AN ATP FLYING A C172 FLEW VFR IN IMC WHILE TRYING TO OUT CLB A TSTM IN ZKC'S AIRSPACE.

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I CHOSE TO FLY VFR BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE ONBOARD WX; AND I DON'T TRUST ATC TO KEEP ME CLR OF STORMS. CEILINGS WERE 2000 FT AGL; SCATTERED TO BROKEN; WHEN I DEPARTED. IT WAS ALSO QUITE HAZY. IT CLRED AS I FLEW W; SO I CHOSE TO CLB ABOVE THE HAZE. I STARTED AT 5500 FT. AS I FLEW W; CLOUDS BECAME SCATTERED WITH TOPS ABOUT MY LEVEL; SO I CHOSE TO CLB TO 7500 FT. I FOUND MYSELF ABOVE A BROKEN LAYER WITH GOOD VISIBILITY. THERE WAS A HIGHER; SCATTERED LAYER ABOVE. I COULD SEE HIGHER CLOUDS IN FRONT OF ME; SO I TOLD ATC I'D BE CLBING TO 9500 FT. I CHKED ASOS AT MOBERLY; WHERE THEY WERE CALLING LIGHTNING QUADRANTS. AS I CLBED; I STARTED PICKING UP LIGHT RAIN AND TURB. IT BECAME NECESSARY TO CIRCUMNAV SOME BUILD-UPS. AS I CLBED THROUGH 8500 FT; I FOUND MYSELF IMC. I CONFESSED MY SIT TO ATC AND ASKED FOR AN IFR CLRNC TO 9000 FT. I ALSO ASKED IF THEY SAW ANY WX; TO WHICH THEY REPLIED THEY DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING. I WAS CLRED TO 9000 FT; DIRECT PIA. AS THE WX INTENSIFIED; I ASKED FOR; AND RECEIVED; A VECTOR TO FLY N. AS I EXITED THE WX; ATC TOLD ME THEY WERE NOW PAINTING SOMETHING AND I WOULD BE OUT OF IT IN ABOUT 3 MI. IN HINDSIGHT; I SHOULD HAVE LANDED WHEN THE WX STARTED LOOKING BAD AND I STILL HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THIS VFR. I KNOW YOU CANNOT OUT CLIMB A STORM IN A C172. I WILL STICK WITH MY POLICY TO FLY VFR (AND NOT DEPEND ON ATC) WHEN THERE ARE TSTMS.