Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Heavy Mail but I'm not complaining

Blog update:Don't miss yesterday's video post, my fault it went up late.Every morning my work day starts at 0830 hours with a mail pick up for 2 firms from the Main US PO in Charlotte. The Stay Alive sends me right into the dock at the PO and usually my mail is waiting in 2 nested tubs on the dock run by the most angry Postal Employee I have ever encountered. Over the weekend leading to Monday there is an extra sort day which can mean that Monday is heavy as it was 2 days ago. I picked up 2 full tubs(one stacked with law books) for my S College client and 1 full tub for my 214 N Tryon client totalling around 50lbs. I straddled my bike down at the dock and struggled to hold 2 on the bars as a base while I floundered with the heavy full one that I could not get on top. Red Face, a driver for one of the scary car courier companies saw my struggle and offered his hands and mind to help. He saw that I could save 2 inches in height if I rearranged the tubs and then with me clipped in, hands in the cockpit he skilfully stacked the tubs on my bars so I could roll out of there. The entire mile and 3/8ths with that on the bars was a very painful experience in my left arm just trying to keep the freight balanced enough as to not fall over. When I came to the first drop I asked my contact Steve to take this picture with my camera which I wrestled out of my bad while never taking the mail off and holding it up with a foot on the ground. I'm not complaining about what I carry , I am just compelled to share what I see and do. A few years ago I carried a BOB trailer around for a long time when the mail was worse, add a client and you have 4-7 tubs a day. Thankfully that client began an internal mail drop from the P.O. and I could leave the BOB in the barn and only have to deal with a paltry amount manageable on the bars.

2 comments:

ExtrmTao said...

Comment for the header image:

That is my favorite photo of yours yet. A tough backlit scene with the wine gleaming in the light. Very very nice.

Billy Fehr said...

Tomato,
Thank you...I took this photo last summer at a Bistro here called 300 East where Rebecca was hostessing in the middle of a work day. I made the exposure one time without the subject's awareness. To make it more interesting the subject is none other than Mr.Hugh McColl. In a week or so I will post a more in detail story all the way through what I did with the first print!