Here's One For the "Oh Hell No" File

Oh hell no.

Thou shall not be threatened by some scary looking fool driving a pick up truck.

So my day was already not going to well.

I went in at 9:15 to make arrangements for a weekend getaway.

Then I pitched two story ideas
1) Localizing the NYC steam pipe explosion and seeing if it could happen in the nearest major city population 200,000 +
2) Localizing and investigating the appearance of an increase in reports of missing children

The News Director only liked idea 1, but it didn't come through.

So then I got told to call on another story, seeing if there was an update in the case of a sheriff's deputy who had been shot weeks ago. The deputy died and now the suspects face capital murder charges. No one wanted to talk on that front.

Then they gave me another story. I had to investigate reports of a house being flooded by rain due to shoddy work. The landlord was at first reluctant to speak with me but eventually he did do a phone interviewer. Since we couldn't get his contractor we killed the story.

Then they sent me to preview a weekend fair called "Bagel Fest" because it was started 22 years ago when Lender's Bagels came to the area.

The highlight of doing that story interviewing 2 kid brothers. One brother was six, and the other four. Like it brought a smile to my face on an otherwise hectic day.

After packaging that story we went to shoot video for a voiceover.

First off there was a pitbull running around WITHOUT a leash.
Second we had to shoot from the road, which was still public property.
Third on our way out of the area, we were stopped by a truck.
The driver had two passengers. Also, he didn't really completely turn out of the way of our vehicle.

The convo went something like this:

Sketchy Character: What was the purpose of shooting the video?
My Photog: We were just told to shoot [said company] for a story.
Sketchy Character: Can I see the video?
My Photog: No you cannot. And since we shot the video on public property we did nothing wrong.
Sketchy Character: What would happen if I jumped in and took it?
My Photog: What?
Sketchy Character reaches for something.
Me: Nuge, let's get out of here.

We were both in shock.

Me: That did not just happen. We were just threatened with bodily harm. I'm really done with this town now! Is your heart still beating really fast?!

Oh hell no. I will not be threatened when I'm still a stranger in a foreign land.

Like on Monday boss lady had better not trip. I don't want to hear any nonsense or foolishness. I more than worked my ass off today.

That is all.

-C