This up close stuff is getting out of hand

[nickgrillo]

Honestly, I'd be hardpressed to say that any girl would consider a storm chaser (or "insane kid driving a Camero ruining chasing for all the real chasers") a superhero for any reason, at anytime -- besides for the 000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000.1% of the female population -- who is actually interested in severe wx.

The only thing hell get out of it is some cheap 1 night action from some bimbo that thinks hes a brave superhero...and then die of the STD that follows.

I saw the video. Honestly, it's NOT the worst I've seen, albeit it is indeed some extremely close footage. I've seen some equally "reckless" behavior (i.e. in terms of speed and proximity) out of some known chasers within the "community". The whole speeding argument is what makes me laugh; EVERY chaser has exceeded the limit during a chase -- and I'm not talking about 10-15mph over, but more like > 30mph over, even if rarely. I'm not arguing in an attempt to defend this guy or his behavior, but people get too worked up over stuff sometimes. If the pattern wasn't so lousy right now, this thread wouldn't have gotten half the attention that it has. Melodrama is par for the course within the online chaser community (even though half the people on this board have never actually chased a storm).

I'm sure storm chasing will be a federal crime with mandatory prison time before the year 2012...and we'll all die of swine flu!

 

[Joey Ketcham]

All that aside though, I just don't understand why some chasers are having issues with cops. After 25 years of roaming the plains I can't think of a single incident with a LEO while chasing that was negative, even when I got a ticket (because I deserved a ticket). In fact, I know some instances where they gave me a break BECAUSE I was a chaser. I can't help but wonder if some of the one's having issues had some sort of an attitude that made the situation be negative, or something.

I STRONGLY agree with you David. I really do not understand how so many people have such bad encounters with cops. In the 13 years I've been chasing I've chased all throughout the Midwest and I have had plenty of encounters with cops and each time they were very respectful and polite. Yes, I have even been pulled over for speeding and even then the officer who pulled me over was respectful.

Just recently we saw a chaser get on here and bitch and moan, and overall having a bad attitude about getting a citation because of having something mounted to the windshield so I am inclined to believe that the person probably displayed that same kind of attitude towards the cop which probably pissed the officer off and led to a citation.. I am pretty sure that a lot of these bad encounters is a direct result of the bad attitude the chasers get, in this day in age everyone tends to think they are an expert in law. Many people don't realize, your attitude is typically the deciding factor in whether or not you get a citation or a warning when pulled over. Sure, some cops will have it set from the moment they light you up that they are going to cite you, but for the most part cops will decide based on your attitude. So yeah, when a chaser gets an attitude and tries to act like they know how to do the officers job and know the law that is going to piss the cop off and probably turn it into a bad experience.

 

[Adam Lucio]

Not to pick on you or to defend the guy's actions, but does it really matter if he "amounts to anything in the chaser community?" Many of us have been chasing for years and "don't amount to anything" in the chasing community and we don't really give a rat's rear end either.

Hell, I'd even argue that his irresponsible driving has already rocketed him above a lot of people in his chasing "career" if we measure chaser success by the consensus present day standards and expectations. That is, everyone is talking about him and he's getting his fleeting moments of fame.

No it doesnt matter. My point was that we wont be seeing much of this guy, it was an isolated incident that will get him his 15 minutes of fame, zero money because he gave his footage away, and allot of bad mouthing on the internet. Allot of people seem concerned that people like him are the next up and coming breed of chasers...the local yahoo has always been around, its just easier for them to make themselves known now.

This guy will not ruin our reputations, ones reputation is earned by his or her own actions. For as long as I can remember, the sterotype of storm chasers has always been that we're a bit crazy...adrenaline junkies mixed in with science geekiness. That has never changed, and probably never will.

I do find it funny now that hes got all these copywright claims going on youtube now. Still a major tool in my eyes and I hope that camaro of his received some nice chaser trophies from flying debris.

 

[Sean McMullen]

Honestly, I'd be hardpressed to say that any girl would consider a storm chaser (or "insane kid driving a Camero ruining chasing for all the real chasers") a superhero for any reason, at anytime -- besides for the 000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000.1% of the female population -- who is actually interested in severe wx.

LOL! I think you meant .0000000000000000000000000000000001% but I get it. Lucky for me my wife is my chase partner and I don't have to worry about that, best of luck to the rest of you.

The sad part about that day was that the only footage I saw in the media were videos from the people that had close calls and then to add insult to injury they actually interviewed these guys about their close call. I was just thinking to myself, how the hell do I compete with this? I remember back in 2007 when Amos had his close call down in Tulia, TX. However he had the decency not to release the footage and profit from his bad chasing decision. We could all learn from that.

 

[Robert Dewey]

However he had the decency not to release the footage and profit from his bad chasing decision. We could all learn from that.

The term "decency" and the statement "bad chasing decision" are all relative to each individual, though. I'm a capitalist, and don't see the problem with releasing such footage for monetary gain (hell, you could even donate it to your charity of choice). There are much more disgraceful exploitations going on in the world, and driving through a tornado should be the least of anybody's PR worries.

 

[joel ewing]

David, your post just about nailed it from any direction...as far as I'm concerned. Well done.
One thing is for sure, the internet is making for a new kind of media. Just last week, we here in Tucson had one of it's oldest two daily papers shut down permanently.
Since I've followed this S.Track thread from it's inception, and posted a few times...I've had some time to think about it all with a few day's breaks in between my posts. What I've concluded in my pondering is that for a couple of years now, I've mentally and emotionally been feeling some "heat" regarding possible upcoming infringements upon our legal rights to storm chase in the unimcumbered manner in which we all know and love. Are my fears based upon actual negative experiences with law enforcement that I've had while chasing...no. I'm like you, David. Most of the time when I've gotten a ticket on the road...I flat out deserved it. And each time, I told the officer that I had no hard feelings, that he made a fair bust. No, my fear is the result of a myriad of things, one of which for certain is the current mindset of some chasers that they need to market themselves and their vids from an angle of "Incredible"..."Insane"...et al. This is not a shot at R.T. I've defended him in StormTrack several times. Never met him. But I don't think it takes much mental extrapolation to see how this mindset has taken on a life of it's own...and once the plains get completely out of hand with wannabees that want their own insane vids...legal attacks aimed at stormchasing will not be far behind.

 

[Drew.Gardonia]

oh my, this thread has gotten out of hand.

 

[Sean McMullen]

The term "decency" and the statement "bad chasing decision" are all relative to each individual, though. I'm a capitalist, and don't see the problem with releasing such footage for monetary gain (hell, you could even donate it to your charity of choice). There are much more disgraceful exploitations going on in the world, and driving through a tornado should be the least of anybody's PR worries.

Maybe I should have put it this way...most chasers that market their video do so in a way that is much like a journalist or reporter who documents and reports the story but they don't try to become the story. This is the way it should be done. Of course, if some production company wants to do a show on a chaser about them being a chaser then that is different, its a show about chasers and thats it. But when you're marketing your video to the news it should be about the tornado and whatever damage it caused and not about yourself.

 

[joel ewing]

Mr. Gardonia, why do you think this thread has gotten out of hand?
Good luck bagging your first tornado.

 

[Matt Gingery]

I just watched the video of this IDIOT! Not only is he breaking the law without any respect, he is tagging along behind other experienced chasers. This lumps him in with us, and I personally don't like it. Law enforcement has a tough enough time trying to protect the public and inform, to deal with this guy. He had no idea of the storm motion, or any storm knowledge at all. He is really lucky that he isn't seriously injured or killed. It would really be unfortunate if idiots like this give us experienced chasers a bad name. When I saw him talking into the camera at the end I could only think of one word, "MORON!". I think they should lock him up with the camera evidence of the speed he was doing, in fact I think they could prosecute him for that. Go ahead Highway Patrol, lock him up as an example. I hope that law enforcement can decipher idiots like that between experienced veteran chasers.

Not to try and promote this jerk, but anyone else that would like to see what an wreckless idiot is, here is the link: http://www.break.com/index/storm-chaser-catches-tornado.html

 

[Jason Boggs]

At the end of the Mike Ambrosia (Camaro dude) video..

"I'm gonna head back home and show all my"__________

A. Friends how big of an idiot I am
B. Relatives how I can drive in circles and say "God, help me".
C. Video with my face so I can be sure to get prosecuted.
D. All the above DING DING DING!!!

 

[joel ewing]

Okay, Okay, I'm gonna get flamed like Joan of Arc here, but I'm gonna say it anyways. I just now...for the first time...saw the vid of the "Camaro Dude". (thanks to the above post for the link). For several days now, I've been reading and hearing about this "EeeeViiiilll" guy who....almost got killed by the tornado he was chasing. Well, watching the vid, I guess he didn't rub me the same way he evidently has everybody else. In fact, towards the end of the vid, I actually had my hand over my mouth and was grinning. Are you kidding? This vid's frickkin' great!! What more could you want....this obvious newbie got so shook up he was praying to God, Buddah, Tony Soprano and everybody else. He probably literally leaked in his diapers a bit. And through it all....and most of all...he reminded me of ME back in the day. And you know what...I'll bet he reminded you all of yourselves a bit too. Don't lie.....many of you have dropped the hammer in your chase vehicles when nobody was lookin' too. I've seen more than a few of you do it. And yes...be honest here....you've blown past a lane full of vehicles like they were sitting still en route to what you only hoped was a tornado at the time. S--t...it wasn't too many years ago west of Concordia that I hydroplaned and did a full 180 and back at 80mph!! Not one bit of exaggeration there. If Hertz would have found out about that, they would have black-balled me for life.
The "Camaro Dude".....hmmmmph. Hell, he didn't even cuss once. Would somebody please adopt him...give him the web addy of Storm Track and invite him inside? Let him learn. I'll bet he never gets that close to a tornado again. Remember...life is nothing more than a series of adjustments. This guy belongs in here...and in my view....has earned it.

 

[Bryce Stone]

I don't think anyone's mentioned that this Camaro fellow did his 120 MPH stunt with one hand (the other was holding the camera).

At least he had the good sense to pray for divine intervention during the tornado he placed himself into.

 

[Drew.Gardonia]

Mr. Gardonia, why do you think this thread has gotten out of hand?
Good luck bagging your first tornado.

Joel,

please call me Drew or Andrew as Mr. Gardonia is my father lol...

and I just saw all the bickering going on and thought it was kinda getting out of hand.

 

[Melissa Jablonski]

Hey ,Drew do you agree with me on this? It seems to be age and experience vs youth and exuberance. And no I don't mean either are wrong . I also know that doen't mean the young haven't seen tornadoes or the older haven't seen them up close. An earlier reference to us shooting video of dust devils from 20 miles away kinda over looked a few huge tornadoes . Let's work together not against each other we are all right.
Melissa