Wannabe NASCAR Chasers

[David Drummond]

On Wednesday 10/17/07 while chasing NE of OKC, TWICE I was almost rear ended by chasers riding my ass. These were are narrow 2 lane roads without any shoulders on them too. I was running the speed limit 65, with cruise on, and this group came up and rode my ass less than 1 car length away. There were double stripes, and I guess they finally got tired of waiting because they passed me, IN THE DOUBLE STRIPED ZONE going UP A HILL no less!

A little further down the road I was mostly alone and kicked it up about 5 mph over the limit when I saw some vehicles RAPIDLY approaching me from the rear. The blew by me on that same narrow road like I was sitting still, causing me to end up putting the right tires off the road in the wet mud.

Another incident, one chaser quickely stopped DEAD in front of me so fast I nearly hit them, and I had some distance on them. Why did they stop? To turn into a little driveway. NO SIGNALING THEIR INTENT WHATSOEVER!

The final incident I was approaching an intersection that had a pretty good sized road crossing it. The cross traffic had stop signs (the BIG signs) and my road did not. I saw this chaser car coming from the right and realized he wasn't going to stop and slammed on my brakes skidding to a stop barely missing him as he blew through the stop sign and intersection. Had I not been watching him, he would have t-boned and likely killed me!

I went on down the road but was somewhat shaken up by that last incident, and it was getting late in the day, I finally decided it was just getting too dangerous with that sort of driving I was going to give it up. I turned around and headed back west, noticed a tower going up to the west. I went back just short of that same intersection and stopped, hoping the setting sun would make a good photo with that tower building.

While I was sitting there I saw a group of chase cars come blowing through that same stop sign a that intersection and never even slowed down.

All of these cars were CLEARLY chase cars. Decked out with antennas and/or stickers. All had OK plates, however things happened so fast I didn't get any plates. They are lucky I didn't or didn't have my video camera on. If I recognized them I would be calling you out here right now. You guys know who you are, you could have killed me a half a dozen times with your stupid NASCAR wannabe driving skills.

This crap HAS TO STOP people!

 

[Joey Ketcham]

Glad you didn't end up in a wreck because of these irresponsible yahoo's.

 

[Andrew Pritchard]

Sometimes I wonder if other chasers have alarm clocks like I do. Or maybe they are just that bad at targeting. They should experience storm chasing without having to haul @ss and break laws just to catch up to the storms.

 

[David Drummond]

Well Andrew, I think part of it Wednesday had to do with the 40-50mph+ the storms were moving. No excuse though.

 

[Mark Sudduth]

It will probably get worse as more people get hold of technology that will allow them to chase without the experience behind such technology and its uses.

Jesse Bass and I are going to chase some next year and broadcast those chases live on our website via streaming video. It will be quite an undertaking but one of the things we feel will be a big draw to subscribers of the site (called tornadochaselive.com none the less) is the behind the scenes aspect of storm chasing. What will be nice is being able to call out any vehicles that are breaking the law AND having them broadcast live on the Internet with (hopefully) hundreds of people watching. There is so much that goes on out there that the avergage Joe knows nothing about and I believe that showing people the REAL chase life will be a big draw.

Anyhow, it is up to the veteran chasers to watch out more than ever. You know deep in your mind that people are not going to look out for you- and it's just going to get more and more crowded out there. Can you imagine how many more people will hit the roads next spring once the Sean Casey/Josh Wurman show concludes on Discovery? I think a lot more people (not millions, but perhaps a few hundred more over the season) will think "wow! tornadoes are cool! I can do that..." Be ready, it's coming.

 

[Steve Miller]

I experienced the "chasers standing in the road" concern a couple of times on Wednesday and on HWY18 about 5 miles south of HWY33 were the worst offenders - and they were taking pictures of a less than stellar sunset of all things.
As for the stop signs, I am guilty of blowing through a stop sign on the backroads in my early days of chasing due to not paying attention. I have since learned to gauge when a mile has gone by and start looking for signs. I find myself more interested in crossroads that have signs that other people may miss though which is probably what David was doing that saved his butt.

<soapbox>This is a regular problem and it's only going to get worse with the reality TV shows about chasing, media glamorizing it and so on. People will be coming out of the woodwork trying to chase. I personally don't take issue until I get blocked up on a road somewhere, hit by someone being careless or witness someone being downright stupid.
We have discussed many times here at ST, the policing of our hobby and while there will probably never be formal laws regarding chasing, there needs to be consequence within our community. I think if you personally experience stupidity you should write the vehicle information down, even if it is just make and model, and detail your experience here like David did. Self policing is all we can do to try to make other chasers think twice about making a bad decision which put their lives and other's at risk.

 

[Dick McGowan]

It will probably get worse as more people get hold of technology that will allow them to chase without the experience behind such technology and its uses.

Jesse Bass and I are going to chase some next year and broadcast those chases live on our website via streaming video. It will be quite an undertaking but one of the things we feel will be a big draw to subscribers of the site (called tornadochaselive.com none the less) is the behind the scenes aspect of storm chasing. What will be nice is being able to call out any vehicles that are breaking the law AND having them broadcast live on the Internet with (hopefully) hundreds of people watching. There is so much that goes on out there that the avergage Joe knows nothing about and I believe that showing people the REAL chase life will be a big draw.

Anyhow, it is up to the veteran chasers to watch out more than ever. You know deep in your mind that people are not going to look out for you- and it's just going to get more and more crowded out there. Can you imagine how many more people will hit the roads next spring once the Sean Casey/Josh Wurman show concludes on Discovery? I think a lot more people (not millions, but perhaps a few hundred more over the season) will think "wow! tornadoes are cool! I can do that..." Be ready, it's coming.

Yes! We need a yahoo task force out there, a storm chaser police! Then when the next moderate risk in Oklahoma happens, we can start a thread about the crazies that were driving backwards at 90 mph to the tornado, with lightbars, skywarn stickers, helmets and goggles. We could get badges and stuff, and only the most responsible chasers could enforce these laws (not hypocritical ones of course). If only people would buy alarm clocks and wake up earlier to get to the storms!

I got a speeding ticket on Wednesday, we even broadcasted it on our webcam (tornadolive.com...similar huh!). I admit, I shouldn't have sped through this tiny town with the whole 2 cars that were driving in it. I don't drive wrecklessly, and I certainly don't speed when other chasers are around, from the fear of getting my name posted on a storm chaser/weather weenie forum. lol. Please, if you see me driving wrecklessly, post my tag/number, description of what I was wearing on here, what kind of food I was eating, and if I had a smile on my face or not...because that will prevent me from doing it again.

In all seriousness, is this going to stop anyone from sinning against the storm chaser bible? I will be sure to report these sinners the next time I chase, because I will feel much better about it when I do...because I never ever, ever speed.

 

[Bill Doms]

I
We have discussed many times here at ST, the policing of our hobby and while there will probably never be formal laws regarding chasing, there needs to be consequence within our community.

Amen...there have been a couple of instances I am aware of where video was turned over to the authorities resulting in at least a warning letter being sent to the vehicle owner. So far it seems calling a person out and using the criticism of peers is not effective. I still prefer to let the officials handle it.

 

[David Drummond]

This isn't about a little speeding ****. This was about plain out wreckless driving that was endangering lives. It's not against any "storm chaser bible", it's flat out irresponsible (chaser or otherwise) and AGAINST THE LAW in all 50 states.

I speed a little, on occasion if the driving conditions and roads allow it. I've gotten a ticket for it before, and paid up because I risked the ticket and deserved it.

But flat out running people off the road, running up people's asses and blowing stop signs like that is only going to result in a fatal collision one of these days.

And I forgot one other thing....

Earlier on, there was a school bus approaching about to stop, and activated it's amber alternating flashers to indicate it was about to stop and let kids out. I stopped for the bus about 50 yards back. 3 dark colored smaller chaser cars with OK plates that were behind me, went around me and passed the bus just as it activated it's RED alternating lights and pulled out the STOP sign.

Now I ask you guys, does anyone want to deal with the cops when some kid or kids gets run over in a situation like this? That will be ALL OVER the news and every chaser that looks like a chaser will be suspect at that point to the police.

Not an unbelievable scenario seeing that we are often just getting chasing going about the time school lets out.

BTW, I would have called the cops on that crap Wed, but by the time they got there those chasers would probably have been in the next county.

 

[JF Massicotte]

Now I ask you guys, does anyone want to deal with the cops when some kid or kids gets run over in a situation like this?

Maybe they wouln'd have to deal with cops because they may not stop at all...


I would like to add, does anyone want to deal with the fact they ran over kids just because they wanted to catch a storm? How miserable life must be after that kind of event!

 

[Dick McGowan]

Sorry, I wasn't directing my post at anyone specifically on THIS thread. I wasn't in Oklahoma, nor was I driving wrecklessly the other day. However, like most I see out there, I speed about 10-15 mph over the limit.

I am just WAITING for a certain few to post on this thread, who are hypocrites. I don't care what TV production you are doing, how big your name is or how much I'm supposed to "respect" you, or if you are some random local who nearly killed me on a few certain days...if you are going to come on here (like threads in recent years) and tell others not to do something I have video of you doing, then perhaps keeping quiet would be your best option. If this is what it has come to, I guess I will just post my war stories about other chasers. I have PLENTY.

I pull completely over on the side of the road, I'm aware of my surroundings at ALL times, I do not ride someone's a$$, pass them (eventhough they are doing the speed limit!), then slam on the brakes nearly causing a 6-car pile up, I don't jump into my car when I see others coming, then nearly t-boning them to be the closest to the tornado, nor do I continuously try to pass them on a muddy road, when I know they do not have 4-wheel drive....and I CERTAINLY do not stop in the middle of a highway. All things I have had done to me...and just this year!

So when you see me give you the middle finger (I know some of you have this on video!), I hope that you will give me credit for your next chasing highlight video, or your next tv show. I think it's funny some of the looks I got this year, by "known" chasers, for something THEY did, or because THEY thought they were in the right. I bet you didn't know that was me, because I drive just a plain old car when chasing.

End of rant. lol.

 

[Mark Sudduth]

I did not mean to say that any live streaming site I would do was meant to police anyone, just saying that live is live and what ever happens will be seen by anyone watching and archived on our HDs. Chaser life is interesting if not dangerous and frustrating and all of that...not wanting to form a tattle-tail site, just want to show the real world of what you all do day after day after day...and sometimes, there will be a law breaker in the live shot...that's all.

But I do think that more and more people will be chasing over the coming years. Technology will allow anyone with a cell phone to send video live soon...not next year, but soon. Yikes....

 

[Jay McCoy]

One of the basic problems David is many of the chasers out there are college kids or younger. What I mean is they are inexperienced drivers in many ways. They think they are invincible so they are careless. That is until they either tear up their precious car or kill somebody. many times one of their friends in their car.

Chasers drive in extreme conditions anyway most of the time. You add youth, adrenaline, and bravado and it a recipe for disaster.

Ofcourse thats no excuse and also has nothing to do with standing in the road for pics. I cant wait until somebody leaves $2000 camera on a tripod in the middle of the road so I can flatten it as I go bye smiling and waving. That would make my day.

We as chasers have all sped at times on some lonely back road trying to get to a warned storm 20 miles away. I have even passed gojng uphill but thats when I am with a group and the lead car is already over the hill and calls out clear to pass. but one you know there are other chasers in the area you need to watch the road. If you are the driver thats your job. not navigating, shooting video, etc.. Like a designated driver. You dont have as much fun but your being the responsible one. Enjoy the storm when your stopped. but if your driving in those conditions around other chasers you have your hands full just driving give it your undivided attention.

 

[Dustin Wilcox]

One of the basic problems David is many of the chasers out there are college kids or younger. What I mean is they are inexperienced drivers in many ways. They think they are invincible so they are careless.

That is a pretty ridiculous stereotype. I'm in college, but I only have one year left so I suppose I am almost to the point were I will be vincible. There are just as many old guys and gals out there driving carelessly as there are younger folks, hell, I could almost make an argument that your driving becomes more hazardous with older age. Are there some folks out there chasing who's driving is hazardous? Yes, however pointing the finger at a certain age group of chasers is extremely derisory.

 

[Robert Rohloff]

I agree with David and Steve on this. I would say that in the last couple of years I know that OHP has been sending units towards the storms where there is a large number of chasers to work on the reckess issue. I would not doubt this will continue to expand since the number of complaints coming into departments during storms is way up.

Each year 600-700 persons die on Oklahoma roads. Speed and Inattentive driving are the leading causes. How far back do we have to go to get one years of traffic fatalities from storms.........Your reckess driving will send you to jail or prison if someone dies and you can not claim it was for public safety that you were driving reckess.