Modern Day Evel Knievel? This Millennial Bike Messenger Can’t Afford Health Insurance

Picture it: The year is 1967 and legendary stunt man Evel Knievel prepares to jump his motorcycle over the fountain at Caesar’s Palace. Everything is going great. Big crowd, lots of excitement, and news crews were there to get the shot. Kneivel revs his Triumph T100 and then speeds for the ramp. He clears the fountain and is about to land when he loses his balance and begins to roll head over heels alongside his tumbling motorcycle like a scarecrow stuffed with grapefruits. He breaks a shitload of bones and spends the next few days in a coma.

Flash forward to 2022. Tyler Barry is just trying to get by in the great city of New York. Sometimes he delivers important legal documents across town. Sometimes he’s trying to get a burrito to a stoned NYU undergrad. Tyler weaves in and out of double-parked cars, moving trucks in the bike lane, and Ubers stopping suddenly to look for an address. Everything is going great until the dickhead on the E-scooter crosses the street without looking. Bam! Tyler winds up with a cracked rib after being launched over his handlebars.

So who wore it better? Evel Knievel had a team of paramedics and emergency personnel ready to descend at a moment’s notice. Tyler had to walk it off for a few blocks and try to ignore the stabbing sensation in his side for the next few weeks. Knievel had sponsors to cover his medical expenses while he recuperated. Tyler wrapped his abdomen in a thick layer of gauze and tried not to breathe too heavily. You see, Tyler only makes a little over minimum wage and to afford health insurance from the government, he’d have to fork over half his monthly pay. To be able to afford the COBRA payments offered from his last job he’d have to take out a small business loan to cover the premiums.

So who’s the real daredevil you might ask? I think we all know the answer.

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