PAC Designs Messenger Bags

By Chris Cosby

Notes are from an interview with Pittsburgh’s hardest working messenger, Mo Money, A.K.A Jonathon Moran, with Jet Messenger Services. We let him try out a Pac Designs bag in the real world, the grimy underbelly that is messengering. Actually, these guys (and gals!) have pretty cool jobs, getting paid to ride. But as Mo Money tells, it’s still a job. Let’s tune in:

DR: How did you get the name Mo Money?
MM: ‘Cause I like to get all the packages I can. More packages means more money, you know! My last name is Moran, so that’s where Mo came from, and the Money just followed from being greedy with packages.
DR: Does the dispatcher treat you pretty well. I mean, is it a seniority thing?
MM: Well, yeah, plus I own part of the company. That helps!
DR: You work for Jet Messenger, right? How many other messenger companies are there in Pittsburgh?
MM: There are two companies including Jet right now.
DR: So what’s a typical day like for you?
MM: Usually start about 7AM, ride hard every day, get as many packages as I can. It’s all on a computer. There’s the scheduled runs, then during the day we’ll get calls for additional deliveries. We have about 500 clients.
DR: How many folks work at Jet?
MM: There are about 15 of us right now. Mostly guys, we do have one girl who rides for us. She’s a pretty good messenger. We’ve had other girls in the past, but unfortunately there’s not too many girls who like to be messengers.
DR: How many miles do you put in daily?
MM: I used to put in more, but lately I’ve been using the truck more. Usually it’s around 80-100 miles in a day, 40-50 miles on the bike when I do truck hauls. (His personal ride is a Seven Cycles ‘cross bike.)
DR: Ever have any run-ins with the cops?
MM: Oh, yeah, plenty of them. (laughs)
DR: Do they know you on a first name basis?
MM: Well, luckily, over the last 10 years a lot of the old guys have retired and the new guys have come in, so you don’t get bothered as much as you used to. The old school cops were there before the bikes, and they didn’t think that bikes belonged in the city.
DR: How long have you been a messenger?
MM: 10 years.
DR: Wow. If someone has aspirations of being a messenger, what would you tell them?
MM: I’d say that if you like riding your bike and working hard, you could become a messenger. But don’t expect to make much money if you don’t like to ride hard and work hard. Most messengers will make $200-$300 per week. And you have to pay attention, because you can get hit easily. You don’t want to run red lights right in front of cops if you know you can’t get away from them, stuff like that.
DR: Have you done any of the messenger races?
MM: Yeah, I did the one in San Francisco several years ago.
DR: How did you do?
MM: I ended up 5th overall, but the Europeans did really well. I think they train a little harder.
DR: Well, let’s take a look at the bag from Pac Designs. What did you like and dislike?
MM: As a messenger bag, I think it’s probably one of the nicest bags I’ve used. The biggest downfall I think would be the price—it retails for over $200, so for a messenger, that’s a lot to spend. That’s for the largest bag, the one messengers would want. The one I have here is a little small for most messengers. I mean, guys in DC would like it because they mostly deliver envelopes, but here we have a lot of media services, video tapes, artwork, so you would want something a little bigger.
DR: What makes you say it’s the best you’ve used?
MM: Just the accessories. It’s a little overkill with the straps and stuff. It had a big waist strap which I took off because it was way too much for what you need. It fits over the shoulder, and the nice thing is it has a quick release that makes it easy to take off. There’s also the snap buckle, which is nice if you have a large load. The radio holster is a little bit high. (It was on his shoulder.) Most messengers would want it on their chest. There’s lashes that compress the bag, they’re nice to have. Inside, it’s compartmentalized into three sections, which is nice if you have a bunch of long distance calls, you can put them in one compartment until your “in-towns” are cleared up. There’s also a back pad, which is nice because we carry a lot of boxes. There’s also compartments for all the personal junk a messenger carries, like a wallet, patch kit, things like that. It also comes with long straps, which is nice because they can accommodate a large package outside the bag itself. They are about three feet long, so you can carry what we call “sales,” which are big pieces of artwork. There’s also an extra shoulder strap, which is handy if you have a real heavy load, because it works like a backpack. That’s why I like the bag. I actually met the girl who makes them when I was out in San Fran. She’s sort of an eccentric type gal, she makes rubber skirts and all sorts of odd stuff. I noticed the bags then, but thought they were too expensive for what I was making then. Even now, as top dog messenger, they’re still expensive, but I’d recommend it to any messenger that has the money. It’s even nice for someone that just wants a good bag, even if they aren’t a messenger.
DR: Well, you get what you pay for!

Pac Designs is located in British Columbia and makes bags ranging from $95 to the Ultimate at $205, which takes over six hours of labor to produce. Owner Pat McGibbon was a messenger in Toronto back in 1989 before moving west with her family, so she is qualified to make the real thing. Pac will be offering a lower priced line sometime next year.

Contact: Pac Designs, 301 7th Ave., New Denver, BC V0G 1S0, Canada; 250.358.7925; www.pacdesigns.com.—Chris Cosby