Skywarn Spotter? Ever asked if you're a storm chaser from the decals on your car?

[Mike Hollingshead]

I don't have stickers, just a few antennas, but it seems like every chaser convergence or pit stop for gas strikes up a conversation with the locals about nader chasing.

If you really, really want to pick up chicks, you need a lightbar as opposed to just those Skywarn stickers.

This all reminds me of the funny on my last chase while sitting in Valentine. It's a long story(I've never been invited to a party on a chase before lol...should have went). This girl was talking to me, after coming over because her friend thought she knew me. She didn't but the girl stayed there and kept talking and asked what I was doing there. So I explained. She then says that a chaser almost ran into her the other day. Then she says, "They need flashing lights or something." During the conversation she actually mentioned them needing flashing lights twice. I thought it was funny. I was like, yes, yes they do. That or just not about run into people in the first place.

 

[Brian Hurst]

It always funny people asking you, "how much does it pay," to spot/chase!!You get to hear all there tornado and hail stories some are interesting.Seem like everyone wants there own personal forecast like are we going to have a tornado here.

 

[D. Hayes]

Since I'm active duty USAF I always get asked if I'm in the weather squadron from the security forces at the base gate and if the Air Force paid for my truck. I wish!

Thing is I rarely ever use the Skywarn magnets since I had one blow off and I don't use stickers. But I do gets lots of people asking me questions. A few week ago one morning at Lowe's I was loading the truck up with lumber and several people came up to me asking stuff like..., "Did you get to see the tornado up in Nebraska last night?" or they inform me of where a tornado was and then act like they are smart . Dumbest ones are "Is there a storm coming?" When I have all my radios on and radar displays up.

Course the look of my truck don't exactly help either.

http://www.impact9.com/gallery/albums/userpics/storm7_[640x480].JPG

 

[Tim Stoecklein]

Don't have the Skywarn stickers on my vehicle, but with a couple antennas for ham, a nice parking spot on the side of the road, and a camera pointed out your window......it's amazing how many people you can slow down if they don't have a radar detector

 

[Jeff Hawkins]

Being my first season chasing I didn't have any decals on my car...just my laptop and my scanner radio. Hence I didn't have any real crazy encounters, but on the days I was leaving to chase, I did have my co-workers looking at me in a forelorn and foreboding way, emploring me to 'stay safe', and 'hope to see you Monday'...as if I was going into something like an F5! I was LOL at this inside, of course knew their hearts were in the right place, and I was careful on every chase (hence have lived to tell the tales).

 

[David Drummond]

The ones that never fail to amaze me. I have in big letters 11 with an NBC logo and FIRST ALERT STORM CHASER and they come up and ask if I am a storm chaser? English reading as a second language I guess.

Not as amazing though as the ones that see me in it, ask me where the tornadoes are when it's December and 30F outside and spitting snow.

 

[Jason Boggs]

Or when you're out watching a big *ss storm chugging your direction and someone pulls up and says "are there going to be any storms today?"

 

[Stephen Barabas]

Since I'm active duty USAF I always get asked if I'm in the weather squadron from the security forces at the base gate and if the Air Force paid for my truck. I wish!

Thing is I rarely ever use the Skywarn magnets since I had one blow off and I don't use stickers. But I do gets lots of people asking me questions. A few week ago one morning at Lowe's I was loading the truck up with lumber and several people came up to me asking stuff like..., "Did you get to see the tornado up in Nebraska last night?" or they inform me of where a tornado was and then act like they are smart . Dumbest ones are "Is there a storm coming?" When I have all my radios on and radar displays up.

Course the look of my truck don't exactly help either.

http://www.impact9.com/gallery/albums/userpics/storm7_[640x480].JPG

Ha! Yes, I'm frequently asked if there is a storm coming too when people see my rigged up truck. Then again, you don't see vehicles around in Connecticut set up with anemometers on it. I kind of enjoy when people come up to me and get excited. On occasion I visit my old science teacher from Elementary school and when the little kids see my truck they go NUTS! I let them look at my Kestrel 4000 and they were all fighting over it.

Aaah. That's how I used to be when I was their age. Hell, I still am!

 

[Stephen Barabas]

The ones that never fail to amaze me. I have in big letters 11 with an NBC logo and FIRST ALERT STORM CHASER and they come up and ask if I am a storm chaser? English reading as a second language I guess.

Not as amazing though as the ones that see me in it, ask me where the tornadoes are when it's December and 30F outside and spitting snow.

Random guy on the street: Hey dar, u evah seen one dem snow twistas? Hear dem sucka's elusive.

 

[Justin Roberts]

I don't display any stickers or have any flashy LEDs but my car looks like a porcupine with the antennas. I still have people come up to me and ask if I am a storm chaser or what the weather is going to do. I went thru the Sonic drive-thru in Topeka one time and had my laptop open with GR3 going and the girl asked if I was a storm chaser. I made the mistake of saying "I suppose so" and had the entire crew of Sonic workers of the North Topeka Sonic crowding their head thru the drive thru window to ask me questions and look inside my car.

 

[Justin Roberts]

Or when you're out watching a big *ss storm chugging your direction and someone pulls up and says "are there going to be any storms today?"

As your sitting thru the core with volkswagon size hail, somebody comes up knocking on your window to ask if the storms are going to be bad.

 

[Tim Stoecklein]

Did have a trucker on I-70 ask me on the CB if I was chasing UFO's once, lol! I said, "If I am, are you going to follow me into the light?"

 

[Ben Holcomb]

Not as amazing though as the ones that see me in it, ask me where the tornadoes are when it's December and 30F outside and spitting snow.

That reminds me of the Sonic in Denver at the ChaserConvention. Huuurrrrrr durrrrrrrrrrrr.

I had a trucker ask me once on the CB if I was 'One of them stooooooorm chasers'. He apparently saw the laptop and camera and ham plates I guess.

It is annoying when you stop at a fast food place and get a million questions. I was between two storms and was grabbing a quick bite to eat at Wendy's in the drive-thru, and the girl at the window kept asking me questions.. It's like go get me my food so I can get back on the road!

 

[David Drummond]

I don't display any stickers or have any flashy LEDs but my car looks like a porcupine with the antennas. I still have people come up to me and ask if I am a storm chaser or what the weather is going to do. I went thru the Sonic drive-thru in Topeka one time and had my laptop open with GR3 going and the girl asked if I was a storm chaser. I made the mistake of saying "I suppose so" and had the entire crew of Sonic workers of the North Topeka Sonic crowding their head thru the drive thru window to ask me questions and look inside my car.

I've had that situation result in free food a number of times!

 

[Stephen Barabas]

And now I must ask this. . .and I feel bad for asking this, and maybe I shouldn't. But I'm going to anyway.

Has anyone ever noticed that at most, if not all SKYWARN meetings, there is AT LEAST one toothless. . .below par intellectual person sitting in the front of the meeting who has all of the mediocre . . .remedial questions that slows everything up, while most are sitting there to endure time and renew their ID cert?

I don't mean to be blunt, but jeez. . . It's like these people just walked out from the hills or something.

I don't know. I just wanted to see if anyone else noticed this as I have. Maybe I just notice too much.