How far before hotel?

[big green wahoo]

I'm curious as to what folks here think is a long enough driving trip by a reporter so that it requires an overnight stay? Obviously, there are some places (West Texas?) where you can't really go anywhere without being on the road for hours and hours, so that's probably a different animal.

But in a general sense, does six hours round trip in a single day plus covering a 3- or 4-hour event warrant the paper paying for hotel?

When I was a pup, I'd drive 12 hours round trip, cover a game and stroll back into the office that night without a thought. Now that I'm older, my tolerance for such days/drives is a lot lower.

I suspect there will be answers on either end of the spectrum on this one. Just wondering what your thoughts are. Thanks.

 

[playthrough]

I think it varies. Three hours in the middle of the day isn't the same as driving from 1 a.m. to 4 a.m. after a late game and file. Bosses should be sympathetic to that and cough up hotel $$ instead of putting a tired reporter behind the wheel, but whether they can or will of course is often another story.

 

[Oggiedoggie]

A lot depends on how much money is left in the budget after the reporter pays the price of admission to get into the event.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

More than a few times I've driven five hours to a game, covered the game and driven back. Usually that was by choice. Sometimes I would have to get back for a press conference the next day.

By the same token, I've covered games two hours away from my house and gotten a hotel. It all depends on the situation.

 

[Stitch]

I'm curious as to what folks here think is a long enough driving trip by a reporter so that it requires an overnight stay? Obviously, there are some places (West Texas?) where you can't really go anywhere without being on the road for hours and hours, so that's probably a different animal.

But in a general sense, does six hours round trip in a single day plus covering a 3- or 4-hour event warrant the paper paying for hotel?

When I was a pup, I'd drive 12 hours round trip, cover a game and stroll back into the office that night without a thought. Now that I'm older, my tolerance for such days/drives is a lot lower.

I suspect there will be answers on either end of the spectrum on this one. Just wondering what your thoughts are. Thanks.

If it's an afternoon event, I'd say drive home. But if it's at night, I would say stay in a hotel.

 

[NightHawk112005]

It depends on the situation. If I think I can arrive back by midnight, or maybe 1 a.m., I don't need a hotel. If I don't, I won't bother with one.

For instance, the team I cover plays a game that's a three-hour trip south. But the game starts at 7:35. I'm going to need a hotel that night. I wouldn't if it was playing a team that was seven hours away, but the game started at 1. I'd drive back that day.

 

[sportsguydave]

It depends on the situation. If I think I can arrive back by midnight, or maybe 1 a.m., I don't need a hotel. If I don't, I won't bother with one.

For instance, the team I cover plays a game that's a three-hour trip south. But the game starts at 7:35. I'm going to need a hotel that night. I wouldn't if it was playing a team that was seven hours away, but the game started at 1. I'd drive back that day.

If it were up to me, anything that required a reporter to be on the road after midnight would be cause for getting a hotel - especially on a weekend. Too many drunks on the road at that hour.

 

[kingcreole]

Ha! This thread is amusing.

First football game this season I was going 4 1/2 hours away. I knew I wouldn't be done working until 11 p.m. at the earliest, so I booked a room. I mean, I could have travelled two hours north and stayed with my grandma, but I thought this would be a case where getting a room was kosher.

First response from the highers-up?

"If he needs a hotel room, he doesn't need to go."

Keep in mind, the team I cover was ranked No. 13 to start the season. Some comprimising from my SE resulted in that one being reimbursed. But my longest basketball trip (seven hours round trip, done by 11 p.m.)? No hotel allowed. So basically, I either fall asleep at the wheel and die, pay for a hotel out of my own pocket, or don't go at all.

Which brings me to a question I have. If I pony up the $$$ myself for a hotel room, can I turn that receipt in at tax time?

 

[playthrough]

If you itemize, yes you can turn in that receipt. But only itemize if you've got more $$ in receipts than the standard deduction.

 

[NightHawk112005]

It depends on the situation. If I think I can arrive back by midnight, or maybe 1 a.m., I don't need a hotel. If I don't, I won't bother with one.

For instance, the team I cover plays a game that's a three-hour trip south. But the game starts at 7:35. I'm going to need a hotel that night. I wouldn't if it was playing a team that was seven hours away, but the game started at 1. I'd drive back that day.

If it were up to me, anything that required a reporter to be on the road after midnight would be cause for getting a hotel - especially on a weekend. Too many drunks on the road at that hour.

That's something I didn't consider. I guess I'm just trying to save my paper some money when I can. If I don't have to get a hotel, it's more likely that we have money for another trip.

 

[slappy4428]

A lot depends on how much money is left in the budget after the reporter pays the price of admission to get into the event.

Nice cross thread...
But seriously, depends on the time of the event.
You can cover a noon game by leaving at 7 a.m. and heading back that night. 7 p.m., not so much.
And it will also depend on how you get paid. I remember our ASE getting pissed off at me covering a Michigan-Ohio State game in Columbus.
Noon start Saturday, the other writer and I drive down on Friday. The paper has booked hotels for us on Saturday for some stupid reason and we decide we're getting out of Columbus ASAP. (1996, Michigan won; the natives were pissed).
We leave for the stadium at like 8 a.m., cover, file and leave the stadium at like 6 p.m. (he was slow and thorough.) Get back to Ann Arbor at like 11 after a food stop.
I put in my hours and the ASE stamps his feet and get pissed that I put in for a 15 hour day. He felt we should have stayed in Columbus the extra night so they didn't have to pay OT. Never mind I also had stories to work on on Sunday. "I thought you'd spend the night!" he said. I countered with "It's a noon start. Why the hell would I want to spend that night in Columbus when I could be in my own bed by 11 (OK, it was 3 after I got home from the bar, but still)
So it depends on when the game starts and how far it is.

 

[sportsguydave]

It depends on the situation. If I think I can arrive back by midnight, or maybe 1 a.m., I don't need a hotel. If I don't, I won't bother with one.

For instance, the team I cover plays a game that's a three-hour trip south. But the game starts at 7:35. I'm going to need a hotel that night. I wouldn't if it was playing a team that was seven hours away, but the game started at 1. I'd drive back that day.

If it were up to me, anything that required a reporter to be on the road after midnight would be cause for getting a hotel - especially on a weekend. Too many drunks on the road at that hour.

That's something I didn't consider. I guess I'm just trying to save my paper some money when I can. If I don't have to get a hotel, it's more likely that we have money for another trip.

Hopefully, safety trumps saving money... (yeah, I know... I'm dreaming)

Last winter, I had to drive home from Indy after covering the state wrestling tournament all day ... left home at 5 a.m. to be at Conseco Fieldhouse by 9... by the time I filed my stories/photos and worked through it all with the desk ... it was midnight.

Add another half-hour to pack up, get to the car and navigate my way back to the freeway ... and a 3 1/2 hour drive home .. and it was 4 a.m. before I got home. On a Saturday night. If I'd had the money, I'd have gotten the room myself.

 

[clutchcargo]

Anything that has you driving and more than 50 miles away at midnight gets a hotel room.

If editor or bean counter disagrees, ask them to contact the corporate attorney for a second opinion.

Better yet, have them contact your Workman's Comp carrier for a third opinion, as in who's on the hook if I fall asleep at the wheel in the performance of my job and I kill a family of five in my sleep?

Another tactic: invite said editor or bean counter to accompany you on the trip---as your chauffeur. I assume both would be exempt employees, so number of hours worked by them not an issue---and they have to pay their own way into the game should they decide to go. Otherwise, they can go sit and wait in a nearby Mickey D's or Starbucks until you are done filing and ready to return home

Works every time.

 

[gutenberg]

A lot depends on how much money is left in the budget after the reporter pays the price of admission to get into the event.

Flat-out awesome reply -- one of the best of 2009.

 

[StaggerLee]

Our rule is pretty much if it's in state, you're doing the old back-and-forth. Everything is within four hours of us in all directions, so it's not terrible trips. At the same time, our current SE is pretty cool about getting us approved for rooms if the trip will require us driving late into the night.

But it hasn't always been that nice. I worked for a notoriously cheap company. I don't believe I have to name the company, but it starts with a big G and rhymes with Annette.

My worst ever experience was an 8-hour drive to cover a 2:30 p.m. game and driving halfway back that night. It was quite possibly the worst two days of my life. I covered a prep game the Friday night, then immediately got on the road after deadline to get to my destination in time to freshen up a bit.

I was actually "scheduled" to drive back that night after the game, but after literally falling asleep at the wheel three times, I pulled over about halfway home and rented a $49 a night room. The worst part? I had to be back in time to do desk Sunday night. The even ****tier part? They didn't even reimburse the $49 a night room because it wasn't approved prior to the trip.

 

[Fredrick]

This subject of travel is so depressing because in many instances it shows us what management really thinks of us, which is nothing.
Let's face it. They easily will put our lives in jeopardy to save the money of a hotel. Facts are facts. Bastards.
And I won't say ALL places. I'll say many.
These same beancounters would NEVER EVER drive four hours, cover a game, and drive back at 11 p.m. and get home at 3-4 a.m.
It's a part of "journalism" I won't miss when papers finally, mercifully die.

Note, you rarely hear of sports reporters getting in car crashes that kill them after falling asleep at the wheel after covering events. Why? Because sports reporters are ****ing studs compared to the dumbasses who won't get them a hotel.

I will say I've known sports editors who have been told to put their people in Motel Six's on the road and they've balked to management and simply said no. They don't put them up in palaces, but no Motel Six's either. Other SE's I've known have no power in the matter and just tell these guys to drive back or pay for the hotel on their own. Amazing.

 

[Football_Bat]

Our paper is stupid about travel. They'll balk at staying at a fleabag but won't bat an eye if you turn in a mileage sheet showing you went there and back twice for a two-day event.

 

[playthrough]

You could stay at the fleabag and just fold the charge into mileage. Most beancounters would never know, allowing their blood pressure and yours to stay nicely level.

 

[Joe Williams]

You could stay at the fleabag and just fold the charge into mileage. Most beancounters would never know, allowing their blood pressure and yours to stay nicely level.

Nope. Had a beancounter who would MapQuest every mileage statement he processed. And question you if your estimate was off by more than 2-3 miles roundtrip.

Any place that expects me to pay for my own hotel room doesn't get me on the road for that assignment. Period.

And state borders have nothing to do with nothing. If it's more than an hour's drive after coverage of a night event, I'm either getting a room or not going. If it's more than three hours' drive after coverage of day event, either I'm getting a room that night or I already had one the night before to be on site. Period.

 

[kingcreole]

Any place that expects me to pay for my own hotel room doesn't get me on the road for that assignment. Period.

I wish I shared that attitude. And while the ME or publisher wouldn't give a rat salad if I took a couple phone calls for a key conference game that I chose not to cover because they wouldn't approve a hotel room, I would care. I'm not about to open that can of worms.

"Well, look at the job he did without going on the road at all. We're going to cut all road trips. you guys can start doing it over the phone. Listen to the radio broadcast if you have to."

Our readers deserve better. It sucks I may have to stay at the Bates Motel, but I'm not going to compromise the way I do my job - and the others on staff - so management can save a few bucks.