Per Diem

I covered a Super Bowl where they had four of us in a room. It was a suite, but it had two double beds, a couch and a rollaway. I was the youngest, so I was on the couch for a full week...

It actually wasn't that bad... I'm not saying I would want to do it again, but we were working so hard and this was over a decade ago, so the room was being used for nothing other than sleeping. We would work til about 11 p.m., go have dinner/drinks and then crash...

 

So long as you don't share beds ...

 

I had to do that a few times while working for my college rag. We always tried to get a roll away bed, but they weren't always available. We'd suck it up, but wouldn't be happy about it. We figured it was better to get the experience of reporting on the road and seeing a different campus then not go because you wouldn't share a bed for a night. Out of college, I think all of us could agree that is unacceptable to send someone on the road and make them share a bed.

 

Thanks for the input.

I value my time and comfort, especially when traveling.

On $30 a day, I eat worse on the road than I do at home. I don't expect to eat better, but it's obviously cheaper to prepare your own food. I could have four shrimp pasta dishes at home for the $13 I'd pay a TGI Fridays.

My wife doesn't snore, but three of the coworkers I travel with for various trips do. That sucks when having to share a room. That the room is a $55 Side-of-the-Highway Inn that allows the freeway traffic noise to come through wall, just makes it worse.

After experiences on a couple of trips early this calendar year, I ate the room rate on the first two trips this football season. The last trip I stayed with friends. The sole reason was to get a good night of uninterrupted sleep.

We shouldn't have to pay or constantly rely on staying with friends to cover events. We should be able to eat at least as well as we do at home, too.

Is that too much to ask in return for quality work?

 

I believe it's a Latin phrase for "augmenting your miserable paycheck."

 

OneMoreRead's publisher: Yes.