How has this job
changed your driving habits?
(Letters from the
archives of PhotogsLounge.net)
Bill Reagan WBNS-TV
Columbus, OH
"I never thought
my job affected my driving until my 2 year old son told me not to stop
so fast...it's dangerous. Enough said. :) It would be great to ask reporters
what our driving is like."
Lynn Hensel Jackson,
MS
"I'm relatively
new to the commercial news business so I've basically modeled my habits
off of coworkers and others I know in the business. On average I tend
to speed a bit, nut nothing outrageous. But when the story breaks, it's
time to roll. That to me is part off the fun, part of the allure, part
of the job. But I've also become much more alert, seeing other peoples
mistakes day in and day out tends to reinforce your skills. The thing
I've learned the most sense I started is the simple act of putting on
your seat belt."
Roger Hamer WOWT-TV
Omaha,Nebraska
"Speeding and disobeying
other traffic laws does NOT a good photojournalist make. It doesn't
even insure that you will be covering the story quickly once (or if)
you arrive. I read somewhere that on average, a driver MAY save about
30-45 seconds by speeding from one point to another. A good (and well-prepared
photographer) can easily make that time up when first arriving on the
scene. Is there a tape in the recorder? Did you roll off 30 seconds
of tape? Got a fresh battery in the machine? How many cables do you
need to connect or switches do you need to throw to begin rolling tape?
Working the overnight shift? Is the camera light attached? How about
pre-color balancing the camera?
Preparation BEFORE
arriving on location is a much better (and safer) time saver than driving
recklessly or breaking the law to get to the story. I demonstrated to
one of our younger photographers recently how it is possible for me
to be up and rolling within 30 seconds of getting out of my news car...on
sticks yet. How prepared are YOU... BEFORE getting the call? Speeding
to a spot news scene and breaking other traffic laws does nothing positive
for you or your station. You or others may be seriously hurt in an accident
caused by "adrenaline-induced" driving habits. How will your boss react
to this possibility? Think you'll be named "Employee of the Month"?
Guess again. You'll probably be out of work.
How about the public
image of a marked news car speeding through residential streets where
kids play? That aught to attract viewers and endear us to the public.
It's been said here and other places...NO STORY IS WORTH DYING OVER.
Spot news is given high priority in many shops because it is usually
quick and easy to cover and demands little man-power...a few shots of
the scene and the basic info from the cops and what do you have? Instant
story...and future file tape.
Managers and consultants
sell concepts like "win the spot news war with the competition" like
so much snake oil. Few of these stories have any redeeming social value
or impact to the masses. Most times it misrepresents events that actually
occur in a community. It also creates and perpetuates stereotypes. So
we are left to weigh what we gain with what we stand to lose. I, for
one, need my job, don't need to be chastised for driving like a madman
and would like to go home and see my family after work.
I repeat...NO
STORY IS WORTH LOSING WHAT I ALREADY HAVE. Please answer all the above
questions on prepardness BEFORE you get behind the wheel of that news
car and speed off to a scene. I guarantee if you are prepared you will
save more time than you ever did speeding."
Bruce Johnson Wisconsin
Public TV
"Absolutely YES.
I refuse to let the producer I work with drive. He's inattentive, prone
to falling asleep, and a two-footed driver...add it up with 20,000+ miles
a year and the chances of an early exit are far too great.Sure wish I
could get "frequent drivers miles."
Merry Murray WZZM-TV
Grand Rapids, MI
"I
think I drive differently when I'm working then I do when I'm in my
own car on my own time. When you're racing to spot news and the adrenaline
is going, sometimes you think that you're invinceable. But on the other
hand, I think I'm a more careful driver. I've seen enough bad accidents
caused by stupid things, like people picking something up they dropped
on the floor, trying to beat that yellow light turning red, or by trying
to pass just one more car. Especially here in Michigan. Even though
we get a lot of snow and ice in the winter, people don't know how to
drive on it. Even when it rains the Michigan drivers are still driving
to fast. My job is my job, but it's not worth losing my life over.
All the photogs
here had to take a drivers safety class a couple of weeks ago. It's
been a while since drivers ed (longer for some than others, I fall in
the others category) so this was a nice refresher course to have. I
can't say that it has made me a better driver, but I am thinking about
things now that I hadn't thought about in a long time. Now if I could
just quit falling asleep while I'm driving...."
Scott J. Gill Freelance
Dallas, TX
"I learned the hard
way, stations will have you do anything to get the story back and get
it on the air ASAP; however, they offer little assistance when it comes
to paying for the lawman's favorite piece of parchment (a ticket!)!"
Jamie Cairney
BBC Film Department London
"We are
the BBC get out of the f***ing way!" You can hear the Anchorman now:
"And the BBC spokesman said......" The trouble is, I just work in Film
and PSC doco's/drama, not news, so I have no excuse!"
Elise Moir KTVK-TV
Phoenix, AZ
"Before I became
a news photog, I was a crazy driver. It seems that now I have become
better at being a crazy driver. I can get places much faster and safer
then before. Since I became a photog, I have increased my ability to
spot police officers a mile away. I know that we shouldn't exceed any
speed limits to get to our destinations, but let's get real. If we get
there last, then we have some "splain'n" to do. Mostly it's embarrasing
when the other stations see us pull up last. I would say that, for the
most part, I am a safe driver, and to my knowledge, I have had only
one complaint called into the station.
If anything, being
a news photog has teached me how to be a better driver. I react to situations
quicker, and I am more aware of what is going on around me. If you think
about it, most people drive to work in the morning and then home at
night. We drive 40 plus hours a week. WOW, that's a lot of driving,
we must be good at it."
Eric Olson WRCB-TV
Chattanooga, TN
"For fear of lofty
repair bills, I drive my own car like a grandma... so to satisfy my
need for speed I have been known to go beyond the speed limit in my
news car. Other than the blatant self promotion that is my news car
(big red, white, and blue stripes with tons of station logos all over)
it's actually nice to be on the road in it.... you can pass cops going
15 miles over the speed limit and you never get pulled over, and for
some reason people invite me to cut in front of the on the crowded freeways.
But as nice as it is to be in the news car... I look forward to the
weekend when I can drive without the sound of scanners, two-way radios,
and cell phones."
Stan Heist WTVR-TV
Richmond, VA
"For the most part,
the more experience I get, the more I realize that no story is worth
risking my license, my job, or my life. Sure, when the call comes in
on a real hot story, your adreniline is going to push you more than
normal. That's to be expected. When I first started I was eager, like
everyone else was, to prove myself. Now, after a few years I've realized
how foolish that can be. Driving 80 MPH on the interstate isn't going
to make up for the fact that the desk sent me late (if it's my fault,
that's a different story). The bottom line, is that if I do something
stupid, I can break out all the business cards and press IDs I want,
it still isn't going to save my butt." ies the same way...then one person
could do it all for every station."
Martin Stretton
STW 9 Perth Western Australia
"Its not the job
that's changed my driving habits ( sterling moss in a hurry ) its the
Western Australian police department . Here in Perth we have a large
number of photo speed cameras that are put to good use . In a city of
1.5 million people I see one every second day . If the Journo wants
to be there in a hurry I pull over and let them drive ...... no license
no job."
Paul Davis WGNX-TV
Atlanta, GA
"I just got
this gig in Atlanta and I've never had to deal with this type of traffic.
I was pretty patient at first. But, being that I'm usually crunched
to get to three different stories under impossible time constraints,
I find myself losing it sometimes. I believe, though, that it's all
in trying your best to be patient. Just do your best and try not to
endanger others when you have to be in an area 20 minutes away in 5
minutes. Every day is a challenge in Atlanta, especially with trying
to figure out the short cuts. That's really the key. I mean, can you
REALLY trust the assignment desk for directions? If you do, you're going
to get burned and end up going the longest route. In this city, it does
you good to drive around on your days' off and learn shortcuts."
Scott Onnen KPTM-TV
Omaha, NE
"Most definitely!
So many times I have heard the scanner "smoke on approach" or what have
you. With my heart pounding I race towards the scene in a marked news
vehicle. I can just see my news director hugging me and telling me what
a great job I did getting there first. Okay dreams over, I heard a wise
photog once say cover the news don't become it. So I take a deep breath
and pry my sweat drenched foot off the accelerator. I have to say that
my job has affected my driving habits I'm more aggressive through that
clogged Omaha traffic, you hear rumored of. My wife comments "hey scott
slow down we are just going to church." Time I agree is precious but so
are the people we cover as we fly through their neighborhoods to get some
flames. If it's really news it will be there when you get there safely."
Todd Dunn WKRN-TV
Nashville,TN
"My driving habits
have changed. I have noticed that I tend to drive on the faster side of
the speed limit no matter where I am going. I guess that my speed comes
from the adrenaline rush you get when heading to spot news or from constantly
being in a hurry to get to the story you are running late for. I am a
more aggressive driver when it comes to getting to that big spot news
story. I also feel that I am a good and safe driver because getting to
the story is not worth getting into an accident or causing one. But I
have to admit to bending the traffic rules on more than one occassion.
I also enjoy just riding in the car on my days off with my wife driving
me around. Sometimes it is a refreshing change of pace."
Al Lozano KREM-TV
Spokane, Washington
"My driving
habits, like a lot of photographers I'm sure, would not win any accolades
from AAA. Having been a photographer for 18 years now, I've logged a
lot of miles behind the wheel. My driving habits have changed for the
better in recent years.. as opposed to when I first began shooting.
We are forced to drive fast whenever breaking news happens. You will
never find a news director who will tell you it's okay to speed... or
break the law in any way to get to the scene.. but the sooner you get
there the quicker you can set up a live shot and beat the competition.
And the happier your managers will be. I learned a few years ago that
no story.. I don't care how big, is worth getting yourself into an accident.
We have all covered
some horrible car accidents in our careers... enough of them to know
that no story is worth dying for. The best advice I can offer photographers
is instead of speeding (we all have to pay for our own speeding tickets),
why not get to know your city streets better? What I mean is, get to
know the layout of your city better.. know the shortcuts, learn what
streets to avoid when traffic is heavy.... and just use common sense
instead of dangerous driving habits. More importantly, give yourself
extra driving time to get to where you are going. Don't always blame
the assignment desk if you're late... pace yourself."
Name Withheld
"How I feel about
my driving is quite different from the way my news director feels. She
has gone behind my back to ask other people in the newsroom how I drive.
This has happened even though I have had no moving violations during the
past 5 years. I have been in two accidents, weather related, none of which
were my fault. I have two recent parking tickets...expired meters... which
I was called on the carpet for. She did end up paying those but not without
repremanding me first and warning me that future tickets would not be
tolerated. That is all I have to say about my driving."
David Joachim WWL-TV
New Orleans, Louisiana
"My wife thinks
I am the world's most dangerous driver. She winces when I run yellow
lights and follow cars too closely in our bedroom community. "You're
not in New Orleans," she reminds me when I practice commando driving
habits while driving to the supermarket. I do practice a certain amount
of "controlled recklessness" while driving off duty, but I still consider
myself a somewhat conservative driver compared to some of my photo-bretheren.
I have vastly improved my already above average parallel parking skills
(or appear to have, compared to the abominable skills of most New Orleanians).
Our congested
parking lot forces us to learn to back live trucks in and out of tight
spaces without having to keep an auto detailer on retainer. I do collect
my share (but not more than my share) of parking tickets (who doesn't
in this line of work?). I get a bit spoiled by the ability to pull a
marked news vehicle up to a scene without much regard to whether the
parking spot is legal. And I LOVE to block RTA bus stops (it's an old
story and a long one--let's not get into it). I used to curse New Orleanians
who change lanes and cut in line without signalling. I am now a grand
master of the discoutreous lane shift. The Stepford Drivers have a new
robot."
Kurt Weinschenker
WTRF-TV Wheeling, WVA
"Is anyone really
going to answer this one truthfully? At the risk of my career, here
goes. Yes, it has. For the worst. I've chilled out after accumulating
six points on my license due to speeding (right now, I've got zero).
Now I drive pretty much the same speed as everyone else. OTOH, I guess
it might have been those two years I spent in Germany (courtesy of the
US Army) driving on the Autobahn! Seriously, no story is worth getting
killed in a car accident.
By the same token
though, any news photog worth the title wants to get that killer spot
news story on the air before anyone else. Do that, and NDs will make
life easier for you at the same time they'll tell you with a straight
face not to speed on the highways or cause other assorted traffic mayhem.
And ask yourself this: If I have the only video of Air Force One going
down after a hit from a stinger missile, will I go at Autobahn velocities
to get the tape to air? Yah, right. Thought so. I rest my case."
Darren Zimmerman KTVA-TV
Anchorage, AK
"When I got my first
TV news job as a photographer some four years ago, I was bitten hard by
the news bug. As a result, I hauled ass all over town in my attempts to
"get the story." Four speeding tickets and four years later--not to mention
the hundreds of dollars in fines I've shelled out plus the sky-high insurance
premiums--I'm much wiser. Now I peg the speedometer on the speed limit
without fail, and if management gives me grief about missing the story
because I didn't drive fast enough, I've got my reply ready: "Hey, there's
no story worth breaking the law for." On a similiar note, don't you hate
reporters who dick around in the newsroom "setting up" a story and then
tell you to drive faster to make up for lost time?"
Mark Jeannette Bayvideo
"My job has made
me a better driver as a whole.The state says I get a 25% discount of car
insurance. Most Stations won't hire crappy drivers. But I found my biggest
problem comes after the story while rushing to meet deadlines of as many
as 10 clients. You get tired...judgement gets impaired...you fell like
your doing 65 but you are really doing 85mph,working a scanner, 2-way
and cell. Most of my close calls are my own fault. We now have a policy
that says on extended coverage "If you say your to tired to drive...you
don't drive...no question asked". We all cover for each other. We have
all been there. Our controller said it best "You crash the NAV...you drive
the Colt(compact). I don't want to drive the colt."
Brian Belanger
"Being raised in
big city you learn to always be on the look out for other drivers, and
anticipated your next 5 lane changes. But spending the last 8 years in
North Dakota your next 5 lane changes may take you a month. I have always
been a good winter driver but being away from the rat race way have taken
a little off my summer game. But on the other hand I have a lot of time
to see how bad other drivers are (pet peeve: not using your signal light).
I just discovered your web site today and proceed to spent two hours exploring
it. It's nice to see other's have the passion but also feel my pain."
Richard Weiss Freelance
"I drive like a mucking
faniac! This biz has got me driving around the most beatuiful city in
the country at 70 mph and that's on the surface streets... freeways are
faster! Once every 18 months I do traffic school. This last time I did
it on line. Now I only have to leave the house to get in trouble."e a
GREAT BIG bag! 'Nuff said."
Kevin Cochran KOMU-TV
Columbia, MO
"I would say I've
actually become a better driver since becoming a photog. Driving around
in a marked vehicle five days a week tends to do that. Besides, I'm sure
my news director would get tired of people calling him if I was cutting
people off in the news van. "
Jim Friedman NBC
10 Philadelphia, PA
"Habits? No change
for me. I think my driving has improved since I was 16 now that I have
somewhere to go. Here's something interesting. According to some of the
folks who worked here years ago, we used to get police escorts to spot
news events. The Mayor at the time, Frank Rizzo allowed it. Imagine that...a
police escort to a homicide! "
Peter Kavanagh STW
9 Perth Western Australia
"Yes this job has
changed my driving habits. I am more aggressive, less tolerant of other
road users and speeding is now habitual. I am suprised I have not had
an accident yet but my time will come. I never used to be so aggressive
and was very happy to keep to the speed limit. I find it difficult working
with some journalists who complain you are not driving fast enough, despite
already speeding. The fines and demerit system was upgraded last year
so it pays not to speed. The company will not cover you if you are caught
or you lose your licence. One becomes adept at locating speed cameras
in advance!!!"
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