Chaser Safety and Responsibility suggestions

I'm not trying to start a huge debate here (that's already going to happen), but two years ago in Attica when I was stopped at a roadblock, I turned back and went a mile north in an attempt to get east. I was stopped by muddy roads, but had I been able to go through, I would've.

First repsonders are going to take the most direct routes to attend victims, and if authorities know there's a victim they'll have that road blocked. I see absolutely no harm in obeying a roadblock, turning around, and finding an alternate route. After all, when you backtrack a section line and there's no roadblock there, obviously there's not a problem and traveling that road isn't an issue.

I am constantly aware of emergency vehicles in and around communitites during tornadic activity, and I always yield. In fact, it's the law period, whether you're chasing or driving to the store. Another example of how chase safety is really mostly just responsible driving practices. Having said that, I'm not apologizing to anyone for simply "being there."
 
Way to go Mike - advocating a way to circumvent the law. As if officials are only blocking to the road for one reason, to prevent you from chasing the storms, and not to keep the roads clear for first responders. I certainly hope I have misinterpreted your statements!
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By leaving home to chase you put yourself "in the way". Going around a road block on gravel roads to continue on is no more in the way than being around the road block in the first place. But my statement is just so crazy. It'll be ok Greg.

I figure if you are a good enough chaser you'll be AHEAD of the storm anyway. Oh shoot I just advocated being infront of storms!
 
Unfortunately Bryce is right. I had spotter trains for my AES this past Tuesday and there were photos painting a pretty negative picture of chasers and that the NWS does not employ or sanction chasers in any way. They made us out to be nothing but yahoos who block roads and drive crazy. Ofcourse the WCM knows me and we talked a bit about it but on the whole the NWS loves reports but they can officially condone chasers since we are not "officially" trained etc..
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This may stem from the incident last year when some unknown speeding chaser told a sheriff in Kansas that he was "chasing for the NWS." The NWS was a bit annoyed by this, to say the least.
 
Not that it matters, but I have not seen a police road block while chasing since my very first chase. If I saw one now and wanted on the other side of, well there is always a way. Most of the time you'd simply just drive back one mile and hop on gravel grid.
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Way to go Mike - advocating a way to circumvent the law. As if officials are only blocking to the road for one reason, to prevent you from chasing the storms, and not to keep the roads clear for first responders. I certainly hope I have misinterpreted your statements!
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Blowing past a roadblock is illegal and will get you felony-stopped. Going down another road that isn't blocked isn't (unless a police officer instructs you not to.) I must have missed the part where Mike suggested offroading over crops.

Me, I like to drive on sidewalks. It's the only way to get in front of ambulences! :lol:
 
Unfortunately Bryce is right. I had spotter trains for my AES this past Tuesday and there were photos painting a pretty negative picture of chasers and that the NWS does not employ or sanction chasers in any way. They made us out to be nothing but yahoos who block roads and drive crazy. Ofcourse the WCM knows me and we talked a bit about it but on the whole the NWS loves reports but they can officially condone chasers since we are not "officially" trained etc..
Click to expand...

This may stem from the incident last year when some unknown speeding chaser told a sheriff in Kansas that he was "chasing for the NWS." The NWS was a bit annoyed by this, to say the least.
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I wonder if this was the same guy in the "Twister Edition" Impala that told us he was chasing for the NSSL?
 
Unfortunately Bryce is right. I had spotter trains for my AES this past Tuesday and there were photos painting a pretty negative picture of chasers and that the NWS does not employ or sanction chasers in any way. They made us out to be nothing but yahoos who block roads and drive crazy. Ofcourse the WCM knows me and we talked a bit about it but on the whole the NWS loves reports but they can officially condone chasers since we are not "officially" trained etc..
Click to expand...

This may stem from the incident last year when some unknown speeding chaser told a sheriff in Kansas that he was "chasing for the NWS." The NWS was a bit annoyed by this, to say the least.
Click to expand...

I wonder if this was the same guy in the "Twister Edition" Impala that told us he was chasing for the NSSL?
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or the guy who back on June 11th, 2005 was on the north side of Amarillo on the loop running his red/blue lights but was NOT authorized by my department who is the only one authorized to have red/blue besides law enforcement/fire dept. I would still like to find that guy. Somebody posted a few pics of him.
 
Way to go Mike - advocating a way to circumvent the law. As if officials are only blocking to the road for one reason, to prevent you from chasing the storms, and not to keep the roads clear for first responders. I certainly hope I have misinterpreted your statements! Certain yahoos don't even use the gravel road grids to get around the road blocks. Heck, let's just drive our vehicle straight through farmer's fields! Recalling:
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Sounds to me like some people just keep living in the past...13 years ago...reliving over and over the same old story...they just can't seem to get past the past and they just can't seem to get the story straight. A story not even worth mentioning except by those persons, a tiny few, who have not progressed into the 21st century.

Voltaire - “Our wretched species is so made that those who walk on the well-trodden path always throw stones at those who are showing a new roadâ€￾

13 years brings with it multitudes of positive accomplishments and life saving chaser reports. A tiny few need to get a grip...

EVERYONE in the storm chasing community has at one time or another "done things" that would, shall we say, not conform to "Chaser Ethics". And for those that say they haven't "done things" or those who feel it their responsibility to dredge up long ago incidents...one very old proverb says it all "Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones at their neighbours". Period.
 
Is this the "Amber Lights: Evil or Neccessary?" thread?...

...oh, wait, sorry...just realized it wasn't...

sorry for the intrusion...carry on!

(God, PLEASE bring some severe convective weather to the Plains soon!)

Regards,

Mike
 
Sounds to me like some people just keep living in the past...13 years ago...reliving over and over the same old story...they just can't seem to get past the past and they just can't seem to get the story straight. A story not even worth mentioning except by those persons, a tiny few, who have not progressed into the 21st century.
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Man, I could NOT agree more.
 
Way to go Mike - advocating a way to circumvent the law. As if officials are only blocking to the road for one reason, to prevent you from chasing the storms, and not to keep the roads clear for first responders. I certainly hope I have misinterpreted your statements!
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Huh? A few months ago I came home from work and there was a large structure fire 2 blocks from my house. The roads I usually take home were blocked by law enforcement. So I went an alternate route home. Was I just supposed to sit there until the road block was removed? They didn't care if I went home a different way. I wasn't in the way of any emergency vehicles. So I didn't break the law in any way. How many of us have turned around and gone a different route when there's been a big accident and the cops have blocked the road? I have. Doesn't mean you did anything wrong. They just don't want you going that way because it is the "hot" spot.

Road block or not, anyone getting in the way of emergency vehicles should have their ass kicked.

13 years brings with it multitudes of positive accomplishments and life saving chaser reports. A tiny few need to get a grip...

EVERYONE in the storm chasing community has at one time or another "done things" that would, shall we say, not conform to "Chaser Ethics". And for those that say they haven't "done things" or those who feel it their responsibility to dredge up long ago incidents...one very old proverb says it all "Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones at their neighbours". Period.
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***Applause***
 
By leaving home to chase you put yourself "in the way". Going around a road block on gravel roads to continue on is no more in the way than being around the road block in the first place. But my statement is just so crazy.
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I originally interpreted your statement to mean going around the road block on back roads, and back on the main (blocked) route and into the damaged area. Certainly, taking a route completely around the damaged area should be fine. My apologies.

I figure if you are a good enough chaser you'll be AHEAD of the storm anyway. Oh shoot I just advocated being infront of storms!
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Nothing wrong with that!
 
Sounds to me like some people just keep living in the past...13 years ago...reliving over and over the same old story...they just can't seem to get past the past and they just can't seem to get the story straight.
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Not sure I undestand your comment. The URL I provided is straight from Jon Davies' mouth - it is his story after all. Are you insinuating something else different happened to Jon that we need to know about?

...except by those persons, a tiny few, who have not progressed into the 21st century.
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Again - I don't understand the comment. I can interpret this as being "chasing is different now - live with the fact that behavior has changed, and your idyllic world of ethical chasing behavior is a thing of the past". Again, I hope I misinterpreted.

Nonetheless, I think we can all agree that we want to set positive examples to those new to our hobby (e.g., your calendars and .org raising funds for storm victims, all the contributors to our "Storms of..." DVDs, any chaser that doubles as a storm spotter to provide live updates to the NWS and media, etc).
 
Way to go Mike - advocating a way to circumvent the law. As if officials are only blocking to the road for one reason, to prevent you from chasing the storms, and not to keep the roads clear for first responders. I certainly hope I have misinterpreted your statements! Certain yahoos don't even use the gravel road grids to get around the road blocks. Heck, let's just drive our vehicle straight through farmer's fields! Recalling:
Click to expand...
Sounds to me like some people just keep living in the past...13 years ago...reliving over and over the same old story...they just can't seem to get past the past and they just can't seem to get the story straight. A story not even worth mentioning except by those persons, a tiny few, who have not progressed into the 21st century.

Voltaire - “Our wretched species is so made that those who walk on the well-trodden path always throw stones at those who are showing a new roadâ€￾

13 years brings with it multitudes of positive accomplishments and life saving chaser reports. A tiny few need to get a grip...

EVERYONE in the storm chasing community has at one time or another "done things" that would, shall we say, not conform to "Chaser Ethics". And for those that say they haven't "done things" or those who feel it their responsibility to dredge up long ago incidents...one very old proverb says it all "Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones at their neighbours". Period.
Click to expand...

Well not all of us where driving 8o+ mph down Kansas section roads on 11-27... :wink:
 
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