While Production Director at WMMR-FM in in Philadelphia, I did a Saturday air shift. The woman preceeding me asked if the following weekend I could get in a little early so she could catch an early train to go see her family. The following Saturday, I was shocked when I got a call at home from her about 30 minutes before she was to get off the air. I had totally forgotten. I lived in Lindenwold, NJ (accross the river from Philly), about a 30 minute drive into Center City where the studios were at the time at Rittenhouse Square. Right around this time, the group Renaissance hade just released an album and side 2 was an entire "live" performance which was about 30 minutes in length.
I told her to put this track on and leave. As a bit of insurance, I told her to put a nickle on the tone arm (the added weight would enable the needle to slash through any surface crud)
I hopped in my car, punched up the station and was on my way...
Not being at all familiar with this 30-minute piece of music, my heart would stop each time the music reached a crescendo where it seemed like it would surely be the end of the track only to continue. Saturday afternoon traffic in Southern Jersey is a nightmare. What if I hit a traffic jam or get stopped for speeding or get a flat tire. Or one of a hundred things that could keep me from making it to the station before the record (and possibly my CAREER) ended.
Was the station unattended -- had she left??? Would I have left under these circumstances? I had to drive as if she had. I arrived with about 5 minutes left on the track, nickle on the tone arm and nobody in sight!!! SHE HAD ACTUALLY LEFT!!!! (Talk about the blind leading the blind.)
It was only then that I seriously thought about all the things that could have happened on my drive into the city of Brotherly Love!!!!