Courier boy's crutches: Landmarks and phones

Hunting for an address in the City, braving the hot summer sun could be tiring enough. But the courier delivery boys cannot have such excuses. Unlike postmen, they are often not familiar with an area for long periods. A landmark and a phone number are all they have, as they jump deep into territory Bangalore Unknown!

It’s a tough life. Take for instance, the case of Madhuchandra, a delivery boy from Professional Couriers. He walks from area to area, 6 am to 7.30 pm daily, searching lanes, knocking doors and asking a hundred queries. “During summer, it becomes very difficult. On many occasions, we don’t find the address given by the package sender. We have to call up the contact numbers to get to a landmark.  Initially it used to be tough for me. It is getting better with time,” says Madhuchandra.

For Janardhan HR from Trackon Couriers Private Limited, reaching places such as Whitefield and Electronic City can be a daunting task. Distance is only one of the challenges. “Locating the address is not so much of a problem here, but going all the way can be irksome.”

An employee from DTDC Courier and Cargo Limited, preferring anonymity, cites Magadi Road and Kempapura Agrahara as the most challenging areas. The lanes in these localities, he says, are very narrow. To make it worse, many houses do not have door numbers at all.

Many of those employed in the courier service feel that knowing a local language is important and can be of great help. “It helps in tracing the place as the delivery boys can interact with the public with no hesitation and with ease,” notes Nagaraj M, attached to ST Couriers, Bommasandra.