(no subject)
So, I hate the military.
This morning, Barack Obama spoke at Camp Lejeune (military base here). I got to be the lucky one to go up there early in the morning and set up a camera and equipment for the reporter to use later (cause of security, they have to have all the equipment in there early, then shut down the room and do a three hour security sweep). So, no, I didn't get to actually see him. Anyway, I get up to base and I was told that media would check in at this one gate, not the main gate. However, there's so much traffic that I can't get over in the correct lane to get to that gate so I'm forced through the main gate and it took me forever to be able to turn around and get back to the right one.
Then I get to the gate and have to go through a check-in where the military checked over my vehicle and stuff like that, and they told us (there were like five or six different media vehicles there then) to follow a lead escort car.
Yeah, so, ever tried to follow a car when you're the sixth behind them through a military base that's got really heavy traffic when you don't know where you're going? It's not as fun as it sounds.
We get to a stop sign and the stupid lead escort just pulls out, not caring that not all of us made it behind him. Namely, me and one reporter right in front of me. We sat at the stop sign while a ton of other cars went past us. Finally she made it out, and I made it a little after her, but we didn't know where to go. So we pulled off at this motel on base and got directions. She was in the lead, I followed her, and we stuck close so we wouldn't get seperated. Traffic at this point was bumper-to-bumper so really, everyone was sticking close. We go to turn right and I was still trying to make sure other cars didn't pull out between us, so I'm still all close to her.
And I ended up in a fender-bender bumping the back of her vehicle.
We finally get to the location and looked over our cars, nothing on mine, and a dent on the back bumper of her pickup truck that she said may have been there before for all she knew (we were both in work cars). Then at that point someone from the military comes over and asks if I have equipment to set up and was like "that needed to be in by seven" (it was seven at this point, I had checked in at six, it took me an hour just to get through the base). So I got rushed in, didn't even get to actually set up my equipment, just had to drop it off and leave.
Then I finally got to leave base (after exchanging information with her and all that fun stuff) and go back home. For a trip that was to a town that's an hour away, I spent four hours in the car.
Then I get to work and had to call some sargeant on base to get a police report filed, give them all the insurance and registration and all that, and find out that I'm getting issued a citation and I have a freaking court date next month.
I need to drink.
At least work is being cool about it all, they're being really great to me with it.
But just... ugh!
This morning, Barack Obama spoke at Camp Lejeune (military base here). I got to be the lucky one to go up there early in the morning and set up a camera and equipment for the reporter to use later (cause of security, they have to have all the equipment in there early, then shut down the room and do a three hour security sweep). So, no, I didn't get to actually see him. Anyway, I get up to base and I was told that media would check in at this one gate, not the main gate. However, there's so much traffic that I can't get over in the correct lane to get to that gate so I'm forced through the main gate and it took me forever to be able to turn around and get back to the right one.
Then I get to the gate and have to go through a check-in where the military checked over my vehicle and stuff like that, and they told us (there were like five or six different media vehicles there then) to follow a lead escort car.
Yeah, so, ever tried to follow a car when you're the sixth behind them through a military base that's got really heavy traffic when you don't know where you're going? It's not as fun as it sounds.
We get to a stop sign and the stupid lead escort just pulls out, not caring that not all of us made it behind him. Namely, me and one reporter right in front of me. We sat at the stop sign while a ton of other cars went past us. Finally she made it out, and I made it a little after her, but we didn't know where to go. So we pulled off at this motel on base and got directions. She was in the lead, I followed her, and we stuck close so we wouldn't get seperated. Traffic at this point was bumper-to-bumper so really, everyone was sticking close. We go to turn right and I was still trying to make sure other cars didn't pull out between us, so I'm still all close to her.
And I ended up in a fender-bender bumping the back of her vehicle.
We finally get to the location and looked over our cars, nothing on mine, and a dent on the back bumper of her pickup truck that she said may have been there before for all she knew (we were both in work cars). Then at that point someone from the military comes over and asks if I have equipment to set up and was like "that needed to be in by seven" (it was seven at this point, I had checked in at six, it took me an hour just to get through the base). So I got rushed in, didn't even get to actually set up my equipment, just had to drop it off and leave.
Then I finally got to leave base (after exchanging information with her and all that fun stuff) and go back home. For a trip that was to a town that's an hour away, I spent four hours in the car.
Then I get to work and had to call some sargeant on base to get a police report filed, give them all the insurance and registration and all that, and find out that I'm getting issued a citation and I have a freaking court date next month.
I need to drink.
At least work is being cool about it all, they're being really great to me with it.
But just... ugh!