I was hired by Blast Express while giving a ride to The manager, Mike, on my pedicab from a professional sporting event at the Pepsi Center. My other job is pedaling a bike taxi. Mike told me I would make good money as a courier for Blast Express. Though Mike was vague about any exact figures. Possibilities of $150 a day was "not uncommon". I was told that I would make more working for Blast Express than other bike courier companies because you make a percentage (38% is what I was told) of each delivery. Other bike courier companies pay an hourly wage.
I was a bit concerned when I asked around about Blast Express to other people who had worked for them as couriers. I was told that Blast Express bounces checks. When I talked to Mike about this before I agreed to start working, he told me that yes a few checks had bounced and that the company was living pay check to paycheck. Mike then tried to explain to me that some of these complaints were due to Blast Express' 6 week pay schedule. This is 2 weeks longer than any other pay schedule
In my 3rd week of working, I decided to see how much money I was making because it seemed that I was barely working, sometimes sitting around without a delivery for over an hour and a half. When I called to find out how much I was making, I was received with hostility from the head dispatcher, Jeff. He told me, "I don't know if you have been paying attention to the economy recently." I wanted to know if I was making at least minimum wage for my time. I was transfered over to the manager, Mike. I asked if I was making at least minimum wage. Mike asked me what day I wanted to know about. I said yesterday, Oct. 22. I had worked for from 9 until 3. I was told that I only made $20.
I made $20 for 6 hours of my time.
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