June 16, 1998

There is going to be an epitaph on my tombstone that I should have put on a t-shirt right now.

"Later bud, I'm workin'!"

Most of the time I would describe myself as pretty easy going - ok, well, almost easy going...and nice - well, almost nice. Except when it comes to my work. Then I turn into this "person" who sees what has to be done and then does it.

Do NOT get in my way. Do NOT pass go. Do NOT collect $200 - and oh yeh, stay out of my way!

When arriving on accident scenes or fires I always look for the officer in charge. Say howdy, see how the victims are, see where I can and can't be and then get to work. Those guys are responsible for the scene and I respect that.

Recently we had a tour bus catch on fire out on the freeway. Oh no - the same day that the cool school play photo was going due to run. (Which shot would be lead art ?! - ARRGGHH)

Off we went, the cops reporter and I (Sammie is her name) zipping down the freeway with the hopes that the bus would still be burning and that good art would maybe happen? Of course the highway was back-upped up the whazoo and the only way to get through is on the shoulder (which CHP has given me permission to do). Not my fave thing to do - people get so "testy" when you do that and sure enough some idiot saw me coming and tried to block my way. But to no avail. Sammie says she is glad that I always insist on driving because she isn't aggressive enough to drive on the shoulder movin' folks out of the way in her Volvo. So she leaves the driving to me. Gee, thanks I think.

Anyway, right before we arrrive on scene a CalTrans guy saw us coming on the shoulder and moved his truck right in my way - the putz. I zoomed around him and pulled up behind the fire chief's car. Oops, gotta move my car - chief wants out - moved behind CHP as there is no where else to go. They aren't happy but didn't too much. I saw the bus was just smoking like crazy with a few flames and that a firefighter was still spraying it with water. Nicely backlit - would do for art, plus the fire started a big vegetation fire along side the road.

But oh no, what did I see coming up behind me but one REALLY irate CalTrans dude. Well, he started yelling at me. I looked innocent and started walking away. He kept yelling and then got nasty - and pointed a finger at my chest.

Oopsies - big mistake guy. I just hate that when people poke their fingers at my chest or my face and demand my name. Just not polite, doncha know? He kept yellin' and so I just smiled and yelled back at him "Later bud, Ah'm workin'!" and stalked off. That little altercation took just enough time for the fire to be totally out and the fireman to stop watering down the bus. Poop. Took shots of the passengers from the tour and the smoking bus and headed out on a firetruck to see what else I could get - few shots to add to our fire season package and then went back to my car.

I figured a little appology to the CalTrans dude would be a good idea - Sammie agreed with me. So I humbled myself a bit, said I was sorry for yelling as I got excited and then got in my car - the one where I left my lights on when we arrived at the scene.

The same car where if you leave the lights on for 45 minutes, the battery will be dead. Poop again! So, here we sat with a dead battery and the only one around to ask for help was, you guessed, the CalTrans dude. (sigh) Talk about eating crow AND humble pie, plus I had to sit and listen to him lecture me for 5 minutes on driving safely.

Oh well...he still helped me jumpstart my car and we parted on good terms. But the "later Bud" story will live forever in the newsroom...Sammie does me better than I do me. :-)

P.S. The school play ran lead art with the smoking bus as secondary. Nice choice on my editor's part - he recognized the better image.