By Britt Perkins
The bikes lay abandoned as if an Armageddon-like cataclysm vaporized every trace of their owners. As I continued to ponder the various body snatchers that could have been responsible, the orphaned cycles were suddenly swarmed with messengers clamoring to find their match.
Varieties of colorful hair, piercings and spandex filled the frame with kinetic tension as riders mounted their steeds and set off: an alley cat had begun!
Famous for their informal organization and traditional involvement of bike messengers, alley cat races are checkpoint-based and operate on city streets—no closed-off areas.
Red Light Go explores the thriving bike messenger culture of New York City. It also documents some of the most dangerous alley cat races offered such as the Halloween “Pentagram,” which takes place during rush hour.
Their jobs are rough, but none of the messengers express the Office Space dissatisfaction that normal cubicle workers face.
People wonder how they can messenger all day and still want to do the races in their free time, explains Mike Dee. But it’s part of the lifestyle. It’s a way to show that you are the fastest.
“I’m not a messenger you know, I’m a racer. Well I am a messenger, but you know,” says one rider.
Like most things that involve stupid risk, these races can be criticized for the casualties they provoke.
“I ran a red light, and I hit a car. And this guy rode over me, he was right behind me,” says another.
But for some reason, I’m still sucked in. Values of rugged individualism, unthinking bravery and freedom from constraint echo in this modern reflection of traditional values. The pioneering spirit that made men decades earlier explore the Orient and head west for inexplicable reasons can still be found today, though today they ride track bides instead of horses.
Check out the trailer below:
Tags: alley cat race • bike messenger • cycling • documentary