it's now in the past. There is now a server to take the relay when your local engine is too slow. Unless your internet connection is really bad, you won't have to wait more than a few seconds to know where to go and as soon as the database is loaded on your phone, all the calculations are nearly instantaneous.

To be fair, there is more than just that but, I reserve myself the right to announce it later. The next step is in developpement and will be tailored for the pros. Stay tuned for more updates.
After 10 years in the tech industry, I am glad to see my job usefull for a change. ❤️

Packing up my bike for my flight to Berlin, and now I'm finding out that I can't take the battery on the plane? Wtf? Is there any chance a fellow bike messenger will have a spare that I could borrow for the week? I'm allowed to bring my charger, just not the battery itself. My bike model is EMMO Urban if you have a compatible battery.

Also is there crossover between uber accounts internationally? Anyone have any experience using their north American Ubereats account to pick up work in Europe? Ideally I'd like to log on for a couple hours while I'm there, just during lunch and dinner rushes

Also I'm torn if I should being my barmitts or not? Will it be warm enough in Germany to go without them?

Thanks in advance, see y'all in a couple days!

I’m a lifelong cyclist but I never worked as a bicycle messenger. I did work as a motorcycle messenger in LA for several years. It was hot, hard work, but the speed and adrenaline were to die for. I miss it deeply. I stopped in my mid-late 30s because I knew I couldn’t count on my reflexes continuing to be top-level much longer, and I had dealt with the part of me that wanted to die. But those full-body washes of adrenaline every couple of minutes stay with me. And the way that the discipline (of speed) demanded that I stay utterly focused on being fully present at every moment was just priceless.

Hi all,

I am a student currently working on a documentary for a class on the rise of app-based delivery couriers in New York City. I am hoping to speak with a handful of drivers, either virtually or in person (I will come to you, of course) to ask about what work/life is like as a driver, changes you've noticed, and what reforms you'd like to see enacted - both by the city and employers.

I would only need ~10 minutes of your time, and I am willing to compensate you.

Thanks!