Staying sane with chase partners

[Darrin Rasberry]

My typical chase partner (Craig Maire) and I chase pretty regularly, and after a four-day haul of chasing and 2000 miles with one high risk blowout, we escaped with nothing more than occasional tiffs Sunday about which cell to chase. We talked about the whole issue of chasers losing their temps with one another while on a chase while driving home yesterday and how we generally manage to avoid incivility given close quarters for hours on end, and I thought it would be a good question to put forth: for your regular chase partners, how do you keep civility intact after disagreements? How do you keep from taking it out on each other when the day goes blue-sky or crapfest? What do you do in a major case, say, if your recommendation for an area was rejected by your partner(s) and it ended up getting the storm of the day?

We end up staying sane by joking around like high schoolers by gym lockers, listening to old country, apologizing for any snaps or bad moods if a chase doesn't turn out well for a given day, assessing the positives and all the stuff we learned, and talking about the good, bad, and ugly in general for the chase. A favorite way of releasing frustration for both of us is blaming the SPC, bad road networks, AT&T, and the state itself, all until they're all utilized the next week.

What's your advice? Without mentioning any names or specifics for which those names could easily identify as them (of course) what do you do in situations when a new partner (or perhaps an old one who you find yourself loathing to chase with ever again) is so horrific that you are pondering a police convoy to make sure you don't toss them out of the car?

 

[Danny Neal]

Usually when Adam and I chase we see eye to eye and have the same general idea of what we want to accomplish and if we have to punch a core we will do it. When you start adding people, the comfort level and maturity can tend to decrease. I will run through a wall to get a tornado, if that means punching through a tennis ball hail core...so be it. Problem is whoever is in your car may not like that and start freaking out where it forces you to turn around and head back east or in Sunday case WEST into Texas and lose out on all the tornadoes 15 miles to the north in Roll. I am not sure what the issue was as anytime I brought it up I got snapped at and even a map thrown at me (lol) There definitely needs to be some re-evaluating going on. I am a competitor by nature so I always want to be in the game. Not lead on a merry go round. Blah /rant

Seems like we all have a different way of handling a pressure situation..... some can handle it, some can not. Some even crack under the pressure and start freaking out.

Outside of the chase though, we all get along like the best of friends.... it's just the ability to keep calm when things get hairy.

 

[Scott Roberts]

Until this year, I've had a parade of chase partners, mostly friends and relations (to coin a term from "Winnie the Pooh"). So there's no real chance for disagreement on positioning, etc., as they're relying on me to get them to the right place.

I now have a regular partner, and he knows a lot more about some areas of forecasting (especially) than I do. The Saturday chase was our first long one, so I'm not sure I'm qualified yet to say what we might do if we get in a conflict. It will be interesting to see the various ways people have weathered through the natural conflicts we all seem to have from time to time.

 

[Jason Boggs]

This is one reason I don't have a regular chase partner. Not saying I don't like to chase with others, but I am very very particular about who goes with me. I like making my own decisions, and when I fail, I can only blame myself.

 

[Melissa Jablonski]

I have found that an out of the car popcorn fight goes along way toward getting rid of tension. it doesn't hurt anyone or any thing and popcorn is cheap. Just make sure it's popped.

 

[Adam Lucio]

To echo on what Danny said as him and I have zero issues when chasing:

I think its important to chase with someone who has a similar style as you. Chasers have different comfort levels and different tactics. None is more right than the other its simply just their style. Its when those styles conflict is when things can get hairy.

Sunday I had conflicting information coming in each ear. Instead of taking the time to go over the reasons of each persons plan I lost my composure and simply listened to the guy who was screaming louder just to shut him up...this cost the 4 of us the Roll tornado fest.

Since I was driving I should have pulled over and analyzed each situation rather than acting on an impulse...one that ultimately lead to 4 pissed off people instead of 1 lol....had our storms produced it would have been a different story

Best advice I can give is always be a team player. I always ask everyones opinions as I don't like to be the one calling all the shots. If your the type that feels theyre always right and always has to make the calls then do yourself a favor and remain a loner.

As far as how to tolerate each other during the long drive. Funny youtube videos work best. One reason I love the chase so much is how hard I end up laughing on the drive.

 

[Marcus Hicks]

There was a guy I chased with a couple of yrs ago (that I no longer even talk to) We would get into some heated ones. Mainly if I picked the wrong cell but often times it was due to his needing me to say turn here and not give him a route in advance. I try and recognize when it's just frustration from a bust chase and keep my mouth shut. But its tough being stuck in a car for hours/days with the same person. Good chase or not. Little things tend to get under ones skin.

 

[John Wetter]

Easy... Don't chase with other people...

 

[James Wilson]

I usually chase alone ... makes it hard to drive and nav but i do not have a choice.

 

[Dean Baron]

My rule of thumb is that I usually leave the final call up to the driver, unless I have a particularly strong opinion, but we're usually on the same page. Chasing along is overwhelming, but its nice once in a while. Biggest thing that I've noticed that will really help a situation, be able to navigate well.

 

[Jason A.C. Brock]

CHASE ALONE....YEAH WITH NOBODY ELSE....

I used to chase with a few high school buddies early in my chase career. Ive been chasing since 1992 & as I got better & these friends didnt want to learn more about weather as I did I tended to chase more ad more by myself. It also doesnt help that I have social anxiety disorder but I found If I messed up a chase I would get frustrated at myself...and usually that went away pretty fast. Id hang it up as learning and chase the next storm. I have found over the past couple years tho that chasing alone has gotten harder with so much gadgets.....keeping GPS programed, listening to scanner...talking on HAM, checking data on laptop, keeping cell phones cameras camcorders charged is alot tougher. I think I still prefer to go alone tho I do enjoy chasing with the tricountyweather and of course holytornado.com. I still like just pulling over...alone and watching the storm pass. Its just something I enjoy...taking timelapse of a tower going up or a gustfront comig at me. I do as everyone else does wat to see the tornado.....however im not going to drive 100 mph and kill everyone on the road to get to it and i not going to let the idea of not catching the tornado spoil my chase completely. Im going to enjoy my storm....and its alot easier to do that when your by yourself. Everyone is different tho and to each his own. Im pretty much a loner and quite person who kinda lies it that way so.

 

[Matt Sellers]

I learned quickly (within my first two seasons) who NOT to "partner" with, or even take along - the friend that "has always wanted to go chasing(!!!!!)" even though I knew they had zero interest in meteorology. They do one of two things - sleep or complain - and more so on bust days, of course.

Aside from that, I prefer chasing alone for much of the same reasons that Jason mentioned - if I screw up, I'd rather screw my own chase up than mine + someone else's.

Keeping a level head and being able to take the good aspects of chasing along with the bad is key - one's steady state of mind creates a bit of saneness in otherwise "insane" situations, whether caused by weather or by other personalities.

\_/

 

[Jeff Snyder]

Chasing along is overwhelming, but its nice once in a while. Biggest thing that I've noticed that will really help a situation, be able to navigate well.

I agree. I actually enjoy a solo chase every now and then, but it does mean the entire 'workload' falls on my shoulders. I'm already at the end of my rope when it comes to things I need to pay attention to during a chase -- adding streaming this year has 'maxed out' my attention I think. For solo chases, I need to worry about navigation, the latest mesoscale trends (RUC, sat, obs, etc), actually watching the sky (!), my camcorder and camera, maintaining a data connection, making sure my streaming video is facing the right area, and so forth. I went solo a lot during the first few years I chased, so I'm very comfortable with the notion. Generally, it's much easier to learn from a mistake when I make it alone, rather than having to deal with a decision that I was "outvoted" on that ended up costing us/me a tornado or nice storm. In fact, I think I learned much of what I know about chasing as a result of having to learn from all my early mistakes. Of course, such "consensus decisions" (as voted upon by the folks in my vehicle) for which I was in the minority can (and occassionally do!) work out for the better. It's for this reason that I've "teamed up" with people whose forecasts I trust and respect!

The majority of the time, I prefer and very much enjoy having at least one of my regular or semi-regular chase partners along, as that position often is the point person for navigating, and they're the "eyes to the sky" when I'm driving. In addition, having another chasing friend along is pretty much a "must have" for me for the long chases (partly because I enjoy their company, and partly out of safety). Of course, it's also nice to be able to discuss which storm to target, when to leave a storm, etc, but I don't worry too much about that since the folks with whom I chase tend to think very similarly to me in regards to chasing. I've had a very limited number of "conflicts" with chase participants over the year, and most of the time it pertained to the length of the chase (e.g. suddenly told me he needed to be back home by 8 pm, completely freaked about chase after dark, etc). I'm not a combative person, and I think I get along well with most people, so I haven't really run into any real personality issues with chase partners over the years. On the other hand, I'm not really the type of person to "invite" unfamiliar people along for a chase, and my gut is to stick to my regular chase "group" that has been assembled over the past 5 years. Of course, in the real world, there's a balance between being helpful to new chasers (by having them with) and operating/chasing efficiently with those with whom I'm familiar and who know my laptop software (GPS, StreetAtlas, GRx, etc). Typically, I prefer having at least one of my regular partners/friends along, and, assuming that happens, I'm often okay with having 2 more people (for 4 total) who are either other regular chase partners/friends or fellow chasers with whom I don't usually chase (fellow grad students, etc). The only thing I really tend to avoid is chasing with only another person that I'm not familiar (e.g. just me and someone who I'm not familiar with). The person in my passenger seat must be able to navigate well (looking and planning ahead 2-3 turns, etc)... I've had a couple of 'navigators' that never looked far enough ahead before giving me road advise, which led to dead ends or long, out-of-the-way routes that were caused by not looking and planning ahead more than one turn or road. Everyone I chase with regularly now is a good navigator, so that's one thing I don't worry about anymore.

I think it's important for anyone to remember not to take some things personally when said or done "chase mode", as it's easy to misinterpret a snappy or terse response as being a jerk or something. In the heat of the moment, when we're all trying to do several things at once and when stress levels can rise quickly, it's easy to zone out on others (e.g. not answer questions being asked, etc -- primarily because my mind is elsewhere!) or give short replies that may be interpreted in a manner in which I certainly do not intend them. My regular or semi-regular chase partners are my regular or semi-regular chase partners because we get along not only before and after the chase, but also while in the heat of it.

 

[Mike Peregrine]

This is a good question. I went by myself for years, and I'll still go by myself every now and then. My brother used to come with me a lot, and if you ever listen to our videos, you'll see how intense it can be between us sometimes. But we get over stuff pretty quick, just understanding that the nature of the situation is intense sometimes. I was pretty much used to calling the shots on where I chose to go and how things would be done, so chasing with partners the past couple of years has been a new experience for me. But I'm liking it a lot more than I thought I would. If you just have some mutual respect for each other and learn to stay cool when things are pressurized, it goes a long way. I'm fortunate to have partners who are good-natured and easy going. It's definitely weird for me being more in an information-gathering role, but I'm catching on to it. We were talking about it this weekend, and it's actually been good for me to have the laptop sitting right in my lap ... it forces me to pay more attention to navigation and data. I think the better data I can provide someone, the better the mutual decisions end up being. It's a partnership ... so just try to be a good partner. If both people do that and not worry about asserting rights or trying to get their way, it's amazing what you might accomplish working together. Collaboration is where it's at ...

 

[Steven Marshall]

Ewww chase partners...now there is a thorny issue. Ive had good ones and a couple of bad ones. I once took a guy with me on a 2 week plains chase trip and I dont think he said more than about a dozen words the whole time.

When it comes right down to it, the driver has the final say about safety calls. If the driver declines to drive under a rotating wall cloud even when the navigator says its perfectly safe....its his/her call. Personally I am a poor forecaster....relying more on gut instinct rather than technical synoptic knowledge. So if the partner is better at it than I, I will default to their decision. Arguments? No place for them under the wall cloud.

The personality types that tends to chase are the same types that tend to go into fire fighting...and they are aggressive action types who are outspoken in their opinions. This makes it easy to have heated discussions when those involved believe strongly in their position. Personally, if Im gonna spend my day arguing with someone over which way to go, Id rather go alone.