Important RE: Klingons - Bad news in Gulfport

[Mike Hollingshead]

I doubt the majority were locals. It was May, in KS, big day, small target, near an interstate. I saw lots of chasers there, and I was there adding to the crowd. I even found myself in Kansas that day without the "PVC draw"...like I bet the other 99.9% there did.

I think people should think more when trying to blame their concerns. The same useless blame game arguments come up each year. If you are out there chasing, I wouldn't be bothering much with the blame game. One doesn't have to like there being more crowds, obviously, but the blame placing stuff is pretty useless.

Once everyone takes off their PVC and their trackers and the same crowds are still there, then what? Blankets?

I disagree on non-chasers not knowing what safe locations would be. It's laughable to think because a chaser doesn't say so, and TWC doesn't list the exact spot they go to, that joe citizen will have a difficult time figuring that part out.

 

[Brett Adair]

Just to clarify, it was NOT that I minded the other people around, the responsible chasers and I hung out and a had a good time looking at data, talking, joking etc. They were a great group and I met some really sharp chasers. I'm glad there are others around so we can watch each other's backs and share data.

The problem is with the locals and "one time" ambulance chasing types who show up to just yell and scream and hoot and throw beer bottles and mess with the police, etc., etc. The police lump us all together, no matter if you are a journalist, met. student, or a goofball from Bongolos. The police are on heightened alert mode and it does not take a lot to try their patience. You can be on the first chase of your life (we have all been there) and still behave in "responsible" manner. Nothing wrong with that. And yes, I spoke to one resident near Highway 90 after the storm who was monitoring a chaser tracking site (I don't know which one), although he was not out following anyone. I was advised by another chaser in the garage that several people in the garage were following GPS tracking.

As for the GPS, I think it's a great idea, for all the mentioned reasons, but it comes with a price, just like when VORTEX used to post their plan of the day on the Internet and they ended-up with a zillion Kingon Cruisers following them.

I started this thread for friendly and constructive discussion so maybe this situation can be avoided in the future. I think there are ways to use the GPS systems and still prevent an onslaught of people following the signals. The problem seems to be long periods of non-movement, where people can zero in on a location.

I actually do see a future where "chasers" are banned from coastal areas by local LEO's. Unlike tornado chasing over massive areas, coastal areas are limited and easier to manage.

I'll let you young whippersnappers figure it out as most of you have a lot more years left of chasing than I do.... lol. (I think I still have about 20?)

Warren

In Pensacola heading to the east coast.

Warren...

I completely agree with your statements and it was great being able to film the surge with you and Blake on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Since this thread has been opened up I feel that I should speak on it....

We arrived in Gulfport at around 4:30pm and began going to the locations that were earlier scouted by the crew. We came expecting to only have three vehicles (me, Blake Michaleski, and Matt Grantham) with just a few people from the South Alabama Storm Intercept Team. We ended up meeting Warren coming out of a deck that we were scouting out earlier. We spoke and never really figured that we would end up being in the same place.

We found several law enforcement officers parked in an area behind he deck that we decided to stay at during the event. So, myself and Blake Michaleski (sp?) went to chat with them and let them know what we were doing and what we were there for. They all seemed really cool and were glad to have us there to help provide the most up to date information available.

Well....we were all having a great time talking, sharing data, opinions, etc. as Warren stated but it turned into pretty much chaos later in the evening. We had our location plotted on spotternetwork (a great tool, but a big mistake in this situation) so everyone who saw us came running. The thing that pisses me off....many of them came in after curfew. The police certainly didn't like that.

I caught a nap between 12:30 and 3:30 in my Tahoe and awoke to the sound of shattering glass. At that point there were about 16-20 people in the deck. Half of them who I didn't know nor have any desire to know. The crew that got stranded in Dolly showed up.......that's about all I have to say about that. Some guy calling NHC the NHS......just no knowledge.

Blake and myself walked down to the pub that was right across from the deak at around 3:30 since those guys welcomed us earlier in the evening. They informed us that someone was loud up in the deck with a squeaky voice....and we knew who it was immediately because the kid was loud as hell. Then when we went out for the surge these inexperienced people followed us....it was just a big BIG mistake to have the GPS on.

I enjoyed meeting you Warren and maybe next time I will have a quick disconnect for my anemometer so I don't have to reattach during hurricane force winds. LOL!

 

[Dennis Sherrod]

To me, trying to place the blame of convergence at parking decks on Spotter Network or any GPS positioning is pretty much just guessing or speculating. I would speculate that only a very small amount of people who show up in a parking deck are tracking us down with GPS. Anyone who has spent any time near the coastal areas know that parking decks are places that are well known areas to "hurricane watch" and are viewed as a fairly safe place. I have known about this for over 30 years, well before ever using GPS and have seen these areas being used as a party area by some, for many years. Well before any of us were using them for our chasing, tracking, watching, etc, the Law Enforcement, EMS, Red Cross, and many other public and government entities have been using them as a "safe place" to go.
My reasoning on this goes along in the same manner as saying PVC setups, signs, antennas, the dreaded light bars, drags all of the locals along. It does not take signs, antennas, light bars, PVC setups, etc to figure out that people are chasers.
Just look at the people stopped with all sorts of cameras pointing in one direction and you can figure that out. Obviously, other people are going to stop or at least slow down to look in the same direction.
To hear and read what people are saying that the majority or a lot of the people at convergences are locals is just nonsense. I wonder if the people saying this are actually wandering around asking them, reading vehicle license plates, or whichever way they could use to gather these alleged statistics.
I would think they would be spending more time documenting the storm than trying to figure out where all these people came from. I am fairly confident that some local people show up at chaser convergences, but to me, from what I have seen, it appears like there are more chasers and chaser groupies following the TIV, other setups, and each other around. But at the same time, I don't stop and hang out or stay in an area where several others are, as this just adds to the overall image and problem.
I would rather go somewhere else and try to get a different view or perspective than the same thing everyone else is getting, even at the cost of losing a chance to film a storm.

 

[ABlaser]

Dude,

you forgot ...blankets, LOUNGE CHAIRS AND LOTS OF BEER!

Once everyone takes off their PVC and their trackers and the same crowds are still there, then what? Blankets?