As The Meso Turns......
Man, where do I start? One thing that is a constant in the world of stormchasing is drama. No, not the drama of experiencing the power and awe of nature's fury. I'm talking the soap opera type stuff. I find alot of it pretty amusing and much better than most prime time crap on TV. Whether it is the stormchasing gestapo (my old fan club) and my personal stalker from last year's chronicles.....to one hurricane chaser publicly flogging another one in public.....to blatent lies and deceit in the name of profit......to lunatics like Lanny Lampshade (if you don't remember that, ask me sometime)......to the politics of personal destruction......to love affairs gone bad......to amber light bars.....to showing emotion on your chase video.......the "stormchasing community" is always busy producing the next "episode" for me to watch. Enter the great amber light bar debate!
In 2007, I was kinda disappointed that the annual amber light bar topic didn't come up by the first of March. I really need to start a betting pool on this one. I was actually starting to believe it would pass this year without being ignited. But fear not! It has blossomed once again in all of it's glory like an exploding supercell on the dryline with 5000 CAPE. This is even better than the great geography debate about the Mason-Dixon line recently on that same list. WX-CHASE indeed. ROFL! For those curious souls out there, I side with them being used...responsibly of course (which is alot of the debate in defining this)....but being used. David Drummond has made very compelling and convincing arguments, at least to me, in using them. Since alot of preaching is devoted to chaser safety, I'm puzzled as to the contradictive arguments out there against using them at all. Speaking of stormchaser police activity......
Just as the stormchaser police (SCP) badges were about to be handed out, it seems that a particular law enforcement officer in the SE TX Panhandle steps up to beat everybody out...hands down. He gets an extra big badge and complementary large, glo-in-the-dark magnetic decals as well. Good job!!! Read all about it by CLICKING HERE.
This guy sounds like a dangerous loose cannon to me. He was in such a stormchasing police frenzy that he was appearing all over the place and really cracking down on every chaser he could find. I know at least a couple of other stormchaser police members out there that have wet dreams about wielding such power to keep us all in line. ROFL!!
With that in mind, I always take the time to talk with law enforcement everytime they drive up or you see them out somewhere looking at a storm. Call it being an ambassador if you will....even if some think I'm an "outlaw chaser" LOL! Unless it is a supercell dropping tubes, I don't mind spending a little extra time chatting with them and offering radar data to them or anything else. In fact, I've had some very interesting conversations with them. One in particular was with a Childress County Sheriff Deputy last year. The storm wasn't doing much anyway and the conversation was better than the storm. LOL!!
I wonder how many of those out there wailing about our image problem with law enforcement ever do this? I have been with groups of chasers before when a patrol car pulls up. Everybody gets uneasy and walks away and even leaves. I'm always the one walking up to them and engaging them in respectful and courteous conversation. Communication is THE most important avenue to mutual understanding and respect as well as goodwill.
I'll also extend this to the local citizens that come up and ask about the weather and what a storm is doing. It's something I need to work on personally because after the 50,000th time of being asked if it is going to rain at their house, it's easy to react unfavorably with an air of annoyance. However, I sometimes stop and think what an honor it is that somebody takes the time to stop and ask you for information that could potentially threaten their lives and property. They didn't get it from the local TV station, radio, TWC or NWR...they asked little ol' me. That's a pretty big responsibility. Plus, by leaving a favorable and positive impression in their mind, the next time Barney Fife decides to play stormchaser police or they try to pass legislation, his "boss" the taxpaying citizen that you just chatted with will be rooting for you...and not against you. And of course if the area you are chasing does get smacked, stop and help. Something to think about.
OK, time to pop some popcorn and catch up on my next episode of "As the Meso Turns". :-)
In 2007, I was kinda disappointed that the annual amber light bar topic didn't come up by the first of March. I really need to start a betting pool on this one. I was actually starting to believe it would pass this year without being ignited. But fear not! It has blossomed once again in all of it's glory like an exploding supercell on the dryline with 5000 CAPE. This is even better than the great geography debate about the Mason-Dixon line recently on that same list. WX-CHASE indeed. ROFL! For those curious souls out there, I side with them being used...responsibly of course (which is alot of the debate in defining this)....but being used. David Drummond has made very compelling and convincing arguments, at least to me, in using them. Since alot of preaching is devoted to chaser safety, I'm puzzled as to the contradictive arguments out there against using them at all. Speaking of stormchaser police activity...... 
Just as the stormchaser police (SCP) badges were about to be handed out, it seems that a particular law enforcement officer in the SE TX Panhandle steps up to beat everybody out...hands down. He gets an extra big badge and complementary large, glo-in-the-dark magnetic decals as well. Good job!!! Read all about it by CLICKING HERE.This guy sounds like a dangerous loose cannon to me. He was in such a stormchasing police frenzy that he was appearing all over the place and really cracking down on every chaser he could find. I know at least a couple of other stormchaser police members out there that have wet dreams about wielding such power to keep us all in line. ROFL!!
Be that as it may, I've also heard reliable accounts of a few individual chasers doing some stupid crap too like hanging all the way out car windows and even one account of them being on the roof...all while speeding down the road. I've seen one picture of that happening and the guy looks like he is about to fall out. It's not clear though how many were doing this. My experience in the past makes me believe it was probably one or two vehicles.....very isolated. Who knows really. Maybe the next time they do it, they'll win a Darwin Award and take care of the problem.
My point is that this type of behavior certainly didn't help the situation there. But it's certainly not going to result in legislation against stormchasers. Such legislation would be impossible to enforce, offer a huge abyss of ambiguity and vagueness, and would never pass the constitutional smell test.
However, what WILL be more likely to occur is more aggressive law enforcement activity against chasers using exisiting laws. There are rumors that a couple of counties in KS are threatening to do that. I don't particularly think that is a bad thing really as our numbers continue to swell around the big storm of the day. As long as they do it within legal grounds, then those of us who follow the law when chasing have nothing to worry about. And those that regularly break the law will be dealt with accordingly. Let the "real police" take care of the problem. We don't need a stormchasing version of the spanish inquisition.
My point is that this type of behavior certainly didn't help the situation there. But it's certainly not going to result in legislation against stormchasers. Such legislation would be impossible to enforce, offer a huge abyss of ambiguity and vagueness, and would never pass the constitutional smell test.
However, what WILL be more likely to occur is more aggressive law enforcement activity against chasers using exisiting laws. There are rumors that a couple of counties in KS are threatening to do that. I don't particularly think that is a bad thing really as our numbers continue to swell around the big storm of the day. As long as they do it within legal grounds, then those of us who follow the law when chasing have nothing to worry about. And those that regularly break the law will be dealt with accordingly. Let the "real police" take care of the problem. We don't need a stormchasing version of the spanish inquisition.
With that in mind, I always take the time to talk with law enforcement everytime they drive up or you see them out somewhere looking at a storm. Call it being an ambassador if you will....even if some think I'm an "outlaw chaser" LOL! Unless it is a supercell dropping tubes, I don't mind spending a little extra time chatting with them and offering radar data to them or anything else. In fact, I've had some very interesting conversations with them. One in particular was with a Childress County Sheriff Deputy last year. The storm wasn't doing much anyway and the conversation was better than the storm. LOL!!I wonder how many of those out there wailing about our image problem with law enforcement ever do this? I have been with groups of chasers before when a patrol car pulls up. Everybody gets uneasy and walks away and even leaves. I'm always the one walking up to them and engaging them in respectful and courteous conversation. Communication is THE most important avenue to mutual understanding and respect as well as goodwill.
I'll also extend this to the local citizens that come up and ask about the weather and what a storm is doing. It's something I need to work on personally because after the 50,000th time of being asked if it is going to rain at their house, it's easy to react unfavorably with an air of annoyance. However, I sometimes stop and think what an honor it is that somebody takes the time to stop and ask you for information that could potentially threaten their lives and property. They didn't get it from the local TV station, radio, TWC or NWR...they asked little ol' me. That's a pretty big responsibility. Plus, by leaving a favorable and positive impression in their mind, the next time Barney Fife decides to play stormchaser police or they try to pass legislation, his "boss" the taxpaying citizen that you just chatted with will be rooting for you...and not against you. And of course if the area you are chasing does get smacked, stop and help. Something to think about.
OK, time to pop some popcorn and catch up on my next episode of "As the Meso Turns". :-)
And, yes, the stormchaser police badge and Monty Python gif above were created by little ol' me. Feel free to steal them , but try and give me a little credit if possible. If not, that's ok too as long as you use them in your next debate melee. ;-)
I certainly hope that the last half of April, May and June heat up as much as the ongoing debates.
Labels: Amber Light Bars, Barney Fife, Stormchaser Police
posted by Steve Miller TX at 4/04/2007 07:59:00 PM
8 Comments:
Your blogs keep me rolling.
Given our weather situation out this way, I don't think I will ever have to worry about chaser legislation... all 3 chasers in South Georgia are pretty well behaved.
~Dew
I think the lightbar drama just boils down to some peoples frustration with how many chasers there are out there. Every time there is a bad year for storms or gas prices go up many chasers think this will weed the numbers down but it never does and the numbers always increase. I imagine come Memorial Day weekend on the plains there will be so many lightbars out there that Gene M will end up gouging his eyeballs out with a rusty nail. The hurricane chasers have far fewer numbers than stormchasers but I imagine their little bitchfest with each other are going to dramatically rise in the future because unlike most stormchasers they are out there for one thing and that is to sell video and make money. It all does make for entertaining reading when it is not storming though!
You should hang out on Fark.com
Steve, Thought i would share my "nightmare" with you. I am one of the other chasers that Dewdrop mentions here in South Georgia. Soory for the length..I love the blog and have included you on my links. Oh yes, the curse that Dewdrop mentions? It is actually called the Rick curse! lolol!!
Rick
I will mention here my experience with the "political" side of chasing. What happens when you make the wrong people mad. There are always two sides to every story. This is my side. It is what I went through and it might happen to you. It has happened to other chasers. It is a "poisoning of the well." It is in the past. So why am I bringing it up? Like I said. It can happen to you and there is nothing you can do about it. I really and truly don't have any hard feelings towards anyone. But this event changed my outlook on chasing. I came close to even throwing in the towel. Even now whenever I am on a chase it is there in the back of my mind. It reminds me of a fine line, of being professional and on my toes, but still it could happen again.......mistaken identity.
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Early in the morning storms were rumbling through. A report of a tornado about 45 minutes south but no other information. I was headed home when I got a phone call from a friend, telling me of several homes damaged in northern Grady and southern Mitchell county. I called in the NWS office and asked if they wanted me to take a look. They said If I was going to be in the area I could if I wanted to and to let them know what I saw. As I crossed into Mitchell county I contacted the local 911 office. A nice dispatcher answered the phone(it was the business line, not the emergency line). I identified myself and that I was heading to view the damage and if a deputy was heading that way if I might follow or get I get directions. I then proceeded to give them the call back number to the NWS office if they wanted to verify my story. He very helpful and gave me directions. I arrived on scene about 15 minutes later. I asked a deputy who I needed to speak to about being in the area. I was given the go ahead and I proceeded to start my assessment. I drove down a dirt road lined with downed lines and tree limbs everywhere. I found an open area to park in, out of the way and started looking for clues to storm direction, strength, etc. After spending 6 hours reconstructing and mapping the damage path, I thanked the deputies for their time and I left. It was a pretty straight forward assessment. No mistaking it for anything but a small tornado. I went home put my assessment on computer and sent it to the NWS office. I received a thank you email for my assistance and time. Case closed........uh not so fast.
Fast forward 1 week....
I was uptown visiting a business that my friends owns. I received a call from the local EMA director who was a good friend of mine. She let me know that the 911 director of another county was wanting to talk to me. I said no problem give him my number. It hadn't been very long my cell phone rang and it was the director of the neighboring county. He introduced himself and asked me about calling the 911 center from the previous storm. I said "yes I had called". At that moment I was told in no uncertain terms that He did not appreciate me calling and not to be in his county. I was accused of reckless driving, asking for police escorts, running red lights, asking for roads to be blocked so I could reach the storm damage area. I was speechless. All I could do was apologize but I denied everything. Sheeesh, I hadn't done anything! There is no way I would ever do the things I was accused of! I finally got tired of the accusations and challenged him on his accusations. He then proceeded to say "Well I don't know if it is all true but I still don't appreciate it". I was dumbfounded. Here this guy is ripping me and then tells me he doesn't know if it was all true?! He then threatened to call my warning coordinator at the NWS.......(end of call) I had worked hard to be great spotter and chaser with no blemishes on my record. I called everyone who I could think of in that county trying to get some answers. I was told to take it up with the director. I took my role as volunteer very seriously and I wasn't about to let this guy ruin it.... but it seems it was out of my hands though....I was guilty until proven innocent. One thing I could have done was to go to the 911 office and ask to listen to the phone records for the day. It is public access and I would have had no problem in getting them. But that would have caused further confusion to an already bad situation.
Well, all I could do was contact the weather service and talk to my warning coordinator. He would believe me, wouldn't he? Here is where the term "public perception" comes into play.
I was told it was the way the public perceives the way we conduct ourselves is very important. I agreed. Hmmm.. It sounded like to me that this would be a guilty vote right? I was mad, very mad! I felt hung out to dry. I felt as if I was being judged with no recourse but to accept the verdict and go on.....Don't think so. I thought and thought about it and realized why....
The NWS has to answer to the counties. The counties are their customers and they provide a service to those customers. I couldn't really blame them. If it was me I probably would have thought I was guilty to.....But I wasn't. Then a few months later I was checking out some wind damage down in Bainbridge Georgia. I met up with some of the people from a previous tornado assessment a year before. We chatted caught up with what was going on locally and then the subject of what happened to me was came up. They began to chuckle and told me they had heard about and then he said "So you're the one". Gee, seemed I was getting popular for the wrong reason. Somebody had been talking and I was left to wonder who. At this point I was really feeling low. I had worked hard on doing it right, safely and by the book and now it was slowly slipping away. You see, weather was everything to me. Yeah, I probably needed to get a life, but for the moment weather was it. I held the opinion of what the NWS thought of me in high regards. I wasn't some crazy renegade chaser out there. But it was looking like that in my pursuit in trying to prove my innocence that I might be starting to look like a renegade nutcase.
Fast forward 2 years.
Late one afternoon.......... a phone call............the name of the person who caused all of this.......
the location where he lived.......what do you do?
My first reaction was relief but then anger. So I had found out who it was but who would believe me? The NWS office had remained silent on the whole incident the entire time, but I still called and let them know what I had found out. They were nice as always but I could tell that they didn't really want to pursue it. I understood....ok....no problem..........until I came face to face with the 911 director who started all of this.....
I confronted him after a Skywarn training session. I wasn't mad. The event in question had happened a long time ago. I wasn't rude or disrespectful, I just wanted to know why the accusations. Reasons were given, and I had my answers. (People had called ahead of me tying up phone lines trying to find out what was going on, including the guilty party. I just came along at the wrong time.) I believed him. No reason not too. A case of mistaken identity. Like I said earlier in this blog. I have no hard feelings against no one. I realize the stance that the NWS office had to take on the issue. It was a lesson for me that you always keep your nose clean and be professional in all things when in the field. Later on Jay Reid and I had the chance to attend a Skywarn training session in the directors county. He was a gracious host and has developed an awesome state of the art facility. He turned out to actually be a really nice guy. Kudos to what he has accomplished!
So in the final windup? The guilty party moved to another state. He is another WFO's
headache now.......
Be safe, Be professional. What more can I say......
Steve for pres?! You got my vote!
Rick
This is hilarious! Thanks for the chuckle. I am pretty sure anyone who reads my material knows I am pissy when it comes to chaser nonsense. I truly do believe we should go collectively buy a domain and make it wiki style and let chasers throw all the stupid sh!t others chasers do up on it. Stupid chaser video, stupid forum/blog entries, stupid personal e-mail chasers send to each other, etc.
If people know there is a possibility they will get called out, maybe they will think twice about being douchebags.
Miller TX, the badge is 100% yours for the next week or so as I will be away from the computer. I look forward to further installments of: "As The Meso Turns".
wx-wiki? wiki-wx? LOL
Hey, always happy to put an entertaining spin on some of the lunacy out there. There is certainly no shortage of material. ;-) Enjoy your vacation!!
I'm still waiting for the stormchasing gestapo to raid my blog. LOL!! I hear that there are meetings going on in dark, smoke-filled rooms as they hand out their armbands. ;-)
Hmmm....that wiki sounds interesting.
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