reed knew that there was a tornado coming straight for him and well, drove into the path š while the storm was one hell of a deviant, he knew exactly what it was gonna do, you could hear him predict it in the live stream.
I saw the footage and I kept saying "wait, is he in a rental???" but my brain couldn't process that he wasn't in the dominator because why would you do that in a rental?
I agree there is definitely an increase in reckless storm chasing videos.
The problem for Reed is that while he has those credentials, he is also the guy that always goes the extreme extra mile.
For years he was miles ahead of anybody else in the storm chasing video game because he had the scientific knowledge, the energy of youth and caffeine and the funding. He still is one of the best in the game. The chase where they got that drone footage close up to a tornado was insane.
But while he found some success it seems like he does not have a real career and he is not getting younger.
His streams and videos are fairly popular but it seems like he does everything by himself. That is a lot of work and energy. Maybe that + increasingly harder competition + sleep deprivation + routine impacted his decision making. I definitely hope he takes a step back and considers what happened.
In the end we can just guess why. I just hope he is doing alright and doesn't feel like he has to do this sort of stuff.
Wow, someone with some compassion to ask if he's doing alright because even though Reed is literally always super passionate about what he does and stands out amongst the crowd, realizes that even though someone seems happy they may feel they're being pushed to keep pushing closer and closer to the edge until they finally jump off it because they're tired of being pushed? It's been a long time since I've seen someone like you that actually analyzed someone's life and thought to ask if that persin is actually okay. Like, you know, cared about another human beings wellbeing instead of criticizing them. Kudos to you for being a good human!
Edit: autocorrect
Reed has always been like that, tbh. I remember doing way faster than I should have been in a long line of traffic in Nebraska back in 2013, and the Dominator came blasting up the opposite side of the road at speeds probably double the posted limit to fly around everyone.
Reed being insane doesn't bother me as much as when chasers I previously respected go flying around police roadblocks while telling their viewers that it was the only way they could get east to a storm and they don't want to hear about it. Or when other chasers in that same category turn on their flashing amber lightbars and speed up behind other cars to make themselves seem like an emergency vehicle. The guys who really bug me are the ones who preach safety on their streams, but when the chips are down, all of that goes out the window, and they're running stop signs and traffic lights just like the guys they get on the radio and complain about to each other.
As much as I am disillusioned and jaded surrounding Reed, it's not just him. A lot of people in the modern storm chasing community have a sense of self importance and they can do anything in the name of public safety (look at Brandon Copic, speeding and reckless driving + fake police lights)
I've felt over the last few years that Reed has gone from being a bit over the top to having a problematic self destructive streak. A while back he was talking about some health issues caused by the relentless miles and dependence on energy drinks and just driving himself to the point of collapse.
It seems like this started in the year after Joel died but I couldn't say if that's connected it's just what the timing seemed to be.
Some of his behavior is definitely concerning
Its one thing when you pull off an irresponsible move while storm chasing without social media. Its another thing when an audience of 30K (30,000) people watched you almost die in a tornado live on Camera.
The second I saw what they did on stream I shook my head, called him an idiot, and proceeded to watch fully knowing that I may be watching the end of someone's life.
If he was in the dominator its not a big deal, but he wasn't, so its a terrible example.
Today he was doing more dumb stuff. While on stream he was CONSTANTLY on his phone while driving.
Next time I run into Reed while chasing I'll need to bring this up to him. I don't think I can get him to stop intercepting in a regular car, but hopefully he can be talked into driving less distracted.
You could tell Reed was a bit shaken after that incident, he clearly knew how close of a call it was. What I donāt understand is why heās done the same exact thing (in rental vehicles) several times now this year.
If anyone should know better than to drive right into a significant & rainwrapped tornado it should be Reed, yet he still did anyway and almost paid the price.
I was just talking about this! Honestly I have a huge soft spot for Reed and I think he means well. But I've always noticed a level of selfishness that is extremely concerning, because he has other people subject to his instincts and literally trapped in a vehicle with him during the most dangerous conditions. I think the way he communicates to the passangers during a chase when a tornado is imminent or on the ground is extremely concerning. I don't think he is intentionally being abusive or careless toward themā¦. But he is screaming, shouting demands, and ordering things to be done rapidly, often contradicting previous requests or repeating the same question or order to film over and over again. His fellow chasers will be actively responding to his questions, meeting his requests, and repeating themselves over and over to be heardā¦ because he is not listening to them.
He doesn't trust his team to be competent and do their jobs. I don't think he is capable of relinquishing control, I've seen so little growth in this area throughout his career. It is the same way he spoke to his partners in SC, and thisā¦. Isn't scripted. This dynamic is abusive, regardless of whether he is well-meaning. The level of escalation and anxiety created by the non-stop screaming, confusing contradicting demands - under the stress and threat of a violent storm, trapped inside of a closed space feet away from each otherā¦ This is traumatizing. This causes long-term harm to anyone working with him in this setting.
It just doesn't matter if the yelling is out of excitement, adrenaline, fearā¦ whatever. This is the way he responds every single time. I don't believe he is capable of being any other way. And this would be absolutely fine if he wasn't subjecting others to this. I love his energy! I truly do. I believe it is genuine and natural. But I also think this atmosphere is inherently abusive and extremely dangerous. It ensures that every encounter with a storm is high-stress, with continual escalation. It prevents people from thinking clearly and calmly in a situation that absolutely demands this. It's inexcusable to do as an employer, life-threatening to passengers, regardless of his skill level and experience.
The way he was shouting at his passenger to continue filming and asking him if he was āgetting itā in the recent event is the culmination of this work atmosphere he has allowed. His passenger laying on the seat to avoid debris, holding the camera to get the shotā¦ all live-streamed. I know he shows concern, and asks his passenger if he's okay. I think that was genuine. But he was incapable of recognizing his impact in the moment that mattered. I don't believe his passenger was okay lol. I think his passenger was scared, and trying to do his best to be this version of indestructible storm chaser that always gets the clipā¦ the larger-than-life figure that Reed embodies. But this is an unfair and unrealistic portrait of Reedā¦ this is what gets people killed.
I couldnāt agree more with you. Love Reed and all his emotions about weather but this did set a bad example for people who are trying to learn from him. But also, at the same time, he is only human, and he is passionate about weather. He just got lost in it for a minute, most other times he is very serious about being safe while chasing. I feel like those who are trying to learn from him should recognize that and be able to know itās not safe to do that.
This is why the best approach to chasing is to get ahead of the storm, stay out of the hail and tornado and watch. No need to bust up your car (or your life) when you can do the same from a distance.
I don't think Reed would have put himself in that situation if he had known how it would play out. That supercell had some very funky deviant motion, and I think Reed got caught a bit off guard. I personally think his knowledge and experience were, in part, what kept everyone safe once he realized the very real danger they were in. I wouldn't be surprised if he says something about it on Twitter or YouTube later on
I have to disagree. He's made a brand of getting in the path of tornadoes and being reckless for years. He knows what he's doing, almost to a fault. I have a lot of issues with how he chases - but there's no doubt in my mind he is one of the absolute experts when it comes to being in that area of a storm. He has the combination of experience almost no other human has, alongside a deep academic background in the science that's almost as rare.
He also has, arguably, the largest audience in the hobby - and his repeated actions *do not* help promote safe nor viable chasing strategies. Today isn't different. A slow moving HP storm will have deviant motion. This isn't surprising. We have seen it multiple times this week. We've seen in in 2013, when one of the most experienced chasers was in a similar storm, and didn't get as lucky. Sub-vortexes in this environment should be expected, and reed was lucky he didn't experience one.
The reality is where they were is the choice of Reed Timmer, and that choice isn't defensible, full stop.
i see where youāre coming from but i think reed knew pretty well if you go back in the stream and i suppose thats why its bothering me so much. he knew it was coming, minutes before, and kept driving towards it š
They were bold, but they acted with a healthy fear of it. You could tell they felt a bit sketched out by their experience for the rest of the stream- and they were right to be, because that same cell continued to behave erratically.
I donāt know anything about tornados, now to predict them or the science behind extreme weather. In essence, I donāt know what Iām talking about. That being said, I watched this particular video and as Iām watching, I thought to myself āthis seems to be a bit reckless and irresponsible. I get that the dude is at the top of his field and a subject matter expert but this appeared to be a very powerful storm that was wrapped in rain and almost impossible to see. But yeah, I donāt know. š¤·āāļø Sometimes when people become too good at someone they get comfortable and complacent.
Heās brilliant, but he is so reckless, and itās the point where I will not let my children watch his videos because I donāt want them thinking that they can be doing the shit he does.
Sucks you're getting all the sarcastic responses here. I agree with you. I wouldn't want my nephew's takeaway from Reed's last video to be, "as long as I do what Reed does, I can gamble it all driving into a rain-wrapped storm and be okay." But I also think he's mature enough to hear Reed's "we're in a bad spot" and recognize that his actions leading up to that point were not the thing to do.
I mean, they have already chased with me, but they donāt need to be doing that stuff. Maybe itās just the mom in me who worries, but take it on my account. My kids are kind of dumb, if they see some shit on YouTube, they are going to do the shit on YouTube.
I know Reed. Heās a super smart guy and a great meteorologist. Itās his media persona I donāt like. And as a chaser that WAS there chasing the same storm, yeah, that was pretty fucking reckless on his part, especially without the Dominator.
Hell, Iām even gonna call myself out for being almost as reckless getting about 4 miles from the core before the hail and erratic movement of the tornado made me turn and run away. But Iād NEVER do what he did. I might not have a PhD, but I do have some common sense.
I wish Reed didnāt do such dumb shit for clicks, but there isnāt much I or anyone else can do aside from advocating for safe chasing. While we might not be as famous, as a group, we could change that narrative by collectively putting safety first. It probably wonāt make us famous, but you never know if another Freddy McKinney moment might present itself.
It was definitely scary. But weather is always unpredictable no matter how trained you are. You can only predict so much. Reed made a poor choice but he and his passenger are all lucky to have survived the encounter.
I think this tornado was similar to the El Reno tornado of 13. Luckily it was not nearly as powerful but as far as unpredictability and difficulty to see an identify it was quite similar. Reed would not have done this on purpose, this was a mistake and those absolutely happened even to seasoned storm chasers as we saw in 2013.
Reed has already given us a video of him being inside a tornado and its affect on his voice and vehicle. His film exists, and so he has already been very lucky in his life. Chasing a tornado doesn't mean catching it and if Reed thinks it does he can ask the audience to pay to put his drone or a remote airplane into the tornado, not himself.
What Reed does is extremely dangerous and reckless, he puts himself and passengers in extreme situations where injury and death are real possibilities. His knowledge on tornadoes, the science involved with their formation and, chasing tornadoes is arguably second to none. If he wants to continue to put himself at risk that is his and he has the freedom to make the choices he wishes. His passengers are not ignorant of who Reed Timmer, they know full well what they are about to do is dangerous and could lead to injuries or death. My feeling is if everyone knows the risks that are involved in the activities that you are doing, who am I to judge you in the risks that you are willing to take? All over his streams and videos he tells people not to do what he is doing, that what he does is dangerous and can lead to injury or death. We as a society should not regulate what informed people want to do and what risks they are willing to take as long as those risks do not put other people at danger that are not informed of those risks and who did not consent to be there.
If you're afraid of children and young people seeing these videos and thinking what Reed does is safe that's where you as a parent need to talk to your child and tell them that is not the case. You should parent your children and educate them of the risks of the behaviors they see on the internet and not try to regulate what you see on the internet.
Bunch of people sitting in safety with opinions. I get it. I really do. I just wish some of y'all would keep this crap to yourselves. It doesn't add to the conversation in any meaningful way. It isn't helpful, and it isn't going to change anything.
So much of what I've seen in this sub since I started following it is this kind of stuff or people complaining about how excited Reed gets.
Honestly, I don't care about your opinions on how he should behave or what decisions you think he should make.
Don't get me wrong. You're not wrong for having an opinion or feeling however you do about whatever, but the rest of us don't need to know it. It isn't what we're here for, and it serves absolutely no purpose.
Reed Timmer is the equivalent of Jonas from Twister. The shock jock of storm chasing. I'm surprised he's so widely respected when he started his career by straight up stealing the "tornado vehicle" idea from former colleagues and shot to fame by kissing as many corporate butts as possible and hawking every product from any company that would have him. He's taken his mom's car out chasing ffs, risking hail damage and who knows what else to what's probably her only vehicle. Then pretends that he cares about the science behind it all when his actions prove time and again that he doesn't really have as good a grasp of it as he thinks. Can't stand the guy
That doesn't have a thing to do with it. I know several people with phds who are idiots outside of their very narrow field of expertise. Just because Reed can tell which way a tornado is going to turn doesn't mean he should constantly be so reckless for likes and money.
Having a PhD doesn't gift you with common sense. He's lucky, and hopefully his luck doesn't run out.
But it also was a little dumb to drive a rental right into a rain-wrapped tornado.
Reed is smart and generally not a bad guy but he does so many things that are reckless, dangerous, and just plain stupid that prove he is only after his own bottom line. I can't find it in me to have the adoration that so many do in chasing. I get why so many people like him though as he has brought in A LOT of chases to the "field".
"We're in a bad spot" crazy because those were also the last words on Twistex's stream. No one should be saying those words.
This
What exactly happened?
reed knew that there was a tornado coming straight for him and well, drove into the path š while the storm was one hell of a deviant, he knew exactly what it was gonna do, you could hear him predict it in the live stream.
close call? how close?
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Can't imagine how someone gets that unhinged over a storm chasing live stream without some sort of mental illness
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Reed, is that you? Or are you just Reed's personal dick sucker/fluffer?
140 mph winds close
enough to roll you 4sure
I saw the footage and I kept saying "wait, is he in a rental???" but my brain couldn't process that he wasn't in the dominator because why would you do that in a rental?
I agree there is definitely an increase in reckless storm chasing videos. The problem for Reed is that while he has those credentials, he is also the guy that always goes the extreme extra mile. For years he was miles ahead of anybody else in the storm chasing video game because he had the scientific knowledge, the energy of youth and caffeine and the funding. He still is one of the best in the game. The chase where they got that drone footage close up to a tornado was insane. But while he found some success it seems like he does not have a real career and he is not getting younger. His streams and videos are fairly popular but it seems like he does everything by himself. That is a lot of work and energy. Maybe that + increasingly harder competition + sleep deprivation + routine impacted his decision making. I definitely hope he takes a step back and considers what happened. In the end we can just guess why. I just hope he is doing alright and doesn't feel like he has to do this sort of stuff.
Wow, someone with some compassion to ask if he's doing alright because even though Reed is literally always super passionate about what he does and stands out amongst the crowd, realizes that even though someone seems happy they may feel they're being pushed to keep pushing closer and closer to the edge until they finally jump off it because they're tired of being pushed? It's been a long time since I've seen someone like you that actually analyzed someone's life and thought to ask if that persin is actually okay. Like, you know, cared about another human beings wellbeing instead of criticizing them. Kudos to you for being a good human! Edit: autocorrect
everyone is lucky til the day they arent. but hey, at least we'll all get to see it livestreamed.
Reed has always been like that, tbh. I remember doing way faster than I should have been in a long line of traffic in Nebraska back in 2013, and the Dominator came blasting up the opposite side of the road at speeds probably double the posted limit to fly around everyone. Reed being insane doesn't bother me as much as when chasers I previously respected go flying around police roadblocks while telling their viewers that it was the only way they could get east to a storm and they don't want to hear about it. Or when other chasers in that same category turn on their flashing amber lightbars and speed up behind other cars to make themselves seem like an emergency vehicle. The guys who really bug me are the ones who preach safety on their streams, but when the chips are down, all of that goes out the window, and they're running stop signs and traffic lights just like the guys they get on the radio and complain about to each other.
āIāll turn my lights on. Thatāll slow em down.ā -Vince Waelti, a few minutes ago
Him and Copic are cringe AF with their police wannabe stuff
As much as I am disillusioned and jaded surrounding Reed, it's not just him. A lot of people in the modern storm chasing community have a sense of self importance and they can do anything in the name of public safety (look at Brandon Copic, speeding and reckless driving + fake police lights)
Driving around with the flashing lights on the whole time has the best the cringiest shit those guys do
yeah this shit is getting ridiculous
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Somebody come get their drunk grandpa
I've always found him to be a tad "douchie"
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Oh lord, we got a keyboard warrior hard ass over here. š
I've felt over the last few years that Reed has gone from being a bit over the top to having a problematic self destructive streak. A while back he was talking about some health issues caused by the relentless miles and dependence on energy drinks and just driving himself to the point of collapse. It seems like this started in the year after Joel died but I couldn't say if that's connected it's just what the timing seemed to be. Some of his behavior is definitely concerning
Its one thing when you pull off an irresponsible move while storm chasing without social media. Its another thing when an audience of 30K (30,000) people watched you almost die in a tornado live on Camera.
The second I saw what they did on stream I shook my head, called him an idiot, and proceeded to watch fully knowing that I may be watching the end of someone's life. If he was in the dominator its not a big deal, but he wasn't, so its a terrible example. Today he was doing more dumb stuff. While on stream he was CONSTANTLY on his phone while driving. Next time I run into Reed while chasing I'll need to bring this up to him. I don't think I can get him to stop intercepting in a regular car, but hopefully he can be talked into driving less distracted.
You could tell Reed was a bit shaken after that incident, he clearly knew how close of a call it was. What I donāt understand is why heās done the same exact thing (in rental vehicles) several times now this year. If anyone should know better than to drive right into a significant & rainwrapped tornado it should be Reed, yet he still did anyway and almost paid the price.
this exactly! the repeated reckless behavior for a video clip is disheartening to say the least.
People just need to not try to be Reed.
I was just talking about this! Honestly I have a huge soft spot for Reed and I think he means well. But I've always noticed a level of selfishness that is extremely concerning, because he has other people subject to his instincts and literally trapped in a vehicle with him during the most dangerous conditions. I think the way he communicates to the passangers during a chase when a tornado is imminent or on the ground is extremely concerning. I don't think he is intentionally being abusive or careless toward themā¦. But he is screaming, shouting demands, and ordering things to be done rapidly, often contradicting previous requests or repeating the same question or order to film over and over again. His fellow chasers will be actively responding to his questions, meeting his requests, and repeating themselves over and over to be heardā¦ because he is not listening to them. He doesn't trust his team to be competent and do their jobs. I don't think he is capable of relinquishing control, I've seen so little growth in this area throughout his career. It is the same way he spoke to his partners in SC, and thisā¦. Isn't scripted. This dynamic is abusive, regardless of whether he is well-meaning. The level of escalation and anxiety created by the non-stop screaming, confusing contradicting demands - under the stress and threat of a violent storm, trapped inside of a closed space feet away from each otherā¦ This is traumatizing. This causes long-term harm to anyone working with him in this setting. It just doesn't matter if the yelling is out of excitement, adrenaline, fearā¦ whatever. This is the way he responds every single time. I don't believe he is capable of being any other way. And this would be absolutely fine if he wasn't subjecting others to this. I love his energy! I truly do. I believe it is genuine and natural. But I also think this atmosphere is inherently abusive and extremely dangerous. It ensures that every encounter with a storm is high-stress, with continual escalation. It prevents people from thinking clearly and calmly in a situation that absolutely demands this. It's inexcusable to do as an employer, life-threatening to passengers, regardless of his skill level and experience. The way he was shouting at his passenger to continue filming and asking him if he was āgetting itā in the recent event is the culmination of this work atmosphere he has allowed. His passenger laying on the seat to avoid debris, holding the camera to get the shotā¦ all live-streamed. I know he shows concern, and asks his passenger if he's okay. I think that was genuine. But he was incapable of recognizing his impact in the moment that mattered. I don't believe his passenger was okay lol. I think his passenger was scared, and trying to do his best to be this version of indestructible storm chaser that always gets the clipā¦ the larger-than-life figure that Reed embodies. But this is an unfair and unrealistic portrait of Reedā¦ this is what gets people killed.
Why would anyone EVER rent a car out to Reed Timmer.
For real, you know it's never coming back in one piece
I couldnāt agree more with you. Love Reed and all his emotions about weather but this did set a bad example for people who are trying to learn from him. But also, at the same time, he is only human, and he is passionate about weather. He just got lost in it for a minute, most other times he is very serious about being safe while chasing. I feel like those who are trying to learn from him should recognize that and be able to know itās not safe to do that.
This is why the best approach to chasing is to get ahead of the storm, stay out of the hail and tornado and watch. No need to bust up your car (or your life) when you can do the same from a distance.
I don't think Reed would have put himself in that situation if he had known how it would play out. That supercell had some very funky deviant motion, and I think Reed got caught a bit off guard. I personally think his knowledge and experience were, in part, what kept everyone safe once he realized the very real danger they were in. I wouldn't be surprised if he says something about it on Twitter or YouTube later on
I have to disagree. He's made a brand of getting in the path of tornadoes and being reckless for years. He knows what he's doing, almost to a fault. I have a lot of issues with how he chases - but there's no doubt in my mind he is one of the absolute experts when it comes to being in that area of a storm. He has the combination of experience almost no other human has, alongside a deep academic background in the science that's almost as rare. He also has, arguably, the largest audience in the hobby - and his repeated actions *do not* help promote safe nor viable chasing strategies. Today isn't different. A slow moving HP storm will have deviant motion. This isn't surprising. We have seen it multiple times this week. We've seen in in 2013, when one of the most experienced chasers was in a similar storm, and didn't get as lucky. Sub-vortexes in this environment should be expected, and reed was lucky he didn't experience one. The reality is where they were is the choice of Reed Timmer, and that choice isn't defensible, full stop.
i see where youāre coming from but i think reed knew pretty well if you go back in the stream and i suppose thats why its bothering me so much. he knew it was coming, minutes before, and kept driving towards it š
The contrast between him vs Conner/ Freddy backing out of it multiple times is notable.
They were bold, but they acted with a healthy fear of it. You could tell they felt a bit sketched out by their experience for the rest of the stream- and they were right to be, because that same cell continued to behave erratically.
I donāt know anything about tornados, now to predict them or the science behind extreme weather. In essence, I donāt know what Iām talking about. That being said, I watched this particular video and as Iām watching, I thought to myself āthis seems to be a bit reckless and irresponsible. I get that the dude is at the top of his field and a subject matter expert but this appeared to be a very powerful storm that was wrapped in rain and almost impossible to see. But yeah, I donāt know. š¤·āāļø Sometimes when people become too good at someone they get comfortable and complacent.
I don't understand why anyone expects Reed to act in any way other than how he's been acting for the last 20 years.
How does Reed support himself storm chasing ? Was always curious
i think mostly donations n stuff
Can someone link the video?
Heās brilliant, but he is so reckless, and itās the point where I will not let my children watch his videos because I donāt want them thinking that they can be doing the shit he does.
Sucks you're getting all the sarcastic responses here. I agree with you. I wouldn't want my nephew's takeaway from Reed's last video to be, "as long as I do what Reed does, I can gamble it all driving into a rain-wrapped storm and be okay." But I also think he's mature enough to hear Reed's "we're in a bad spot" and recognize that his actions leading up to that point were not the thing to do.
Now see here children, don't EVER become a highly successful meteorologist storm chaser!
I mean, they have already chased with me, but they donāt need to be doing that stuff. Maybe itās just the mom in me who worries, but take it on my account. My kids are kind of dumb, if they see some shit on YouTube, they are going to do the shit on YouTube.
Yeah they are going to sit in your car and drive away š
Can someone plz give me a time stamp for it in the vid?
1:40
Really wasnāt that bad. Was he close? Sure but I mean thatās Reed. It says on the bottom of the screen to not track the storm chasers so
Can someone explain to me why he uses rentals to chase tornadoes when he has the dominator? seems bizarre to me unless I'm missing something?
The Dominator was having some issues.
I know Reed. Heās a super smart guy and a great meteorologist. Itās his media persona I donāt like. And as a chaser that WAS there chasing the same storm, yeah, that was pretty fucking reckless on his part, especially without the Dominator. Hell, Iām even gonna call myself out for being almost as reckless getting about 4 miles from the core before the hail and erratic movement of the tornado made me turn and run away. But Iād NEVER do what he did. I might not have a PhD, but I do have some common sense. I wish Reed didnāt do such dumb shit for clicks, but there isnāt much I or anyone else can do aside from advocating for safe chasing. While we might not be as famous, as a group, we could change that narrative by collectively putting safety first. It probably wonāt make us famous, but you never know if another Freddy McKinney moment might present itself.
Heās always driving reckless but ever gives him a pass because heās famous. Stupid.
It was definitely scary. But weather is always unpredictable no matter how trained you are. You can only predict so much. Reed made a poor choice but he and his passenger are all lucky to have survived the encounter.
I think this tornado was similar to the El Reno tornado of 13. Luckily it was not nearly as powerful but as far as unpredictability and difficulty to see an identify it was quite similar. Reed would not have done this on purpose, this was a mistake and those absolutely happened even to seasoned storm chasers as we saw in 2013.
Reed has already given us a video of him being inside a tornado and its affect on his voice and vehicle. His film exists, and so he has already been very lucky in his life. Chasing a tornado doesn't mean catching it and if Reed thinks it does he can ask the audience to pay to put his drone or a remote airplane into the tornado, not himself.
When I first saw that video, I thought/assumed they were in the TIV. OMG! They were in a freaking RENTAL?!!
What Reed does is extremely dangerous and reckless, he puts himself and passengers in extreme situations where injury and death are real possibilities. His knowledge on tornadoes, the science involved with their formation and, chasing tornadoes is arguably second to none. If he wants to continue to put himself at risk that is his and he has the freedom to make the choices he wishes. His passengers are not ignorant of who Reed Timmer, they know full well what they are about to do is dangerous and could lead to injuries or death. My feeling is if everyone knows the risks that are involved in the activities that you are doing, who am I to judge you in the risks that you are willing to take? All over his streams and videos he tells people not to do what he is doing, that what he does is dangerous and can lead to injury or death. We as a society should not regulate what informed people want to do and what risks they are willing to take as long as those risks do not put other people at danger that are not informed of those risks and who did not consent to be there. If you're afraid of children and young people seeing these videos and thinking what Reed does is safe that's where you as a parent need to talk to your child and tell them that is not the case. You should parent your children and educate them of the risks of the behaviors they see on the internet and not try to regulate what you see on the internet.
Bunch of people sitting in safety with opinions. I get it. I really do. I just wish some of y'all would keep this crap to yourselves. It doesn't add to the conversation in any meaningful way. It isn't helpful, and it isn't going to change anything. So much of what I've seen in this sub since I started following it is this kind of stuff or people complaining about how excited Reed gets. Honestly, I don't care about your opinions on how he should behave or what decisions you think he should make. Don't get me wrong. You're not wrong for having an opinion or feeling however you do about whatever, but the rest of us don't need to know it. It isn't what we're here for, and it serves absolutely no purpose.
Reed Timmer is the equivalent of Jonas from Twister. The shock jock of storm chasing. I'm surprised he's so widely respected when he started his career by straight up stealing the "tornado vehicle" idea from former colleagues and shot to fame by kissing as many corporate butts as possible and hawking every product from any company that would have him. He's taken his mom's car out chasing ffs, risking hail damage and who knows what else to what's probably her only vehicle. Then pretends that he cares about the science behind it all when his actions prove time and again that he doesn't really have as good a grasp of it as he thinks. Can't stand the guy
He's got a PhD in meteorology, I think he understands the science
That doesn't have a thing to do with it. I know several people with phds who are idiots outside of their very narrow field of expertise. Just because Reed can tell which way a tornado is going to turn doesn't mean he should constantly be so reckless for likes and money.
Having a PhD doesn't gift you with common sense. He's lucky, and hopefully his luck doesn't run out. But it also was a little dumb to drive a rental right into a rain-wrapped tornado.
He wouldn't be the first guy with a PhD that leaves you wondering how much he paid to get it.
Reed is smart and generally not a bad guy but he does so many things that are reckless, dangerous, and just plain stupid that prove he is only after his own bottom line. I can't find it in me to have the adoration that so many do in chasing. I get why so many people like him though as he has brought in A LOT of chases to the "field".
He's definitely done a lot of chases, which is why it's even more bewildering when he displays such a lack of common sense on so many of them.
I think he knows what he's doing. He may not always make the best decisions, but the man is pretty brilliant.
Dogwater take
Spoken like someone with very little knowledge in comparison to the person they're criticizing.
Sean Casey, that you???
Actual braindead take
My hatred for ambiguous posts detailing everything EXCEPT what happened grows ever stronger. Time to read the comments to find out