Hitchhiking Might Become Viable for Corporate Travelers

Last summer, at the National Business Travel Association convention in Los Angeles, Mark Walton, a travel-policy consultant, began a speech with selections from a parody corporate travel department memo that a client had sent to him.

"Airline tickets will be authorized only if purchased in extreme circumstances," Mr. Walton read in a flat Midwestern monotone that made him sound like the comedian Bob Newhart. "Hitchhiking is strictly encouraged. Luminescent safety vests will be issued to all employees prior to their departure."

He cleared his throat and continued. "All employees are encouraged to stay with relatives and friends while on company business. If that is not possible, the cost-effective alternative should be exploited. Public areas such as parks and parking lots will be used during periods of good weather. In inclement weather, bridges provide temporary shelter."

Furthermore, he read: "In our common effort to save corporate dollars, one enterprising individual has suggested that money could be raised during airport layover periods. In support of this idea, red caps will be issued to all employees prior to departure."

The audience at Mr. Walton's seminar for corporate travel managers enjoyed the silliness, but that was last summer, when corporate America was flush and business travel was booming as never before. Now, with domestic companies worried that rising travel costs are hurting quarterly results, the jokes don't seem quite so far-fetched.

Companies are still sending lots of people on the road, of course. But the cutbacks have been coming fast.
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/09/bu...rchpv=nytToday