The Art of SAQ

There is a thread on b-roll.net inspired by FTOJRLST's blog about people who ask, and I am being kind when I phrase it this way, stupid ass questions.

I came into contact with one of these fine people on Saturday morning.

I was covering the end of a high speed pursuit (I never get the actually pursuits... cry!). I was stowing my camera into the back of my vehicle when someone who had been waiting in traffic slows down next to me.

"What channel is this going to be on?"

Now, to demonstrate why this was a Stupid Ass Question (or SAQ), let me show you some illustrations (all should be clicked on for full effect...):

This is the shirt I was wearing. For the record it was 7:35 AM and the sun WAS up, and it was shining very brightly. I was facing the sun, so said person was looking away from the sun and cannot use that as an excuse.

This was the badge that I had around my neck. While it is small, the 8 is clearly visible to anyone who decided to take the time and look, as in order to not be the delivery mechanism of a SAQ. I recommend to all people that you think about looking at the badge of anyone before you ask what they do or who they are with...

This was the car I was driving. Granted, it's not mine, I stole it, but when you go on vacation your take home car becomes a fleet car. But that's not the point. The point is that the vehicle is clearly marked, in 12 inch lettering "8 (CBS LOGO) EYEWITNESS NEWS".

IT'S EVEN ON THE BACK!!!!!!!!!! You know, in case you didn't quite make it to the front quarter panel and didn't see the BIG ASS MOTHER (censored, since it's God's day and all)ING 8 ON THE SIDE!!!!!!!!





Its times like this that I should remind the readers that my views do not represent the views of my employer, and I am sure that they would want to bitch slap me for making public my views! Hopefully though they don't because I don't need to be bitch slapped again this week...

Anywhoooo... I politely told the nice man that it would probably be on channel 8 this evening. He smiled and went on his way. I got in the car and headed off to the three other things they had me scheduled to do in the last hour and a half of my shift.

You know, I bet 99.9% of the population of this planet would never be guilty of a SAQ, yet it seems the only ones who come up to talk to us are the .1%... It's true what they say. A camera is a $50,000 idiot magnet.

At least he didn't ask me which paper I was with...