Chasing Etiquette

[Ryan Witek]

After going out chasing a few times in my local area, I have noticed something. Finding a spot to stop and take photos / make reports / etc. without inconveniencing others and/or trespassing (stopping on a road alongside private property) is, well, awkward. I often find myself in empty parking lots or working with non-ideal positions on property owned by friends + family in the area I'm chasing in.

I understand that there is a certain way to go about chasing without having to worry too much about either of these - a sort of etiquette to it. Aside from the concerns about stopping and driving, I'm willing to bet there are several other significant items that come to the minds of those who have been around longer...

The reason I am making this thread is to open up a conversation about what is acceptable / unacceptable of spotters when they are out in the field. If anyone has any specific comments about this topic, feel free to add them below. I'm very interested to hear what everyone has to say so that I may be a better chaser.

Thanks much!

 

[John Farley]

IMHO, the most important thing is to stop COMPLETELY off the road on any paved road. Sometimes on low-traffic gravel roads I will stop on the road in a place where I can be easily seen, and have seen a lot of other chasers do this. But on any paved road, where traffic is likely to be faster and/or heavier, be completely off the road. I often pull over in field entrances, and have never been questioned for being on private property (because they are not; they are in the highway right-of-way). Once a farmer came along and needed to get into his field and asked me to move so he could, which I of course did. But he did not seem to mind my stopping there. Also recently once when I was pulled over parallel to the road in a field entrance, two chasers came along and wanted me to move so they could get their trucks into the field entrance perpendicular to the road, which I did. However, I was annoyed a half hour or so later when I came by the same two chasers stopped in front of a field entrance parallel to the road in exactly the way they had objected to me for stopping. But I continued on my way and did not say anything. That day I did encounter a chaser stopped on a highway blocking the entire right lane. It was a low traffic road so I just went around him and on to the next field entrance; perhaps should have said something but didn't.

 

[Marc R. O'Leary]

A few basic rules:

Stay out of farmer's fields.
Stay out of private driveways when possible or sitting for longer duration. Pausing to make a quick report is ok, IMO.
Be considerate of traffic AKA get as far off the road as you safely can.
Don't stand in the road unless you know it's rarely traveled (be aware!)
Don't set up a tripod in the road unless you know it's rarely traveled (be aware!)

Common sense is really important. And empty parking lots are perfect places to stop.

Most roads have easements for the purpose of pulling off safely, but most of the roads we chase on those easements are often places you don't want to, or can't put an average car. Many roads around here, the 'easement' consists of a yellow line and a ditch. Not suitable.

Personally, I prefer to chase the roads less traveled. If the masses are on the main paved road, I'll look for the less used secondary roads. Less traffic means less worry, and more parking spots for me. Not really an etiquette point, more safety and personal preference I suppose.

Now bare in mind, every geographical area is going to be different in road design and pull off availability. Personally, I chase CO almost exclusively and have never had a problem finding a place to pull off safely. Just be smart and safe and remember there will be people not paying attention to you, but more the storm, so you need to pay twice as much attention for your own safety.

I'll let some of the more experienced chasers/spotters add to this should they chime in.

 

[John Farley]

Not an etiquette point, but one thing I would add is that if you do go on unpaved roads, it is good to have some local knowledge about what happens to those roads when they get wet. In some areas, including parts of CO and KS, those roads can become undrivable even with all-wheel drive in a heavy rain. If unsure, I usually avoid such roads if they are wet or likely to become wet - and have regretted it a couple times when I broke this rule.

 

[Ryan Witek]

Most roads have easements for the purpose of pulling off safely, but most of the roads we chase on those easements are often places you don't want to, or can't put an average car. Many roads around here, the 'easement' consists of a yellow line and a ditch. Not suitable.

I drive a 2010 Honda Pilot AWD - I'm good as far as road environment is concerned. Thanks a bunch for your response - all very helpful!

 

[Ethan Schisler]

I always try to not pull off and get out of the vehicle on busy roadways or highways. Try finding a side road and then pull off maybe a few hundred yards past the stop sign or where the road ends and then get out safely. If you stop on a heavily trafficked road you are risking an accident for either yourself or another driver hitting you. Its just not worth it in my opinion. When I'm chasing, I'm almost always thinking of places to pull off before I actually pull off. In other words you have to be 2 steps ahead of your own game. Driving down a busy highway while chasing a supercell, you should be thinking of where you are going to pull off next and then how long you want to stay there before getting back on the pursuit and staying ahead of that storm.

Others have stated some good points above so I won't reiterate those. Storm chasing is all about the navigation and finding roads to stay ahead of the storm you are chasing in my opinion. Its like a good game of chess. Sort of. Kind of.

 

[Warren Faidley]

1: Use the Pursuit Intervention Technique or "PIT" on local vehicles when ever possible.
2: Road spikes are a "must deploy" to limit local traffic.
3: Chase vehicles should use all available light bars and decals.
4: Just kidding.

Seriously, it's basic common sense just like when driving down a city or Interstate road.
1: Be predictable.
2: Don't brake unexpectedly.
3: The driver must be paying 100% attention to driving, not rubber necking at the storm or looking at data, etc., when there is heavy traffic.
4: If you do something stupid, try to find the other driver and apologize. We all make mistakes.
5: Avoid major city areas during high risk days. (A personal preference).
6: Like many others have said, pull all the way off the road, preferably onto a genuine pull off or side road. I hate parking right next to the highway, even on the shoulder as it's very dangerous, but sometimes the only option.
7: Don't set-up tripods in the roadway.
8: Don't think anyone is going to slow down or move over just because there are storms and lots of people looking. Last week, we had semi-trucks passing us on the side of a narrow two lane highway going at least 85 mph - not slowing down or moving over an inch. I'm all for a new law requiring vehicles to slow and / or move over when passing a vehicle pulled off the road, just like they do for LEO and road workers.
9: Don't stand between parked vehicles. A rear-end collision could cause multiple pile-ups and you could be crushed.

Obviously some of these are "safety" tips but they are all related.

 

[Marc R. O'Leary]

As Warren stated, a lot of this is safety, but I think safety and etiquette overlap more than not in this particular hobby.

 

[John Moore]

Agree with Warren and Marc - safety, not etiquette, is the primary issue. But yeah, basically on etiquette, don't be rude. That includes minimizing the time you are in someone else's camera shot, along with obvious stuff like not driving aggressively, not blocking people (or at least, be ready to let them through quickly), etc.

 

[Todd Lemery]

Treat others and their property how you would like your property and you to be treated. It really should be this simple. Now, this safety stuff....oh boy, is there some work to be done!

 

[Jason Boggs]

Good points everyone! A couple I will throw in...

And for God's sake, don't go 40 in a 75 while trying to find a place to pull over. If you miss one, go the speed limit until you find another one.
ALWAYS put your blinker on well before you pull over. Don't put in on as you're turning like a LOT of chasers do.

 

[Jeff House]

We prefer backing into a field entrance, which allows quick departure - preferably turning right not left. If it is wide enough try to be on one side in case another chaser comes. However first come first serve.

Often tornadoes go just after office hours, so parking lots of closed businesses are good. Try not to take good spots for customers if it's open. Otherwise traffic is covered well above.

We try to wave or otherwise make contact with property owner(s). Normally they wave back. Sometimes they ask about the storm. We have not had trouble and most people are actually welcoming.

Talking to other chasers is like talking to the adjacent passenger on a plane. Look for cues. Some like the interaction. Some want seclusion. Either way a polite wave is always good.

 

[Ryan Witek]

Thanks everyone for the continued responses - Maybe the StormTrack community could get together and make a new spotter field guide that covers all the safety and etiquette information those of you who are more experienced have come to learn! This information is fantastic for my use as a new spotter, and I am thankful to everyone on this thread for their help.

 

[Dan Robinson]

In terms of turning off roads, I understand the difficulty of finding one at speed. The little pull-offs are sometimes hard to see at a distance. That said, just be mindful of traffic behind you. If there are multiple cars behind you and you're unsure of pulling over, just find the earliest possible safe place to pull off to let traffic pass. A short stretch looking for a pull-off is OK. The annoyance is if you continue on for miles like this letting traffic pile up behind you.

 

[JamesCaruso]

Talking to other chasers is like talking to the adjacent passenger on a plane. Look for cues. Some like the interaction. Some want seclusion. Either way a polite wave is always good.

Love this one, it’s something we don’t see too much written about. Definitely agree with Jeff’s thoughts and the airline flight analogy is perfect. Agree also on a “polite wave” - I think it’s completely ridiculous that so many chasers won’t even acknowledge each other with eye contact and a nod. I understand the desire for privacy - I am like that myself - but don’t pretend other chasers are invisible when you’re right next to each other.

Having said that, I am much less anxious to talk to other chasers than I used to be - I guess it’s the shear number of people - i.e., believe it or not it used to be a novelty to run into another chaser, but obviously that is no longer the case, and it used to be that you could still experience relative seclusion even while chatting with a couple of other chasers, but now with these huge groups around you the only way to pretend you have any solitude is to avoid getting into a conversation. But that shouldn’t mean even avoiding eye contact, a nod or a wave; that alone would make us feel more connected as a community and mindful of protecting each others’ rights and safety.

On a related note, I will add another “rule” of etiquette: if you are going to start a conversation with another chaser, don’t let the first words out of your mouth be “Did you see the tornado ....(back there, earlier today, yesterday, last Tuesday, etc.) Nobody nursing a still-fresh frustration, failure or disappointment wants to hear that, it’s salt in a wound. Some teen or college student on a tour standing next to me in OK this week, after he avoided eye contact when he first came near me, started asking if I saw the Colorado landspouts the day before, which I hadn’t. Then he tells me how they also saw the Wyoming tornado the day before that (which I also missed), and that it was his first two days chasing ever. Not something I was in the mood to hear after two days of disappointment, not to mention from a kid who hasn’t paid his dues with over 20 years of chasing (and was on a tour, not even really chasing himself anyway). This type of thing is yet another reason I am less inclined to talk to other chasers nowadays, everyone just wants to start bragging about what they saw, pretend that they know exactly what is happening or going to happen with the day’s storm, etc., with no sense of awareness of exactly how little we all know. Sure, this is what we all have in common, but let the conversation get there naturally, don’t feel like you have to show how much you have seen or how much you know (or think you know).

I’ll add one more unrelated suggestion - last week while watching the OK HP, it finally became tornado warned. I realized it only because the emergency warning went off on my phone - the storm was looking mean but “outflowy” at the time so it wasn’t visibly apparent from where we were standing - but another chaser speeding north into the notch started honking his horn in a series of short blasts, I assume to get the attention of the other chasers standing there and let them know about the new warning. I thought that was a pretty cool thing to do and something that we all should make a standard “signal”. Maybe it kind of is already, I mean intuitively I knew why he was honking, but maybe we should “formalize” it.