County Officials Critical of Storm Chasers

[Jesse Risley]

I think it would be very easy. Past history and comments made publicly is plain as day. But if it is illegal behavior, no arguments from me. As long as its not stupid stuff and it doesn't go from zero tickets issued in the past for a particular offense to 15 tickets issued on say a high risk day.

I'm not an attorney, but I'm not sure what recourse chasers have if and when this occurs, and it sounds like it sort of has, in some respects, with the setups in Kansas the past week. If, by some chance, there were to be some recourse, then you're out your own time and money haggling with the legal system in Podunk County, KS.

There are so many traffic laws, that occasional slips are unavoidable, and I'm talking about minor moving violations here, such as speeding several miles over the posted limit, stopping slightly over a stop line, having a tire cross the solid yellow line when completing a pass, failure to signal exactly XX feet before turning, or whatever other innocuous moving violations that a normal driver probably commits just by the virtue of driving. The police have considerable discretion here, and these violations are almost always overlooked by law enforcement, in favor of targeting more reckless or otherwise nefarious moving violations, but when the police choose to do so, they can enforce these traffic codes to the letter of the law and start giving certain persons a "paper whipping."

I'd say it's a form of discrimination, as you are singling out a group of people (chasers) and treating them unequally by citing them for minor traffic violations that are not imposed on the rest of the public under the tutelage of Officer Friendly, but at the end of the day, by the letter of the law, the driving behaviors in question are technically still illegal, so I see chasers having little recourse if this becomes widespread indecorum.

 

[Rob Herman]

So, how many people are going to stop chasing?

Sorry, I realized on the way home from work that my post was off topic.

I happened to approach the cell that produced the Rice Co., KS, wedge from the north. Parked on the west side of the Little River Blacktop while the cell was cycling. At first there was no one around and shortly after a car stopped about a quarter mile south of my location. The crowd showed up after the tornado crossed the road to my north. After making a three mile detour around a road that was blocked by down trees I was able to get back on K4 and head east. K4 curves to the north and runs northeast for about three miles. Someone blocked the road about four or five vehicles in front of me. Another chaser decided to pass the string of stopped vehicles and drive around the blocking vehicle. Looked like things were going to get ugly so I decided to turn around and leave. From what I've heard the road may have been reopened shortly after I left. Probably because of this I missed the convergence later on I70.

Although I enjoy chasing, because some of the things I've seen over the years, I'm embarrassed to call myself a storm chaser.

 

[Adam Simone]

So, how many people are going to stop chasing?

For people that are serious storm chasers it's not going to change a thing and people won't stop chasing and I think government officials know this. Just a feeling here, but I think the county sheriff saying they will start arresting chasers on spot is maybe an attempt to scare of locals from coming out or other people who rarely chase but see a high risk day and drive a few hundred miles to give chasing a try.

Also I agree with everything that Jesse said. I don't think your going to have much of a case if you do get a citation while out chasing. The police aren't going to necessarily target just people they see with light bars and skywarn stickers but they will just step up enforcement all together and stop everyone for minor violations. Like Jesse said there are so many reasons you could be stopped it wouldn't be hard for them to do. Illegal use of light bars, license plate covers, seat belts, speeding, not using turn signal, cracked windshield, rolling through stop signs, and the list goes on and on. Personally I think the media is blowing this way out of proportion and they need to just let the topic die. I don't see the Saline County Sheriff's Department arresting chasers while a tornado is in their county. Sorry they got more important things to do. I personally think it's just a scare tactic to keep locals and untrained chasers from coming out.

Just my two cents.

 

[Jake Orosi]

I think you're pretty close to the truth there.

But again, we've got a hang the bell on the cat situation. Feel free to risk your own chase pushing to find the "boundaries" while the issue is live; I'd just avoid these two counties until the stir dies down.

 

[joel ewing]

Make sure we search how many times this thread has come up in the last 10 years before trying to rebeat a horse that still hasn't come back to life

I know what you're saying, Rob....and I'm with you on this. BUT....I've been saying for years that the day will come when chasing is somehow, someway...made illegal. Rob, don't you think the heat has been turned up a lot higher in the last couple of years than before? I mean, chases are starting to really get some bad press. And as we all know...."perception is 99% of whatever" (can't remember the quote...but you get the idea).

 

[Keith Wilson]

I think that the "problem" is further magnified when the event is near a large population center. The fact that it was well adverised as a "Big Event" and occurred on a weekend further compounded the problem.
Chasers get frustrated with the congestion. It only stands to reason that LEO and other emergency services do to, but they have bigger ears listening to their complaints. A chaserjam on the open prairie doesn't cause as many problems or attract nearly as much attention, except from chasers.

 

[Jeff Hawkins]

From NPR today (04/29), Saline County to "arrest (gawkers) on the spot" and "roadblocks" threatened in Dickenson County in the future (stronger threats here): http://www.npr.org/2012/04/29/151644045/new-hazard-on-the-horizon-amateur-storm-chasers

In that article, they link a YT video here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3SmiR7HxWY&feature=youtu.be

The OP's of the video get a comment that says:
"WTF, did someone say great, beautiful tornado? How can something that destroys lives and kills people be great and beautiful? These are the storm chasers that need to stay home. This is why the roads are cluttered. Ive been a storm spotter since 1996 and I cant believe the circus show that goes on when severe storms developed. Its getting out of hand. Leave the storms to the professionals, the ones that do it to save lives and report to the NWS. We must stop the storm chasers.
...and the OP's reply:
"who the heck are you thinking you can tell me what to do?? what are you? A professional storm spotter?? congrats man!! The roads are cluttered because dumb spotters don't know what the heck they are doing and reporting false stuff. I'm also out there reporting to the NWS. Thanks for the laugh. "

I think it's attitudes like these OP's that feed into the growing public negative image of storm chasers, as evidenced by the comment they got on their video.

 

[Lisa M Beal]

Keith- I agree with you on all counts here.

In my mind's eye, if a traffic jam occurred due to a Slipknot concert, every car with a Slipknot bumper sticker would be subject to additional scrutiny (and the Salina paper article would be decrying Slipknot fans).

For now, it's best to play it cool in these counties and do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to stir the pot.

One further thing: if you view yourself as a volunteer, trying to help communities in any kind of emergency situation, it's best to do a local emergency services and law enforcement folks say.
Even (ore especially) when they say 'Scram!" to us, we need to comply. These folks have tough jobs and we should help, even if that means moving along quietly and politely.

As the old adage goes: "Question authority and the authorities will question you."

 

[Karen St John]

I think that the "problem" is further magnified when the event is near a large population center. The fact that it was well adverised as a "Big Event" and occurred on a weekend further compounded the problem.
Chasers get frustrated with the congestion. It only stands to reason that LEO and other emergency services do to, but they have bigger ears listening to their complaints. A chaserjam on the open prairie doesn't cause as many problems or attract nearly as much attention, except from chasers.

I have a very simple notion to consider...figure out where the yahoos are, and be where they aren't. Probably too much effort for some folks, but maybe less expensive for others. Let them get the tickets, let them get cuffed and their cars impounded for hindering law enforcement. Stay home once in a while. There will be more storms.

I don't blame the law enforcement officers and other emergency services personnel for their frustration. They swear oaths to God to protect and serve. They cannot back away from that, so if they are hamstrung in their efforts, they will react. It's not the huge chaser bloodbath encounter with a giant EF5 they are worried about...it's the kid who dies when they can't get to them in time. That could open the gates of Hell.

Maybe a key is to let the emergency services people do their job, and let them trust in that.

Maybe some folks should do some talking with them?

 

[Jake Orosi]

One further thing: if you view yourself as a volunteer, trying to help communities in any kind of emergency situation, it's best to do a local emergency services and law enforcement folks say.
Even (ore especially) when they say 'Scram!" to us, we need to comply. These folks have tough jobs and we should help, even if that means moving along quietly and politely.

Ha, this is a good call. Having a "but I'm helping" attitude when emergency workers ask you to move along can have a kind of annoying-5-year-old vibe to it.

 

[Jake Orosi]

Looks like the Kansas Highway Patrol has already started: http://www.kake.com/news/headlines/Are_Storm_Chasers_Being_Targeted_By_KHP_149602425.html?ref=425

Chasers are also the eyes and the ears of the storm.

At last, the truth comes out. Throwing in your lot with the storms now? Treacherous dogs!

 

[Dan Robinson]

One thing I notice about the news articles, comments on the articles and forum threads on this issue is the domination of the conversation on *both sides* by individuals who rarely, if ever, chase. Voices of actual chasers get lost in the mix. With little to no experience about what real chasing is like, there are few who are qualified to be so opinionated on the issue. Seems like a lost cause to impart knowledge at this point.

 

[Jacob Ferden]

One thing I notice about the news articles, comments on the articles and forum threads on this issue is the domination of the conversation on *both sides* by individuals who rarely, if ever, chase. Voices of actual chasers get lost in the mix. With little to no experience about what real chasing is like, there are few who are qualified to be so opinionated on the issue. Seems like a lost cause to impart knowledge at this point.

Which is no different then you will find in an article about virtually any other issue i.e. the economy, foreign policy, you name it. The loudest people on both sides tend to be those who know the least.

 

[Timothy Finn]

Looks like the Kansas Highway Patrol has already started: http://www.kake.com/news/headlines/Are_Storm_Chasers_Being_Targeted_By_KHP_149602425.html?ref=425

In the comments section, there is a great comment:

"Serve and Protect, or Harass and Collect"

I think this is really beginning to boil down to two things, at this point.

1. Media sensationalizism. No one has really heaped the necessary amount of dirt on the media's doorstep out of all of this. They pumped up the day two high risk like it was some sort of gala event that all the celebs would be attending. So, of course, even predictably, every Tom, Dick, Harry and Sally would try their hand at storm chasing, because they had all the work done for them. The media pinned the tail on that donkey.

2. Overreaction by officials. I could speculate here about how I think the LE has found what amounts to a rainy day windfall (pardon the pun), however, I will not. What I will speculate is that the media firestorm, and the subsequent overreaction by the authorities. It's the perfect storm (pardon the pun, again). This just doesn't happen every single time there's a thunderstorm that pops up. This was extreme circumstances, and Friday's ticketings MAY be overreaction, however, I was not there to witness why the officer decided to initiate a stop. In Lanny Dean's case, he probably WAS targeted, because not only has he been vocal, but his car has a huge sign on the door. For me, Friday was a no traffic day, really. There was NO chaser convergence, and I was all over Kansas.

I would like to say this will blow over, because setups like that happen so rarely, but I'm not sure it will till someone stands up and says, that's not right. Of course, the even more telling thing, at least to me, is it is only these two neighboring counties making all the racket.

It would be nice to know how some other counties feel about this.

Tim

 

[Andrew Burnett]

Sad to see so many folks only concerned about their rights and their chase. Worst thread ever.