Anywho, I digress …

On Tuesday, I attended a presentation hosted by the Western Automotive Journalists.  It was all very interesting – both the presentation and the audience.  I have never spent any time with journalists and didn’t really know what to expect.  I was prepared to be appalled.  Fortunately, I was disappointed.  The people I spoke to were polite and insightful.  Nothing like the journalists we see on the TV, chasing inexplicably well-known people down the street with a large furry microphone.

Anywho, I digress …

The talk was on a subject that I am familiar with, so I was keen to ask a few questions.  As the speaker finished his presentation, I was taken aback at what happened next.   Before I could react to the audio-visual clues that it was appropriate to ask questions, all the hands in the room went up as one.  Completely synchronized.  I was several seconds behind them.  It really was one of the oddest things I have seen.  I guess this is their business and they preempt what you and I would consider an appropriate pause, as the speaker finished his last sentence.

I concentrated hard and tried for the second go.  Too late.  Third time out of the gate I tried waving.  Nope.  Fourth time, I gave up and another odd thing happened.  Several people pointed at me and I got to ask my first question.  I waited a while, preparing my timing for another question.  My timing sucks.  The emcee announced that this would be the last question.  I raised my hand, several seconds late,  along with about 5 others.  Another odd thing happened.  They all put their hands down and awarded me the final question.  Remarkable.

So, in summary, two news journalist facts:

1. Automotive journalists should try out for Synchronized Swimming
2. Automotive journalists are polite and insightful

Who knew?

Lisa.