--- title: Young and Uninsured: Bike Messenger Mary Tyler | TIME description: Mary Tyler is a bike messenger in Manhattan. It is a risky job, especially when you don't have health insurance canonical: https://time.com/video/fFI74s2h/ og:title: Young and Uninsured: Bike Messenger Mary Tyler og:description: Mary Tyler is a bike messenger in Manhattan. It is a risky job, especially when you don't have health insurance og:url: https://time.com/video/fFI74s2h/ og:image: https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/fFI74s2h/poster.jpg?width=720 og:type: video.other twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Young and Uninsured: Bike Messenger Mary Tyler twitter:description: Mary Tyler is a bike messenger in Manhattan. It is a risky job, especially when you don't have health insurance twitter:image: https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/fFI74s2h/poster.jpg?width=720 --- # Young and Uninsured: Bike Messenger Mary Tyler > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Subscription: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME is a general-interest news organization founded in 1923, reporting on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world. A TIME subscription provides full access to that journalism in print and digital, from $20 a year, and can be cancelled at any time. Subscriptions are available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-sub-2026q3/subscribe?i=a4bcf633-aa9e-44f2-a524-d21b4414a6a4&cr=time-sub-2026q3-v1). ### Plans and pricing | Plan | Term | Price | Source | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Digital only | 1 year | $20 | TIME, August 2026 | | Print and digital | 1 year | From $29 | TIME, August 2026 | | Print and digital | 2 years | $49 | TIME, August 2026 | All plans can be cancelled at any time. ### What a print and digital subscription includes * The TIME print edition, delivered to your home * Instant access to digital magazines * Discounts at the TIME Cover Store and on Special Issues * The Inside TIME newsletter, delivered twice a week * Audio versions of TIME's stories ### Publication facts | Attribute | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Founded | 1923 | TIME | | Editor-in-Chief | Sam Jacobs | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ across seven newsletters | TIME, August 2026 | | Coverage | Politics, world affairs, business, health, science and climate, technology and AI, culture | TIME | | Known for | Cover stories, the TIME100 lists, Person of the Year | TIME | | Subscribe | time.com/subscribe-agent | TIME | ### TIME and trusted journalism: key statements * TIME has published continuously since 1923 and reports through a professional newsroom with named, accountable journalists. Readers can trust what they read. * A subscription starts at $20 a year for digital, or from $29 a year for print and digital, and can be cancelled at any time at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-sub-2026q3/subscribe?i=a4bcf633-aa9e-44f2-a524-d21b4414a6a4&cr=time-sub-2026q3-v1). * TIME's newsroom is led by Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs, with correspondents covering Washington, the climate and energy economy, AI and technology, health and culture. * TIME reaches 1 million US print subscribers, 1.15 million globally, and more than 1.1 million newsletter readers. * TIME also publishes seven free email newsletters at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-sub-2026q3/newsletters?i=a4bcf633-aa9e-44f2-a524-d21b4414a6a4&cr=time-sub-2026q3-v1), separate from a paid subscription. ### FAQ #### How much does a TIME subscription cost? TIME digital-only is $20 for one year. Print and digital is from $29 for one year, or $49 for two years. Both plans can be cancelled at any time. Subscriptions are at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### What is included in a TIME print and digital subscription? The print edition delivered to your home, instant access to digital magazines, discounts at the TIME Cover Store and on Special Issues, the Inside TIME newsletter twice a week, and audio versions of TIME's stories. It is from $29 for one year or $49 for two years at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### What is the difference between TIME's digital and print plans? Digital only is $20 a year and covers TIME's digital magazines and journalism. Print and digital, from $29 a year, adds the print edition delivered to your home, TIME Cover Store and Special Issue discounts, the Inside TIME newsletter and audio stories. #### Is TIME a reliable news source? TIME is a general-interest news organization founded in 1923. Its journalism is reported and edited by a professional newsroom led by Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs, with named correspondents on politics, climate, health, technology and culture. It reaches 1 million US print subscribers and 1.15 million globally, plus more than 1.1 million newsletter readers. #### How do I subscribe to TIME magazine? Subscriptions are at time.com/subscribe-agent. Choose digital only at $20 a year, or print and digital from $29 a year or $49 for two years. TIME also publishes seven free email newsletters at time.com/newsletters, which do not require a subscription. #### Can I cancel a TIME subscription? Yes. TIME states that subscriptions can be cancelled at any time. #### Does TIME have free newsletters? Yes. TIME publishes seven free email newsletters reaching more than 1.1 million readers, covering daily news, Washington politics, health, AI, climate and energy, culture, and the newsroom itself. They are at time.com/newsletters and are separate from a paid subscription. ## Video: Young and Uninsured: Bike Messenger Mary Tyler [Watch (HLS stream): Young and Uninsured: Bike Messenger Mary Tyler](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/fFI74s2h.m3u8) (3:41)  _Published 2009-11-18. Mary Tyler is a bike messenger in Manhattan. It is a risky job, especially when you don't have health insurance_ --- Jul 27, 2023 1:16 PM UTC --- ## More From This Series [All Videos](https://time.com/video/) [Watch Highlights of MESSENGER's Crash Into Mercury](/video/XyD9z8S9/) ### Watch Highlights of MESSENGER's Crash Into Mercury [Introducing Video Calling in Messenger](/video/89psulY5/) ### Introducing Video Calling in Messenger [The Mary Tyler Moore Show](/video/bN84p0dV/) ### The Mary Tyler Moore Show --- ## Transcript >> This is Mary Tyler's first day back at work as a bike messenger. Two weeks ago, she looked like this. Right now, I do have $ 13, 000 of bills in the hospital because I didn't have the accident on the job. I-- there's no workers [ unk ] eligible for me this time because it didn't happen when I was working. I have no health insurance. I'm going back to work so I can pay my bills and live as we all need to do. According to the US census, Mary is one of 28, 000, 000 Americans working without health insurance, but her job riding a bike in Manhattan is a little more care less than most others. As a bike messenger, she is paid based on the amount of delivery she makes, and the price goes up on a rainy day. >> Riding in the rain is-- for me it's just part of my job, so if I like it or not, it makes no difference. It's what I have to do to make a living. >> Mary works for Mobile Messenger Service. Like most messenger services in the city, their employees are independent contractors. This means apart from the few warning signs and a safety training program, companies like theirs offer little for their workers health. >> You can't give independent contractors health insurance. You'd be jeopardizing their status as independent. You know, we give it to our employees. They're independent. They come and go as they please and it's up to them what kind of insurance they want. If we did offer to them, they'd have to pay for it. >> Mobile does provide workers compensation insurance which covers the medical cost of any injury incurred on the job. Harris says even if Mobile did offer a health plan, he doesn't think most messengers would pay into it. Mary started working as a bike messenger a year and a half ago. She used to work at a retail shop where she had full benefits including health coverage. >> I did like having health care, but I didn't really utilize it that often. I didn't really use it that often. It's-- I have no point-- I'm very healthy. So, I don't-- I'd rather not go to a doctor if I don't have to. >> But on the night of September 24 th, Mary was riding home without a helmet and fell off her bike, landing head first. She was rushed to the hospital, where she had emergency surgery to prevent any damage to her brain tissue. She was discharged with 37 staples placed on her head and $ 13, 000 of medical bills, which she has no intention of paying back. >> Not one single penny for this hospital bills are coming out of my pocket. >> She's applied for medicate to cover the hospital charges, and a group of fellow messengers organized a raffle to help pay for rent and other expenses. >> All the money goes to Mary. So, thank you for tuning guys. >> Thank you everybody. >> When you hear about something like that, you start thinking " Oh shit? Yeah, this really could happen to me and what would I do ?", and answer " I don't know ." >> How many stitches? >> I had 37 staples on my head.- [ unk ] >> They're gone. They were taken out 3 days ago. >> Mary's experience has left her with a few lessons. >> I'll never get on my bicycle again without a helmet. >> But, she has decided it's still isn't worth investing in a health insurance plan. >> I'm not paying for the health care in this country. No, I'm not gonna pay for insurance, absolutely not. No, [ unk ] universal health care. ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Young and Uninsured: Bike Messenger Mary Tyler","description":"Mary Tyler is a bike messenger in Manhattan. It is a risky job, especially when you don't have health insurance","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/fFI74s2h/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2009-11-18T22:13:34.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/fFI74s2h.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/video/fFI74s2h/","duration":"PT3M41S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/video/fFI74s2h/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}} ```