Being a traffic reporter is a unique occupation. As such, I often get asked questions about my job. Below you'll find the most common questions people ask about what I do. If you have any questions about the job please email me: mark.arum@wsbtv.com
Q: What time do you get up in the morning?
A: My alarm goes off at 3:19 a.m. I have been known on occasion to hit the snooze button though. Luckily I live close to the station, so my commute is only about seven minutes, depending on traffic lights.
Q: When do you go to sleep at night?
A: Usually not until about 11:30 p.m. Generally I take a nap during the afternoon. After working early mornings as long as I have, my body has gotten used to splitting up my sleep time.
Q: Is Captain Herb Emory a real Captain?
A: No. It was a name given to him by a radio program director when he first started doing traffic. In fact, he was supposed to be called Colonel Herb, but the morning host at the time kept forgetting to call him Colonel and called him Captain by mistake. The name stuck.
Q: Do you get to fly in the chopper?
A: Yes, sometimes. When I fill in for Captain Herb in the afternoons I get to fly in the chopper. I enjoy it, but I don't think I could do it every day. It's very taxing. I'm amazed that Captain Herb has been able to do it as long as he has.
Q: How did you become a traffic reporter?
A: By accident, really. I had been a sports writer since I was 14 years old working at various newspapers in Connecticut and New York. When I graduated college (Marist College) I moved to Atlanta and I wanted to get into sports talk radio, so I applied at WSB. Even though I had no previous professional radio experience, the Assistant Program Director hired me, but told me I'd have to do traffic for a couple of weeks before they moved me to sports. That was over 14 years ago, and I'm still doing traffic.
Q: Since you are not from Georgia, how did you learn the roadways?
A: When I was hired Captain Herb told me to buy a map book (this was before Google-maps) and to drive all around the metro area. He used to quiz me on exit numbers, city locations, etc... Without his help, I never would have made it.
Q: Do you wear makeup on TV?
A: Yes. Covergirl "Soft Honey", and I have to put it on myself.
Q: What's the toughest part of your job?
A: Definitely getting up so early. I'm a night owl and getting up at 3 a.m. has been a difficult adjustment. Also, trying to get people to have lunch with me at 10 a.m. is not easy.
Q: What's Neal Boortz like off the air?
A: No comment.
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