Storm Chasers
Okay, storms are bad, and thankfully it seems it's just damage and not loss of life.
That being said, I would like to first commend most of the local television news for being on top of the storms and telling people to get to safety.
I'd like to chastise them for telling those same people in on breath, "Please do not go sight seeing, emergency crews need to assess damage..." and in the next saying, "If you have any video or photos send them to us at ..."
Really? Why are you encouraging people to go out and find things to video and photo, even if it's outside their own home? There was so much sensationalism last night it was laughable to call it reporting. Every station had some report or camera man on , in full rain gear and a baseball cap, they must have a room full of "severe weather" outfits, in studio who had just been out in the weather, telling about fire here, or a flash flood there. And all I can think is, why are we not focussed on what's going to be happening. At one point they were talking to a woman in Bryant who's neighbor's tree had fallen over, but she was fine and the house was fine and they were just a little shaken up and meanwhile on the map they are showing there's funnel cloud things popping up all over the Conway area, yet they continue to talk to this woman about her dogs... really? Tracking three possible tornados and you are spending three minutes with some woman who doesn't even have any damage? And the number of reporters who were out last night calling in about, "all the lights are out, there's cables down, and trees and the police are not letting us through, we're going to try and take some back streets to get in there and see the gas leak area.." What? Hello, did you just say you are driving a running combustion vehicle into a gas leak area for the sole purpose of calling the station on your cellie to talk about how you shouldn't be there, but you've got to get this story out? Idiot, I believe you that a tornado messed stuff up, why don't you go do a story on the temporary shelters or how people can donate and help out after all of this is over instead of adding to the stress and danger the emergency personnel are dealing with? Is there a douche bag class you take in journalism school to learn about this?
Ridunkulus. In the future, I would like to see one channel, just one, say we urge you not to go out and send us video and pictures, we're going to focus on your safety and not trying to be the first to break the "trailer park inferno" story or the "regional airport disaster" pictures we got from some idiot with a 4X4 and a death wish. No, our station is going to tell you that there's a tornado a mile from you and you need to get your butt somewhere safe. We'll take your pictures and videos and show them later, when the storm is over and it's time for clean up.
Seriously, start acting like responsible adults, geesh. And for the love of the Lord, don't go sight seeing someone's destruction and loss ya vultures, that's their homes and their live strewn everywhere, they might not want you taking pictures to send into the local news or post on your blog under your picks for the Final Four...
