This up close stuff is getting out of hand

[Dan Robinson]

I think it's natural to want to see the subject of one's fascination up-close. I don't have a problem with getting close to tornadoes, as long as it's a calculated process that can be done safely by someone with experience. In most cases I think it's no different from getting close to a train - just stay off the track.

I would like to experience a tornado up close at least once. Just like with lightning - I love being as close to lightning as I can get (in a safe spot), there are details that you can't observe and photograph at a distance - things like beading, channel drift, upward leaders, etc.

The issue I see with getting close to tornadoes is not the act itself, but how you get there. If you have to drive 120mph on wet roads to do it, then there's a real problem. Getting close to a tornado does not threaten anyone else but yourself, but how you *get there* could.

 

[Darren Stephens]

I am wrangling on whether to even post about this but I cannot help it. There are so many on here that over think things to the tenth power it blows me away. I AM NOT FLAMING but that is just how some people are...that is okay BUT if an idiot chooses to put him or herself in harms way then get out of their way. If you know that you are doing the right thing and you feel safe in a tornadic situation then that is all you can worry about it. How many threads on here deal with people flaming about some idiot and how it will give us all a black eye. It is going to happen and is redundant to rehash it everytime something like this happens. I apologize in advance if your offended by this just my $0.02.

 

[Connor McCrorey]

I personally like to be in the tornado itself. Preferably several hundred feet in the air, but I realize that tornadoes with that kind of power only come along so often. I find that "aerial" footage tends to get me the most money, especially if I can work a cow or two into the shot. Also, I find it best to share the experience with others, so I get friends to pay for gas, without telling them the kind of "extreme chasing" that we are really going to be doing. If I can do a self-rating of the tornado while screaming on a phoner and get a glimpse of my lightbars in the stream being aired, it's just icing on the cake.

 

[Dustin Wilcox]

There's major difference between getting close and being stupid, after watching video of the episode its normally pretty easy to tell what category the cameraperson falls into. I look up to and respect the folks who can get close in a safe and professional manner. There are a select number of veterans that come to mind, watch their video and time and time again you will see them manage to get close in a safe and effective manner, being intense and having fun, but doing so in a professional manner. A good deal of the time when the camera person is "freaking out" to me its nothing more than an indication that they are in way over their heads, and placing themselves into the stupid category...

 

[Steve Dedman]

Perhaps I am a little too business oriented here but I see a ton of personal liability on the line in storm chasing.

The first thing we do when planning an event is call a buddy and get him or her onboard for the long drive to a target. Then we might load in another buddy or two... As the driver of a vehicle with the perceived notion by your passengers that you have their best interests in mind while chasing, you are highly liable for your actions and potential adverse decisions or even accidental encounters.

I'm not sure which tour company it was that got very close yesterday but one did. Do you think those "tourists" had a helluva ride and their monies-worth? You betcha. If that tornado had appeared 100 yards sooner do you think the result would be the same? No. Someone would be having the pants sued off them and every other tour operator would certainly lose their insurance as a consequence. This is a good example of one incident changing the face of storm chasing from a casualty/injury and a business standpoint. (As a disclaimer, I LOVE the chase tour business model; please do not take my comments/observations out of context).

Camero Dude... This guy is personally videoing his lawsuit evidence should he have hit and injured anyone. Why do this? I will note that this is a primary reason ChaserTV does not keep archived copies live feeds. Liabilities aren't pretty and they are everywhere.

David Drummond is the only (private) chaser I know who has his ride-alongs sign a waiver releasing him from liability. This is very smart considering the consequences should something go wrong and the many opportunities there are for all of us out there in our hobby to suffer these consequences. I will probably have one created soon too.

Steve has hit the nail on the head right here. Getting really close is a personal decision. But suing someone into homelessness for depriving a person of their family due to negligence or reckless behavior is also a personal decision.

If you want to get close in, go for it. But if you do be sure you are fully apprised of the ramifications if you, or one of your chase partners, or a bystander gets hurt. Those are just the financial ramifications. The psychological ramifications are often worse. How will you feel, every minute of every day for the rest of your life knowing that you harmed another in your zeal to get The Shot, or to get an adrenaline fix?

I was involved in a near-fatality accident about 25 years ago. It was my fault; just a momentary distraction. That feeling never completely goes away, and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.

Sometimes it's best to step back and remember that there will be other tornadoes, and this one just isn't worth the risk.

AFA as Camaro dude: he's a Darwin Award waiting to happen. If it doesn't come from chasing a tornado, it will come somewhere else (hopefully sans bystanders). Nature has a way of adding just the right amount of chlorine to the gene pool occasionally.

 

[Warren Faidley]

Unfortunately, the public has been **programmed** by "unreality" television, inept writing and a host of competitive cable news and weather outlets, to expect the flying debris or jackass footage. They rarely, if ever, even question the means of obtaining such footage, even if the means encourages others to do the same jackass thing. What if the media began asking firefighters to "start moving into the flames a little moreâ€￾ for a better shot?

Then again, close calls do happen -- even when you are being responsible. Such events make wild footage and great PR. Most of us, including myself, have been there. So, we need to be careful when criticizing a great clip until we know the actual circumstances. I guess the difference is when someone is going out of their way to put themselves (or others) at risk by being totally irresponsible and careless.

Regardless, the days of shooting a beautiful tornado over an open green field and expecting to market such images or footage are gone. Just last week a producer called me from the UK seeking "tornado footage." Later, he clarified, "No, I'm sorry, you know... the bodies flying through the air stuff." I hung up.

I know this sounds cold, but I doubt there will be much remorse from the chasing community when the first moron gets a splintered 2x4 driven though his spine while doing something stupid.

W.

 

[Stephen Locke]

The Camaro Kid was not the only invincible one out there yesterday. After the Kirksville storm became an HP mess I was passed by 3 professional chase vehicles (the ones with all the gear up on top). I was driving 55 mph through a 60 DBZ core. There was no shoulder, water was ponding and visibility was zero. These guys were on a mission and I was apparently in their way. I felt 55mph was pushing it . . .

The value of this discussion is in the way it helps to evolve a collective intelligence. Introspection, on the part of Stormtrack membership is an opportunity to help define that collective intelligence and etiquette. If, in general, serious chasers think it is un-cool to be an adrenaline junkie and act like an idiot that sentiment will be expressed over time and will affect behaviour. There are readers who are not participating in this conversation. Currently Active Users: 163 (46 members and 117 guests)

 

[Joey Ketcham]

Ok, does anyone have a link to this "camaro kid" everyone speaks of cause i have no idea what that whole thing is about.

 

[Rob Wadsworth]

With as much forwarning that is available to be in the best place for a storm, do we really need to make up the difference by driving faster to get to the target? One may consider that some feel that after diving several hundred miles for a score, that driving w/o any concern for others is appropriate. Camaro dude, you make us all feel ashamed for your actions!

 

[Eric Treece]

Ok, does anyone have a link to this "camaro kid" everyone speaks of cause i have no idea what that whole thing is about.

I second that. I found the old link on facebook but it has been removed. All the attention this guy is getting I gotta see it for myself.

 

[Dan Robinson]

Here is a copy of the full "120mph in traffic on a 2-lane road" video:

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=3a4_1242319398&c=1

 

[Shane Adams]

After finally seeing the "Camero" video, I'm not that appalled by it. If you remove the shot of him accelerating to over 100mph at the beginning, it looks a lot like video I see from chasers every event: He got close, he had a lot of annoying and sometimes humorous dialogue, and couldn't guess distance to save his life. I think the difference between this guy and a lot of us is, our mistakes and dumbassness wasn't broadcast over the world wide web via YouTube. So for that alone, yeah he gets a Darwin nod from me. But the act itself, hell that's nothing half of all chasers today haven't done at some point in their life.

I think what made the guy "ok" to me was, he wasn't trying to be something he wasn't. It was obvious from his reactions and comments that he was a novice and had little experience. It was actually quite refreshing to see a person in this situation not pretending they knew more than they did.

 

[Kevin Crawmer]

I heard an interview with Steve-O. Shortly after Steve Irwin passed away. They asked him what his thoughts were and he reverently said "he got the footage". If someone to kill themselves that is fine by me. I get their passion it just isn't for me. I have too much to live for. Heck their car in the air might make for a great picture!

My main worry is the crazy driving. I don't want my family putting flowers out in the middle of nowhere for me. If you make the right forecast and navigate well it shouldn't be that much of a problem. I do realize that accidents can happen but there should be less of them not more in the era of on-board radar and GPS.

 

[Chris Foltz]

Ok, does anyone have a link to this "camaro kid" everyone speaks of cause i have no idea what that whole thing is about.

Unfortunately, the kid removed the initial video from his FB and YouTube pages so, unless someone happened to archive it for posterity sake, you won't be able to see the most damaging evidence against him. He has posted a shortened version which still shows him being an idiot.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKYtVdmgHIQ

 

[Tyler_Costantini]

Maybe ¼ mile or less is the new norm for tornado chasing? In the past we had so little data in the field also we didn’t really know how close we could get with out getting into trouble. Well now that every thing in the world can record video we are starting to get a good idea where we can go and when can go their. Also if this topic is about storm chasing’s image to the public we should be getting allot more worked up about Sean Casey driving against the grain on I-70 then a few people getting close and making some money off of it.