The North American Cycle Courier Championship (NACCC) is a weekend long endeavor that has been held annually for over ten years. This is the 11th installation and Chicago was chosen as the host city following last year’s event in San Francisco.

The weekend consists of several activities to keep the best of the best entertained. Messengers of all shapes and sizes get together to exchange our wisdom, exhibit each of our styles and share our love for this industry and culture.

The feature of the NACCC is and always has been a race. The race is done a closed course within the city. Saturday is a day long qualifier followed by a Sunday final race. Each year, the host city creates a controlled environment that mimics the stresses and excitement of everyday work for bike messengers. Since this event floats from city to city, it usually incorporates a taste of each city’s unique challenges. The top male finisher and top female finisher to handle the course and workload the swiftest is then crowned Male and Female Champion of North America, respectively. We all then hail them as the greatest things to ever do this job.

While the race is the main event, it is definitely not the only thing going on throughout the NACCC weekend. For a glimpse at all of the great things we have planned so far in the Windy City, feel free to check out the schedule at http://www.chicagonaccc.com/

Shark Weeeek
Submitted by gaberdene [/html]

On July 23, 1998 Toronto messenger, Wayne Scott made Canadian tax law history. For the first time a court decision made it possible for bike and foot messengers to deduct their extra food expenses as a business expense equivilant to "fuel."  The court agreed with Wayne's argument that the extra food required by messengers to performe their job was similar to the gas used by car couriers to perform their jobs. 

The original court decision allowed messengers to deduct $11 a day as a fuel expense for food. As of 2008 that number has increased to $17 per day.  The automatic deduction is based on days worked and does not require reciepts unless the courier declares more than the alotted daily limit.

Wayne's battle took 18 years failing the first court decision in Tax Court, but he promptly appealed in the Federal Court of Canada where he finally succeeded.

The current limit amounts to about $4250 a year for every bike and foot messenger in Canada.



www.messmedia.org/foodasfuel.html

We still have meetings every 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of every month (or something real close to it) at 6:00pm. Come on by and discuss work and non-work related issues... (ie: building security at 420 Penn is a dick, Whale Tail is having another bike event, Chet Grundle got injured what can we do to help, that sort of thing...)

Let's see what we can get done around here!

Our next meeting is July 23rd.
Submitted by Airbud

Submitted by Airbud