Bursting to go!
As a reporter I face many problems on the road, from technical issues to having problems getting tape, but the one that is most difficult to deal with is going to the bathroom.
Don’t worry, I will spare you from the graphic details and talk simply about the problems I face finding time for a loo.
Every morning I go live from 5:30 to 8:00 (and that’s the bare minimum) and I am often not able to make my way to any appropriate facilities. In between reports, things can be quite hectic.
I have to not only go live on the air with my reports every half hour but I also have to write the piece, try and get people to talk to me at odd hours in the morning, go through the tape and choose the best 15-second clip (or 2 or 3 clips that total 15 seconds), write my headline and have it recorded by the 15-minute mark, and finally I have to try to breathe.
If I get all of that done before I have to go live again it may give me a minute to try and run to the bathroom…but I generally don’t get that privilege.
No, before you even ask the question, I do not just use a bottle or stand up against the tree when the time comes and there is nowhere to go. Not only is it against the law but I’m sure I’d get fired if I was caught doing such a thing.
This morning was one of those days where I was doing the “I gotta go” dance. The first chance I got I ran to the closest bathroom only to find it was out of order. I decided to try my luck at a gas station where I had to fill up the 660 cruiser. That one was in use and I gave up waiting after five minutes.
Needless to say, I got back to the station with a bladder that felt like it was going to burst and a radio reporter running awkwardly into the building.
Now that I may have grossed you out I will let you know I fully endorse public washrooms across the city.