Another negative news article

[Scott Weberpal]

I came across a similar "tripods" in the road situation several years ago in Oklahoma, made worse by the fact they were positioned on the blind side of a hill I was topping. I had to skid / swerve to avoid them. I would have pulled over and raised hell, but there was no where to park without adding to the problem.

I'm not going to risk life and limb by swerving to miss an inanimate object such as a tripod/camera. If it's in the road, it's there illegally, if I hit it, the blame won't be one me.

 

[Chris DeAngelo]

Personally, I'm not too keen on the idea of these storm chaser tour vehicles everywhere. It's just someone else trying to make a buck! I understand about free enterprise and all that, but I doubt the passengers in the tours understand what they are actually getting into in the field. For me first and foremost I'm a Skywarn spotter, and will do my due diligence to report severe weather to the NWS. After that has been accomplished, the chase is on!

The three ring circus that occurred back in April hurt all of us out there with negative press, public safety officials stating on record that they will begin arresting storm chasers for even coming into their jurisdiction. We all have to remain professional at all times and respect the law. If a public safety official tells you to move, move. If they want you out of the area, I'm gone. Set up shop in another place.

 

[rdale]

You think people are signing up for storm tours and have no idea they are going to see thunderstorms?

 

[Stuart Wilson]

Well as a one time Storm Tour customer (having already chased 3 or 4 times previosuly) I can honestly say that I had no I dea I would see storms, bad driving conditions, spotters, police and downed powerlines - who would ever imagine those things would get in the way of a storm chasing tour?

Seriously though, as storm chasers, enthusiasts, spotters, researchers, thrill seekers or just plain tourists we all have a responsibility to exercise our common sense when chasing and especially when stopped and taking video or whatever.

 

[brice.coffer]

There's nothing wrong with chase tours as long as they take responsibility for their passenger's actions. On May 29th of this year in Piedmont, Oklahoma, some tour group allowed their customers to get out of the vans at a red light in order to setup their tripods and take pictures. A 5 inch hailstone had just been reported up the road and I was stuck behind these people even as the traffic light turned green. Completely irresponsible chasing that could give the rest of us a bad name.

 

[Brett Roberts]

There's nothing wrong with chase tours as long as they take responsibility for their passenger's actions. On May 29th of this year in Piedmont, Oklahoma, some tour group allowed their customers to get out of the vans at a red light in order to setup their tripods and take pictures. A 5 inch hailstone had just been reported up the road and I was stuck behind these people even as the traffic light turned green. Completely irresponsible chasing that could give the rest of us a bad name.

I have to be honest: I've had a lot more experiences like that with tour groups, especially in proportion to their numbers in the field, than I have with independent chasers. In general, I've found tourists more likely to do things like clog up the road with tripods or even to invade a pullout I've already "claimed" and run out in front of my camera without a second thought. It's just the reality of bringing casual members of the public (who also happen to be paying a few grand, and so likely feel some degree of entitlement) into the fast-paced, high-stress world of chasing. They're unlikely to have a good grasp on the unofficial rules and courtesies that serious chasers learn through experience. I'm sure the tour guides (at least the good ones) try to outline these rules in advance, but cracking down too hard will simply result in an exodus of customers to the guides more eager to please at all costs. Extremely annoying, yet unlikely to change anytime soon -- like most issues facing the community these days.

 

[Matt Tottle]

The three ring circus that occurred back in April hurt all of us out there with negative press, public safety officials stating on record that they will begin arresting storm chasers for even coming into their jurisdiction. We all have to remain professional at all times and respect the law. If a public safety official tells you to move, move. If they want you out of the area, I'm gone. Set up shop in another place.

They can say it all they want but they have no right to arrest a storm chaser (or any other yahoo for that matter) who has not broken any law. And I can tell you right now the first public safety official who tries it will be the defending against a wrongful arrest suit.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy SII using Tapatalk

 

[Jennifer Bankier]

I went on tours twice with Tempest Tours this year (just came back from the 2nd one), and have been on seven tours in total with Tempest. Tempest always warns their guests very strongly about not being on the roads and not taking photos from there. I've never seen anyone on a Tempest tour disobey this warning.

As far as the statement that peace officers can't arrest peoole who haven't broken the law ... in most, if not all, jurisdictions, standing in the middle of a public road taking pictures does break the law.

 

[Matt Tottle]

Please re-read what I quoted.

public safety officials stating on record that they will begin arresting storm chasers for even coming into their jurisdiction.

I could care less about the MORONS who block traffic and set up cameras in the middle of the road. They NEED to get arrested because they are the MORONS who give us a bad name. But if I've done nothing wrong and Barney Fife pulls me over and attempts to arrest me simply for driving into his jurisdiction with Skywarn identifiers on my truck, you can be damn sure I'll own his badge and it'll cost his jurisdiction a lot of money for his stupidity. I know my rights and I am not afraid to exercise them to the fullest extent granted by the Constitution.

I have nothing but the utmost respect for LEO. But just like there are yahoos in the chaser world there are yahoos in law enforcement too, and I will not stand idly by and allow them to trample the Constitutionally protected rights of private citizens. If you are involved in or see a situation where an LEO harasses a chaser, be sure to get it on video (not in Illinois - they are exploiting a loophole there to arrest those who videotape police activity). DO NOT obey any command to stop filming them, as they have no legal grounds to make you stop. DO NOT obey any command to erase or hand over your memory card, as they have no right to do so. You are legally entitled to take photos or video of anything you wish from any public place - as long as you are not committing another offense (like blocking traffic) in the process. Despite popular belief in the law enforcement world, 'contempt of cop' is NOT a valid offense.