How Chasing (and ST) has changed

[Patrick Kerrin]

Just Amazing. Compare the discussions and topics found in the early decades of ST (the printed version) to where we have come now. It seems that Chasing is now is basically more about (only check those that apply to you):

* being closest
* getting the best video
* the most intense
* self promoting
* being on TV
* bickering
* competing
* lying
* forging
* stealing images
* driving insanely
* going for the extreme
* stormgasming
* upsetting locals and law enforecement
* did I mention bickering?
* setting bad examples
* tempting lawmakers
* not being courteous safe and responible
* "It's about them, not the storm"
* endangering others
* litigating
* did I mention being on TV?
* I could go on

When I got into this it was about the wonder of the atmosphere, forecasting, learning, and observing.

Maybe we need to get back to basics? How about making the old school attitudes of chasing "cool" again (and I would say that it is mostly the crappy documentaries and news stories that have pushed the style of chasing over to the extreme by glorifying certain elements over others - and WE let that happen)? The old ethos seemed to go a long way to self-police many of the issues facing Storm Observing today. Anyone remember the ideals originally set out by David Hoadley?

I am disgusted and shamed how Chasing has changed (though I refuse to let it change the way I chase), and I hope there will be some kind of movement to take chasing back from what is has become to (at least more) of what it used to be.

 

[rdale]

I think that's Yahoo-ing you are referring to. The chase community can't do diddly about that. I have a hard time believing anyone on this forum can take the blame for the above (leaving Billy's case aside.)

- Rob

 

[Douglas Mitchell]

Good luck with your movement, anyone who has a little money these days can go out and chase. That's the "problem" I suppose. You're never going to get chasing back to the so-called "glory days" so I think we need to embrace and educate rather than exclude.

 

[Patrick Kerrin]

I think that's Yahoo-ing you are referring to. The chase community can't do diddly about that. I have a hard time believing anyone on this forum can take the blame for the above (leaving Billy's case aside.)

- Rob

Well then I would posit that there seems to me to be a lot more Yahoo-ing going on these days! Just my opinion - everyone's mileage may vary!

 

[Jeff Miller]

heh

Chasing to me...

- Excitement beyond belief
- Tremendous storm structure
- Beautiful Scenery
- Dull, boring drives
- Busts
- Severe phenomena
- Road trips
- Good eatin at fine restaurants
- Awesome sunsets
- Sitting and waiting
- Enjoying life at its finest
- Watching turkey towers

Chasing is what you make it. You can let things that change bother you, or you cannot. You alone control your chase, no one else should. Chasing is independent. Theres no clock to punch in, theres no clock to punch out. It is you, the road, and the weather. Has chasing changed? not for me. Has stormtrack changed? maybe...but I dont revolve around a forum group. ST is here so I can communicate with other chasers... but it does not change my chasing. Chasing for me is the same as it was when I started, and when I can chase, I love each and every second of it.

 

[Patrick Kerrin]

Good luck with your movement, anyone who has a little money these days can go out and chase. That's the "problem" I suppose. You're never going to get chasing back to the so-called "glory days" so I think we need to embrace and educate rather than exclude.

Educating on and ecouraging the old ethos is EXACTLY what I am hoping for - I have no interest in excluding anyone. I think this is about changing attitudes - specifically attitudes about what matters in chasing as that seems to affect behaviour.

Hope that clarifies my point and motives a little more.

 

[bill mudd]

All good points....for me its:
1. pump first @$2.05 (not prepay @2.59 in CA)
2. always something to photograph
3. talking to some down to earth country people
4. never being tailgated
5. low cost ticket fines
6. seeing a cell explode on your radar screen and you are within reach
7. almost never being disapointed by a storm system
8. the absence (almost) of traffic lights
9. watching a golden weatfield at sunset with a storm lighting up the sky with orange mammitus hoovering

.......knowing that I discovered weather before I died......and trying to find foregiveness for someone who tried to be someone he really wasnt

 

[rdale]

"I think this is about changing attitudes"

How do you do that? How do you even find the audience? They certainly aren't here or on WX-Chase!

 

[Justin Turcotte]

To make a long rant short: The more you worry about others, the less enjoyment for yourself.

 

[David Wolfson]

Maybe someone should institute a CFDG certificate program -- CFDG standing for Certified Funnel Designation Guardian. There's a bit of in-joke humor there....

Seriously, though, I think it's great that so many people are storm watching and storm chasing. The experience humbles, educates, and awes everyone -- even the most exalted, ignorant, and contemptful among us.

Sure I regret in a way having to share the landscape with others. What visitor to Grand Canyon doesn't secretly wish they had it all to themselves?

Like I often say, practicing religion is a good thing because you know that most likely people aren't killing each other while they're in church. The rest of the week is a whole other thing.

 

[Dennis Gulley]

A couple of reasons that it has changed are: "Twister" do i need say more? Hollywoods unrealistic glorification of it.
And I think that its like being a little kid and pushing to see how far you can go without getting in trouble. Once you get in trouble you know to back down. Its the same in chasing. People will push the limits until they get into trouble or killed then and only then will they back off. That not the way to do it but its the way it is. Eventually somebody will try and drive right up to the edge of the tornado and get film of themselves getting out of their vehicle and trying to dodge debris. Look at whats happened with motorcycling, skateboarding etc. We would have never thought of doing anything close to that kind of stuff 20 years ago. I hate to see where chasing will be in 20 yrs.

Dennis

 

[Shane Adams]

The problem in this thread is people thinking chasing has to have some type of universal meaning for everyone. This is the same mistake religion makes everyday.

Chasing is different to different people. I can't stand people posting stuff like this thread's lead-off post bitching about "people don't chase the way I want them to." This is all that post is really saying.

My advice is, if you don't like the fact other people chase with different agendas or ideologies/philosophies, get off the internet. Stop posting reports, stop reading reports.

Disappear.

While we're on the subject of "yahooing", I'd like to make an example of the gross misrepresenation of that term. In the recent book (that everyone hates) "Big Weather", I'm quoted as saying "I was definitely a yahoo." I did say that, but I'm not (by saying that) admitting I was an irrersponsible jackass who had no consideration for others. I'm saying I was young, had no experience, was over-excitable, and was out there trying to do something that I myself (even then) knew I had no idea how to do. My point in saying that was, despite the fact I had no clue how to chase (and knew it), my passion to chase superceded that lack of knowledge and I went out and did it anyway. The point of my "yahoo" statement was to show others that if you're passionate and dedicated enough, you don't need experience to get started.

I guess my definition of yahoo is different than most. IMO "yahoo" means inexperience, excitement, niavity - but certainly not disregard or disrespect to anything or anyone.

My word for that is a$$hole.

 

[Mickey Ptak]

The point of my "yahoo" statement was to show others that if you're passionate and dedicated enough, you don't need experience to get started.

Experience no, but a basic knowledge would be helpful and safe. I won't get into what happened on my first chase because it is very embarrassing but I will say that my passion was stronger than my knowledge and that was a dangerous combination. My point here is although you don’t have to be a Mr. Marshall as far as chasing experience; a basic knowledge of storms would keep you a little safer imo.

We all start out somewhere and with regards to vast amount of data and forums such as ST you better bet we will see more chasers. It is becoming more and more easy for someone to chase as technology grows. I am sure Chase DVD’s and Documentaries do have a lot to do with the influx of new chasers. The fact is as much as I would love to have chased in the 70’s and 80’s with very little public emphasis on chasing and very few chasers on the road we must understand that those days are gone for good.

Mick

 

[David Douglas]

I don't know... I've been chasing since the '80's out of Fort Worth when Alan Moller used to get on live on the .94 repeater during the skywarn nets and give us live updates from the FW weather office. He used to run some awesome skywarn classes in the Fort Worth city council chambers.

Those days may be gone for good - but I must admit, having wireless internet in just about any city you stop at, access to all of the model data, the SPC updates and Baron ThreatNet beats it all!

I really don't mind having all of the other chasers around. With just a few exceptions, everyone is nice and is out there for the same reason - our love of severe weather. Hopefully some of our kids will enjoy our love and grow up to be meterologists and accept the woefully low pay that these guys get from our Govt.

Plus with the "tornado attack vechicles" we get some humor along the way



David Douglas
Austin, TX

 

[Patrick Kerrin]

"I think this is about changing attitudes"

How do you do that? How do you even find the audience? They certainly aren't here or on WX-Chase!

You present young chasers with different options for the attitude chasers have. In the early days the predominant attitude was different from what it is now - but even back then there were people who chased agressively and that was fine, but the overall attitude (motives. approach, demeanor, and thus behavior) was different than what the image of chasing has become now.

I would be much happier if there was more of a focus on the aspects of chasing that Bill and Jeffery mentioned - a lot of new people don't even get exposed to those aspects of chasing. Maybe the movement I am talking about is an active attempt to promote more of the boring and sublime aspects of chasing.

Again you change attitudes by presenting different viewpoints - and I would suggest that the media has been emphasising only one aspect of chasing over the last decade - the extreme, the up close, etc. and thus it draws mostly people who are drawn to those elements when chasing is much more than that (and NOT that for many chasers).