Getting to your assignment on time isn’t always easy and can be extremely stressful. Here are a few helpful hints to make getting there easier.
Rule Number 1 – Always put everything you need in the same place.
Rule Number 2 – Listen to the commuter report every morning.
Rule Number 3 – Load a reliable traffic and subway app onto your SmartPhone and become comfortable using them.
Rule Number 4 – Create and post a preparedness checklist next to your exit, and review it before you walk out the door.
The Night Before:
a) Use the Deposition Notice and any pleadings provided in advance to create a job dictionary.
b) Charge your devices (smartphone, tablets, writer) with the charger you keep at home.
c) Put cash and quarters in your wallet for parking.
d) Map out your travel path, and if driving, where to park.
e) Lay out all clothing and accessories the night before.
f) Pack snacks and/or lunches for yourself and your family.
g) Place next to the exit and near your checklist anything and everything that goes out the door with you and/or your family: children’s backpacks, cell phones, steno machine, computer(s), along with your reporter toolkit, e.g., flash drives, Bluetooth USBs and/or cable distribution box, iPads with chargers, exhibit labels, business cards, legal pad, pens, order forms, dry snacks, water bottles, umbrella, extra pair of shoes, extra socks/nylons, steno paper, etc.
That Morning:
a) Eat a healthy breakfast. Worth repeating – eat a healthy breakfast.
b) Adjust your departure time as needed based upon the commuter/traffic report.
c) Do not walk out the door until you’ve reviewed your checklist and verified that you have everything.
To Prevent Disasters:
a) Purchase two chargers for every electronic device, keeping one set in your carrying case and one at home. Do not remove the chargers from your carrying case when at home (eliminating the possibility of leaving your assignment chargers behind).
b) Keep a lightweight netbook and charger in your carrying case as a backup, and update its dictionary often.
Reporter Never-Do’s:
a) Never leave a laptop or steno machine in your trunk for extended periods of time, as extreme cold or heat may damage or destroy them, not to mention the risk of theft.
b) Avoid stops for gas, to re-load fare cards, or for any errands on the way to an assignment.
Once you’ve purchased all the extra chargers, loaded the extra laptop and cell phone, developed a simplified morning routine, and begun using your personalized checklist, you may find that getting to your assignment on time isn’t as stressful as it used to be.