Assumptions Can Be Dangerous

The photographer for a national magazine was assigned to get photos of a great forest fire.  Smoke at the scene hampered him, and he asked his home office to hire a plane.  Arrangements were made, and he was told to go at once to a neary airport, where the plane would be waiting.

When he arrived at the airport, a plane was warming up near the runway.  He jumped in with his equipment and yelled, "Let's go!  Let's go!"  The pilot swung the plane into the wind, and they soon were in the air.

"Fly over the north side of the fire," yelled the photographer, "and make three or four low level passes."

"Why?" asked the pilot.

"Because I'm going to take pictures," cried the photographer.  "I'm a photographer and photographers take pictures!"

After a pause the pilot said, "You mean you're not the flight instructor?"

- Bits & Pieces (The Economics Press, Inc., 1996)