IFBMA awards the 2004 Markus Cook Award to Buffalo Bill Childey
The International Federation of Bike Messenger Associations (IFBMA) announced today that the mighty Buffalo Bill Chidley of London is the 2004 recipient of the Markus Cook Award for service to the international messenger community.
The IFBMA has awarded the Markus Cook Award (MCA) since 1998 to the person who has inspired and empowered the wider messenger community, and who put all messengers before themselves.
London's Buffalo Bill is probably the international messenger community's first member as he has been reaching out to messengers around the world even before the first Cycle Messenger World Championships (CMWC) in 1993.
"Bill's continued enthusiasm for the community is an inspiration. I'm not sure messengers.org and my participation within the IFBMA would be what it is today without his encouragement and overall spirit," said council member and 2001 MCA recipient Joel Metz.
An incomplete list of his contributions to the messenger community would include organizing the CMWC 1994 and the 2003 European Cycle Messenger Championships (ECMC) in London. He is one of the founders and Chair of the London Bicycle Messengers Association (LBMA) and his "Moving Target" is the world's longest running messenger zine. He's not a bad courier racer either noted by his title of Veteran's Champion at CMWC 1996 in San Francisco.
Bill was the only president of the IFBMA's predecessor, the International Federation of Cycle Messengers and Companies (IFCMC) and a driving force behind the creation and continued success of the IFBMA and it's concept of grassroots organizing including the annual open forum.
After the death of London cycle courier Sebastian Lukomski this past February Bill and the LBMA have mounted a campaign to prevent similar tragedies. To date 7 London bicycle messengers have been killed while working, all by heavy goods vehicles (HGV's)
The LBMA's campaign seeks to ensure that "HGV operators be persuaded that they have a duty of care towards vulnerable road users," and that HGV's be equipped with appropriate safety equipment such as near side mirrors eliminating blind spots. The LBMA calls for a ban from Central Congestion Charge Zone on all HGV's that fail to comply.