JamesCaruso
Staff member
That’s true, but everybody on here already knows that. There’s nobody on ST that would claim chasing can only be for science and not for enjoyment. Professional meteorologists and scientists are a small minority of the ST community. The criticism of RT is not about that. In my opinion, it is more about:
- Implying that he is doing scientific research, although he really isn’t. And Jeff’s post seems to indicate he is actually taking in money for this, without any actual, discernible contribution to the science
- Unsafe behavior on the roads, When you’re a high-profile chaser that others learn from or seek to emulate, you have a greater responsibility to set a good example
- General lunatic behavior, screaming and yelling like a teenage girl at a Taylor Swift concert. Yeah, you can say “then just don’t watch,” but it can’t help but rub chasers the wrong way. We take pride in what we do, and to see someone almost become a parody of it, and be an example of yahoo behavior for the masses, is troubling. It makes us all look like yahoos, again sets a bad example for newer chasers, and is largely responsible for the increasing masses of unknowledgeable idiots we are seeing out there. He’s like the guy that destroyed a secret surf spot or hiking trail by hyping it all over the place. For years, veteran chasers blamed “Twister” in 1996 for bringing new chasers out en masse. At the time, I was considered part of the new cohort, even though here I am now 27 years later. But RT has done more to turn chasing into a circus than anyone, particularly with the trend toward getting closer and closer. Turning chasing into a media stunt, and pushing the boundaries of safety, is not going to endear him to the rest of us that truly love.
chasing.
- Did he ever even contribute to this community on ST? Of course not. I am sure he (and, to be fair, many other well-known chasers and tour group leaders) think they are too good to be here with us lower-tier amateurs.
- Honestly, there probably is some envy among some, for the exact reasons you describe - on some level, many of us probably wish we could be chasing more and making a living out of it. But if he did it in a different way, chasers would be rooting for him, not disparaging him.
My intent is just to answer the questions raised by your post, but personally I don’t really spend much time thinking about RT one way or the other. He has gotten some great stuff over the years, and I do sometimes think he’s got himself a pretty good gig (although, personally, I don’t think I would be willing to do *that* much chasing, with all the driving, disappointments, and wasted time on boring, marginal events - you know, all the stuff not shown on his social media feeds).
he started some potholes...
I don't think any of us can comprehend the importance of the life-saving data collected by the TIV, which collectively, after some 20 years, must be close to solving the mysteries of tornadogenesis. My only regret is that the TIV does not have a larger interior, so more scientists could be collecting data during the deployment. I'm assuming a major research partner like NCAR or MIT will be backing this project or constructing their own TIV's soon?
