I hope that post was in jest... To think that nobody will leave their city for any trip in 2-3 years, even if gas does reach those prices, seems to be a bit off the wall. I would venture to say there are MANY MANY more chasers now than 5 years ago when gas was $1.25 a gallon. So it's nearly tripled, yet the chaser count has gone up. Thinking that people will stop using their car for more than going to work, and will barely be able to afford that, doesn't seem like a conclusion based on reality.
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It's wasn't in jest in the least, and was very much a reality. I never said anyone wouldn't leave their city for any trip. But I think people are going to start making those trips count. Really cut down on them. Let's face it, for most chasers, storm chasing is purely a recreational activity. Frequent long recreational trips will be the first things you will start cutting out when your examining your personal budget.
As Fred already pointed out....and I remember very well even though I wasn't driving at the time. Stations had limited supplies of gas, you waited in LONG lines for gas IF it was the correct day for according to your license plate number. And this was when gas was MUCH cheaper than it is now.
I know that the whole situation is different today, but if you don't think long lines, gas outages and gas rationing is in your future, your kidding yourself. Just look back when the hurricanes hit last summer. Even in my small town here outside of Lubbock, there were gas lines BLOCKS long, until they ran out of gas.
Now I don't know what your chase strategy is, but when I am on a chase, I don't have time to sit around in long lines at some town in KS just to filll up and get on down the road while those towers are going up. And that is IF that small town you stopped in didn't have a line at it or was out of gas.
There is also the fact that a vast majority of storm chasers are of the younger crowd, many of them students on very limited budgets. How long do you think they can afford to pay the prices that are now almost rising BY THE DAY?
Oh I very much believe the gas prices are going to weed out a lot of storm chaser by necessity, and in turn probably most of the behavior that is being complained about as well. Less chasers on the road, less chance of bad driving, less chaser out to call the snitch line on them too. Never mind the cost of pretty much everything else related to chasing going up, up and up.
I am probably one of the most dedicated chasers out there, and I can honestly tell you that the gas cost chasing is not only hurting my wallet, but affecting what systems I will and will not chase. Perhaps your financially well of rdale and can afford many trips costing in excess of $100 a day to go chasing, and if you are THAT'S GREAT! But I would suggest that the largest part of the chase community is not in that situation.
