Urban Flow: Bike Messengers and the City
@font-face {  font-family: "Times New Roman";}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }table.MsoNormalTable { font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }"Urban Flow's principle contribution is a call to sociologists of culture to more thoroughly examine emotions, space, and the relationship between the two; emotions are emplaced, and physical structures significantly shape interaction. Through what Kidder calls the 'affective appropriation of space' messengers resist the conformist, rationalized world of the city, affording moments, however small, of creativity and liberation."—Ross Haenfler,Qualitative Sociology(2012)"Urban Flowcaptures the unseen world of urban bike messengers. Jeffrey L. Kidder's first-person account explains the allure of delivering packages, the importance of alleycat races, and the use of fixed- gear bikes. This exciting look at an understudied aspect of urban life explains the symbols and the skill sets of a highly developed, often misunderstood subculture. UltimatelyUrban Flowis about the ability of bike messengers to play with, and flow through, city streets; all while doing a job most city dwellers love to hate."—Gregory Snyder, Baruch College, City University of New York, author ofGraffiti Lives"Urban Flowoffers very rich original insights into the nature of city bike messenger work and culture. The opening vignettes and Jeffrey L. Kidder's account of 'being there' as an insider convey from the outset the level of his involvement in and understanding of the world of the bike messengers. He captures the messengers' subcultural norms and values and lifestyle in great detail within the context of their world of work and the urban environment to show how they make sense of themselves both as individuals and as a community."—Frank Worthington, University of Liverpool Management School, editor of theJournal of Organizational Ethnography