Good journalist wreck

I don't always enjoy Baruth, but I think he nailed this one.

Yep. I always ask for a list of who's attending the event so I can line-up a driving partner. I only drive with grownups, not berkeleywits who think public roads are the Nurburgring.

His line about the corners at Road Atlanta is a good one.

Unless the preview is at a track, I drive at press events like I drive to work, which is to say I drive like a sane, rational human being who is on a public road with civilians.

Doing something dumb on the road and trashing a car is bad enough. Doing something dumb on the road, and trashing the car of someone who entrusted you with their expensive new product, while simultaneously being a supposed expert is way worse.

And yes, I understand there are unavoidable incidents. I've been at press events, and wrangled comparison tests where one or more cars were involved in incidents simply by being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

But street-based asshattery by journalists—especially at long leads—is kind of dumb, and only serves to make us all look like jagoffs.

Jack and I don't always see eye-to-eye on everything, but I'm behind him on this one (even though I would have phrased it in a far more diplomatic manner. Hi Jack )

jg

Amen. I'm always getting the buzz-by from asshats trying to prove the size of their schlong. And they have, they have.

As for "someone who entrusted you with their expensive new product,"... I couldn't agree more. Return it the way it was given to you, say "thank you" and if it's a tester - clean it and put berkeleying gas in it. That's how you show professionalism.

that may be true Lesley, but how many professionals to asshats have you met?

And yes.. I love it when people try to prove how long their schlong is when I am out in the Ti... I am always so impressed with a 300hp STi can blow my 140hp rusty bmw off at the light when I am not trying

There are always a couple in every group (I'm referring to press drives). They ride your ass until they can buzz by at 130.

Childish I know, but I find it deeply satisfying to pass them later on, pulled over by the po-po.

After boggling at the fact that he found a patch of "soft dirt" in the millions of hectares of sun-baked Georgia red clay, the next thing that struck me was how cool it was that when it was mentioned in this forum, there were two replies from people who actually do press drives. That's cool.

I'm hearing from my Corner Worker friend who works at AMP that Cadillac is unhappy about this. She reports the GM marketing director summed it up as "ran out of talent".

Ninja edit: General Motors marketing dir., not the AMP guy.

I was at a Ford event the day before this incident. There were only two prototype 3 cylinder Ford Focuses for us to drive, one of which a female blogger managed to munch the gearbox by insisting she could drive stick when she clearly couldn't.

If the manufacturers are unhappy, then it's time to be more selective about who gets invited.

Lesley wrote: I was at a Ford event the day before this incident. There were only two prototype 3 cylinder Ford Focuses for us to drive, one of which a female blogger managed to munch the gearbox by insisting she could drive stick when she clearly couldn't. If the manufacturers are unhappy, then it's time to be more selective about who gets invited.

Heh, I was just going to ask you about that line In Baruth's piece about "..deliberately stacks their event with yes-men and useful idiots.."

Looks like a good road for bicyclists. You never know what you'll encounter, particularly when you are driving way too fast.

No offense intended, but there does seem to be a disproportionately large amount of those on the U.S. waves. Always wondered at Jack's, and other's harping about the "journosaurs", but holy hell, you guys have a lot of 'em.

J.G. implies Jack is a lurker here, or maybe he just googles his name a lot. In either case, he should post here. That would be pretty cool.

Otto Maddox wrote: J.G. implies Jack is a lurker here, or maybe he just googles his name a lot. In either case, he should post here. That would be pretty cool.

He's a fan. We live in the same world. He's around on occasion.

jg

Lesley wrote: No offense intended,

HA! I knew you were a real Canadian!

Lesley wrote: but there does seem to be a disproportionately large amount of those on the U.S. waves. Always wondered at Jack's, and other's harping about the "journosaurs", but holy hell, you guys have a lot of 'em.

I wonder if it has to do with the larger issue of the increasing degradation of media in the US in general. Full Disclosure: my career was in television, and Paddy Chayefsky was my Prophet.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074958/

Because of professional courtesy, I will not reveal some of the anecdotes I've gathered from press events over the years. I'm sure Leslie knows, though, that there can be folks at those events that don't seem to appreciate the specialness of their opportunities.

No, instead I will provide an admittedly incomplete list of people I've met over the years who I absolutely respect as professionals. While I may not agree with every word these folks ever write, I will give them the courtesy of reading them, because I know they came from the keyboard of someone who respected and appreciated their job.

Larry Webster, Satch Carlson, Calvin Kim, Josh Jacquot, Shaun Klinglehoefer, Micah Muzio, Jason Cammisa, Andrew Bornhop, Steven Cole Smith, Don Sherman, Tony Swan, Dan Edmunds, Dave Coleman and many more which I will probably add to this list later.

jg

Maybe later you will have a few beers and start out a post with "and you know who is a real dick?..."

In reply to JG Pasterjak:

Where is Don Sherman these days? I tried to google it, but all I get is a bunch of hits about his Corvette book.

I loved Car and Driver during the 70s-80s. The D.E.D. Jr. era (IMO) was the closest thing enthusiasts had to what GRM/CM is doing now. Didn't Mr. Sherman take over as Editor at C&D when Davis left?

Otto Maddox wrote: Maybe later you will have a few beers and start out a post with "and you know who is a real dick?..."

Actually, the real dick stories I don't really have names for, which is fine with me. Don't need that baggage.

Actually, there's one story I'll tell,but I have to look around for a photo first.

jg

friedgreencorrado wrote: In reply to JG Pasterjak: Where is Don Sherman these days? I tried to google it, but all I get is a bunch of hits about his Corvette book. I loved Car and Driver during the 70s-80s. The D.E.D. Jr. era (IMO) was the closest thing enthusiasts had to what GRM/CM is doing now. Didn't Mr. Sherman take over as Editor at C&D when Davis left?

Last time I saw him he was with Automobile. I remember we were on a flight together sitting across the aisle from each other. I recognized him, but I wasn't sure if he knew me or not. A couple hours into the flight, he taps me on the shoulder and hands me this very GRM-y awesome Aussie magazine and says "This is where you'd be working if you were Australian."

jg

I used to do press day drives, too. Yes, I saw some staggeringly bad driving.

At the Evo 8 MR launch, the guy I got paired with actually declined to drive the car. He was rather elderly, and I think he was at least a little afraid of it. I wish I had been able to find and read his review of the car.

JG Pasterjak wrote: Last time I saw him he was with Automobile. I remember we were on a flight together sitting across the aisle from each other. I recognized him, but I wasn't sure if he knew me or not. A couple hours into the flight, he taps me on the shoulder and hands me this very GRM-y awesome Aussie magazine and says "This is where you'd be working if you were Australian." jg

Automobile would make sense. Sometimes I wish Davis had just taken everybody with him when he started it.

Cool story about Sherman, BTW. How long ago was that?

As of 2 or 3 issues ago, Don Sherman is back at Car and Driver.

friedgreencorrado wrote:

JG Pasterjak wrote: Last time I saw him he was with Automobile. I remember we were on a flight together sitting across the aisle from each other. I recognized him, but I wasn't sure if he knew me or not. A couple hours into the flight, he taps me on the shoulder and hands me this very GRM-y awesome Aussie magazine and says "This is where you'd be working if you were Australian." jg

Automobile would make sense. Sometimes I wish Davis had just taken everybody with him when he started it. Cool story about Sherman, BTW. How long ago was that?

That was BMW Z4 M coupe I believe. I'm terrible with dates, but that should give you an era.

jg