A note from the editor:
We are publishing this week's Culture Journal as part of a fundraising partnership with ClusterTruck that will support Mirror Indy's journalism.
Culture Journal is a series where Indy residents share a week in their cultural lives. If you'd like to submit a journal, please email Jennifer Delgadillo at jennifer.delgadillo@mirrorindy.org.
Day One
6:45 a.m. Wake up and get ready. Before 8 a.m. I need to drop off the kids at school and then get ready for work, which is how I get my workout done for the day — I’m a bike courier for ClusterTruck.
1:30 p.m. I got pinged to get to work at 10:30 and then worked through a great lunch shift — it rained so we were busier than normal. I enjoy exploring the city and seeing things most people don’t get to see. The city changes constantly and I get to notice those changes. So far today, I drove my bike 20.1 miles for 19 deliveries.
3 p.m. Pick my daughter up from school.
Day Two
When you order May 6-12 and use the code MIRROR-24, Cluster Truck will donate 20% of all proceeds to our newsroom so we can continue sharing the real, full and multi-faceted story of our city.
1:30 p.m. I drive a fixed-gear bicycle, which means the pedals always spin together with the rear wheel. These bikes are popular in urban areas, and are used in places like the Major Taylor Velodrome. People at work drive a variety of bikes, but this is the type I like.
I have a pretty steady routine. The day is very similar to the one before. I got up early, dropped off my daughter, got to work — a pretty basic day. 15.3 miles on 15 deliveries.
2 p.m. One nice perk is using the employee discount for lunch. My favorite thing on the menu is the ClusterTruck Club Sandwich — not to be confused with the Chicken Club!
[Club Sandwich vs Chicken Club — order them both and decide for yourself.]
Day Three
7:30 a.m. My fiance Chelsea and I have the day to ourselves with no kids. We plan how to make the most of the day while having breakfast.
1:30 p.m. We decided to go for a hike in Brown County State Park and hit the boutique shops in Nashville, Ind. People ask me if my legs get tired from biking, but they don’t. I like to be active. The house I live in also has lots of stairs and I’m never mad about that.
Day Four
7 p.m. I’ve spent most of the day relaxing and preparing all my bike stuff for the week coming up.
Day Five
6:45 a.m. Still in bed. I check the weather and feel glad we’re not expecting rain today.
8:05 a.m. At work. I notice a big rain cloud over downtown and check the weather again — it now says that it’s going to rain, so I run back to my house to get my rain gear (jacket and fender).
8:33 a.m. Back downtown and back to work. The city is pretty good with bike lanes and it’s easy to mostly stick to that during deliveries. We have over 60 miles of bike lanes. Another nice thing about doing deliveries on a bike is that I can always cut through parks, find shortcuts, and have a little change of scenery.
3 p.m. I had some pretty good runs, including one with a $70 tip (the second best tip this year). Also logged 15.3 miles on 14 deliveries. ClusterTruck gives us a base pay, so we don’t ever go home empty-handed, but there are definitely $4.50 days.
Some tipping advice: cash is always best. The ClusterTruck app lets you add a tip, but most drivers I know always appreciate cash.
Day Six
8 a.m. I get pinged in earlier than normal. ClusterTruck is closing early this evening for routine maintenance, so I’ll be working a full double shift with a brief break to pick up the kids from school.
7 p.m. All total, today I logged 19.6 miles on 19 deliveries. My biggest tip of the day was $38 during the dinner shift.
Some of the highlights of working as a courier are that I get to do exercise, which I really like, and I get to spend most of the day outside.
Dine to Donate (May 6-12): Support Mirror Indy’s journalism
Two things you love: Local journalism + delicious food. When you order May 6-12 and use the code “MIRROR-24,” Cluster Truck will donate 20% of all proceeds to our newsroom so we can continue sharing the real, full and multi-faceted story of our city. Place your order here or through the app.
To follow Kacee’s courier adventures, check out his YouTube channel, @CircleCityCourier.
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
