I'm scared of rollercoasters. Can I get over my fear?
Вставка
- Опубліковано 5 тра 2024
- Thanks to Alton Towers altontowers.com ■ AD: 👨💻 NordVPN's best deal is here: nordvpn.com/tomscottplus - with a 30-day money-back guarantee! ■ Pull down this description for a thorough video FAQ!
❓❓ FAQ (has spoilers)
🎢 Haven't you done stuff like this before?
My phobia's specifically about rollercoasters: the clack-clack of the lift hill, the lack of control, and especially that stomach-drop feeling you get when you crest a hill too fast in a car. No emergency stop button, no pilot, no brake, no way out other than to push through it: that absolutely terrified me. If you've been on 'Pirates of the Caribbean' at Disney World? Even that tiny drop bothered me, I got that awful stomach-drop, tense-tingling, panic feeling going over it. (Some lucky folks won't know what I mean here, because they don't get that stomach-drop feeling. If that's you, I'm envious.)
Over years of making videos, I've been lucky enough to film things that chipped away at what I thought I knew. I did a loop in a glider: I felt the stomach-drop, but not strongly. I got to fly in zero gravity: no stomach-drop, no panic. And I thought, that's odd. Then I got to do high-g, and inversions, and aerobatics. No stomach-drop. Turns out stomach-drop isn't some built-in freefall reaction. It's just fear. You can turn it off: if you're not afraid, then stomach-drop, the thing I hate... it just doesn't happen.
With that knowledge, what was left behind was the core: the phobia of rollercoasters that I've had since I was a kid. Rollercoasters looked really fun. I just needed to not be afraid.
To be clear: I'm not acting (I can't act), I'm not playing it up for the camera. If the phobia or my reactions seem overblown to you, then I want you to imagine whatever it is that you're scared of, whatever it is that you would never ever want to meet, whatever the basic, animal part of your brain screams about. Spiders, clowns, deep water, whatever it is that sets all your nerves on edge. I want you to imagine that in just a few minutes, you'll be meeting that. This was a big deal for me.
💷 Is this an advert for Alton Towers?
No. (The "paid promotion" flag is for the NordVPN ad!) Alton Towers had no control over story or editing; we approached them; we were not paid. If I'd passed out, or sworn never to go on coasters again, we'd still have published. But we did fact-check with them to make sure that we got details right, and of course, they gave us incredible access to the park and rides, and the schedule for the day was pre-arranged between my team and Alton Towers. (Thank you so much to all the team there!) Hopefully that's clear from the video!
⚠️ Why the disclaimer at the start?
Alton Towers wanted to make clear that filming is NOT ALLOWED on rides except by special arrangement. If you take a camera or phone out on a ride, you'll be kicked out and banned, for good reason: if that camera falls at high speed it could do serious damage. No-one outside our team was allowed to ride the coasters with cameras attached. (You can see two of the team in the back on Wicker Man; that's for train balance!)
😱 Did you actually get over your fear?
The phobia's gone. I'm not blasé about it, I still have nerves if I'm going on a new ride. And if I'm spending the day at a theme park, I'll have to work up from smaller rides to larger ones, to remind myself that this is now a thing I enjoy. And I do enjoy it! I've got a new thing to learn about and be overly-interested in! I have opinions on rollercoasters now! (I really enjoy B&M's steel coasters, particularly the long air-time filled ones like Nitro at Six Flags Great Adventure. And B&M flying coasters are joyful: I rode Superman Ultimate Flight six times in a row at park closing. So far, my least favourite is the Steamin' Demon at Six Flags Great Escape, which is so rattly that it hurts.)
It's not an exaggeration to say that this is life-changing for me. I know that sounds overblown, but until I filmed this, "I don't do rollercoasters" was a surprisingly big part of who I was. I'd turned down opportunities because of it. I'd always been the person holding the bags and getting photos of friends on coasters, safely from the ground. And then, I pushed through the fear. It feels like a fundamental part of my identity has suddenly, drastically, changed for the better. And all I had to do was not be afraid.
That's probably a metaphor for a lot of things.
👥👥 CREDITS
Series Producer/Director: Kirsten Taylor
Assistant Producer: Han Evans
Production Assistant: Phoebe Steen
Edit Assistant: Adam Lawrence
Camera Operator: Bryn Williams
Editor: Chris Leggat
Sound Design: Dan Pugsley | www.cassinisound.com/
Executive Producers: Cambria Bailey-Jones, Guy Larsen
A Pad 26/Penny4 Production www.penny4.co.uk
Special thanks to Louise, Sian and all the team at Alton Towers!
📚📚 CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro
01:17 Runaway Mine Train
04:25 Wicker Man intro
06:57 NordVPN ad
08:22 Wicker Man ride
12:35 Nemesis - Розваги
I can't overstate how much of a big deal this was for me: thank you so much to everyone who made it happen. (And there's quite a long FAQ in the description which should answer a lot of the obvious questions here!)
Respect man, I hate em
Congratz Tom!
Good job
Can some one count the this is fines please
Well done! Conquering a fear is never easy, and takes tremendous courage.
"That was a problem for future me, and now I am future me, and this sucks."
Sounds like the story of my life.
eggsackly
Right? Future me always hate past me!
I need this on a shirt
yoo same
An exact description of every second day of my life.
The worst part of roller coasters is just waiting in line, your mind can torture you more than the ride.
Exactly
Honestly the only issue I have with theme parks is just the queue times.
The problem with the wait is that it’s so long and all I want to do it ride it bcs it’s so fun
Can confirm.. waiting almost 3h in line for the Vertigo ride in Tivoli in Copenhagen, last 15minutes was agonizing!
True
As someone who has a panic disorder, “I’ve wasted so many opportunities to do cool stuff like that because I was just too scared” hits hard. Learning to trust outside of your fear, leaning into a bit of faith that is “this will be okay” is incredibly emotional, and even more so when you conquer it. I hope you find pride in your bravery, and more importantly, happiness.
I really hope so, thank you for this
I wish someone had advice on exposure therapy for apeirophobia; it’s quite niche but so hard to overcome
@@carcistan Go on a space walk.
Time to skydive Tom!
"Bravery isn't the absence of fear. It's being afraid and doing it anyway."
You absolute king.
I love how aggressively british he becomes when he's scared and angry, like he completely 180s from a very calm documentarian to full force "CAHM ON INGERLAND"
As someone who moved to the states when I was 6 years old (17 years ago), I still become extremely British when I'm excited or angry
It’s actually very turdish !
Bird "caw caw caw"
Tom to bird "you can shut up!"
So true
HAVE ITTTTTTTTT
Watching Tom go through the 5 stages of grief whilst laughing like a maniac has gotta be one of my highlights of the year
A roller-coaster of emotions, even
Watching him on the nemasis was both hilarious and amazing.
@@wisefries4205 that was a terrible, why did I laugh
Dude was joker laughing lmaooo
It's funny that we tend to feel joy when others feel it, and sorrow with others as well, but typically not anger unless it's someone close to us.
4:36 Tom’s fear manifesting as anger at a crow is too funny 😂
Crows symbolize a few different things depending on the culture. They can symbolize death, on the contrary they can symbolize bravery..
I thought the crow was part of the ride theme, motion detector and crow going off with people in the line or walking past.
i cracked up at that part
So fun to watch you scream to face the fear. That's EXACTLY the way my wife overcame her fear. Now she is braver than me
..
Nice
caralho o max palaro aqui?
i rode a couple rollercoasters to try and get over my fear... it only made it worse lmao
@@jamiegreenberg8476LMAO
From "this is what I would call my limit" to "I wanna do every rollercoaster in this park" is so heartwarming.
i know right!
New arc acheived: character development arc
i felt that exact thing a couple months ago! best feeling ever, especially if you’re always avoiding em and sitting out of coasters like i used to 😅
Exact same thing happened to me. I forced myself to ride one at universal studios when I was 18 and I’ve never looked back
That's how it starts
Every single time
I love how you can visually see the moment Tom goes from "this is terrifying" to "wait, this is FUN"
@Reece Wilson This was me too (space mountain) except I was silent and gripped the bars so hard the guy beside me thought I died
I love how he goes from posh to chav... Av it!!
I relate to this so hard omg
bruh what
daniel thrasher from hoodie guy
Its hoodie guy
just remember
so many rollercoaster riders a year, yet rarely ever any deaths reported
Wow 2 weeks ago.
The fact that Tom just started screaming "seemingly irrationally" when the rollercoaster started fairly slow really made it kick in for the audience how bad his phobia really was. I have watched this video probably a dozen of times and I still tear up when Tom gets emotional by the end. I'm glad he dared to do this.
what, he was talking about how the ride operator said choo choo ironically, it wasnt him bieng scared
@@minecraftminecraft9872 That part is not what I meant. Did you even watch the whole video? Tom rides three different rollercoasters
@@JUMALATION1 ive watched the whole video multiple times to try and help me with my fear, and you said "the rollercoaster" so how was i supposed to know which one
@@minecraftminecraft9872 well the one where he screams "seemingly irrational" would be a good hint.
After Tom did crazy things like standing on the top of a flying plane, being scared by normal rollercoasters was not on my bingo card.
I know plenty of people the same, me included, I rode motorbikes I have done caving, abseiled off a bridge and many other things like this but like many other adrenaline junkies it is the lack of control part of the rollercoaster which is the scariest part. Most high octane things have a cut-off point that you can stop whether that is turning around in caving, pulling the parachute, or locking off the rope on an abseil. Rollercoasters lack this once that belt is down there is no stop, no backing down and I think like Tom it limits a lot of people from doing this, This video has motivated me to get out their and try it again just to show I can.
@@bexxy629 I think "pulling the parachute" is of upmost importance, especially if you want a slower float down. Whether you choose to employ the technique or not, determines the outcome at the bottom - either way, once you have jumped, there's no control over the direction you're going to go in. So when you say "there is no stop, no backing down", I would argue that a parachute jump in motion is no different than a rollercoaster ride once it has left the starting point😂
Dude literally stood on the side of an old railway with a sure dead drop like nothing but is afraid of a little roller-coaster, honestly I'm quite surprised by both how strong Tom's phobia is and the massive ball it took for him to face it. Nothing but respect from me.
@@bexxy629 the lack of control ius definetly a scary one, i hate rollercoasters and thought it was afraid of heights since my stomach goes upside down when i see anyone jumping of anything higher than a few meters, even in games and now i fly an fpv drone (standing) where i can dive straight to the floor and not even flinch :P its weird sometimes
That's the irrational part of phobias. It's not logical or it wouldn't be a phobia ;o)
You're in more danger driving to a theme park than you are on a rollercoaster when you get there.
You can tell this was a real emotional rollercoaster for Tom!
Ayyy
JAIL. 💀
Hahahaha No
It was also a real rollercoaster.
Underrated
Coming back to this video after seeing Tom's announcement he's taking an extended break from making UA-cam videos, and I have to admit that this isn't just one of my favorite Tom Scott videos, but one of my favorite videos on the entire platform.
He's so open and honest about his fear of roller coasters, but still trudges on, giving us a play-by-play of each moment as he experiences them. The transition from his guttural yelling at 10:32 to his ecstatic laughter at 10:54 feels so cathartic. I'm definitely going to miss his regular uploads, but I'm glad he's created so much content for us to enjoy for years to come.
I did the same. The turnabout from total fear to maniacal laughter and asking to ride again on Wickerman is such a wonderfully captured moment.
I don’t think I’ve ever actually seen terror like this before at a theme park. Big respect for confronting these fears.
It takes courage to face your fears but even more to post yourself experiencing those fears for the world to see.
On a different note, it's still always strange when I hear the Stokie accent in a video!
Love you pete
Do a kitbash of Tom on a coaster in 40k, the crossover we need.
It's nice
Till a big Foodtuber learns how to make Staffordshire Oatcakes, I reckon Tom Scott at Alton Towers is as big as we're getting
@@ArrogantDan you've just reminded me, it's been far too long since I had cheesy oatcake!
The moment when you changed from outright screaming to laughing enthusiastically on the second ride was insane
Such a clean and clear transition too. Same with the third one.
Not gonna lie - that's not how I thought that was going to end.
The 7 stages of a rollar coaster!
1.Regreting to go on the ride(in line)
2.(on the coaster) regreting even more
3.(ride starting) hating everything and praying
4.screaming and dieing
5.getting less scared
6.(ride stopping)being sad that it’s finished
7.leaving the ride sadly that it ended
EXTRA 8.going on it again and doing the cycle all over again😅
And that is the 7 steps!
I have no fear of roller coasters but I am afraid of really long, endless lines, for an experience that only lasts 90 seconds.
The change on 10:53 from Encouraging "I CAN DO THIS" to reassuring to empowerment "I CAN DO THIS" is a sublime human emotion artwork. (Thank you for this, Tom)
Tom being sat on fire: “this is gonna be so cool”
Tom being on a roller coaster: “ahhhhhhhhh, this is fine, ahhhhh”
You sir are just awesome.
HAVE IT!
Him on the kiddy (not a) coaster was the best 😂😂 The overall outcome was good though :p
I fear no aerobatics or centrifuges, but this theme park it scares me
Being afraid of a roller coaster is actually a really special experience after you've done a ton of them
I know!
Was just thinking this..that feeling of being scared as hell and then conquering an intense coaster is the biggest rush!
its literally impossible for me to be scared of any rollercoasters now that i have already been on so many 😭
@@aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah have you ridden Kingda Ka?
@@lolopigus no i live too far :
10:50 : I can do this (said to motivate oneself to persevere in the face of fear)
10:55 : I _can_ do this (said in realization, that he truly can do it)
His tone change as he repeats, "i can do this" is genuinely heart warming. You can see, hear, and feel the literal exact moment Tom realizes he's stronger than his phobia.
“What happens if I try and panic” is the most rational and irrational response to fear I’ve ever seen😂 glad you made it through!
I love how accurately this shows the change from terrified screaming to minicanal laughter that people haven't been on many roller coasters experience.
Excluding the cave one, I can’t remember the last time I witnessed Tom genuinely scared.
Minicanal
Oh certainly his laugh now echoes in my mind as if it was in a _small tunnel_ 😂😂
Congratulations Tom. It's not the fearless that are the most brave, but instead those who fear something and have the courage to face it.
I agree! because i had a big fear of roller coasters and the other day i went to a theme park with my school but i faced my fears and i went on the pepsi max big one (biggest one in the park) at Blackpool pleasure beach and that was fine for me!
This
Absolutely this. My fear isn’t coasters but I empathise with the panic and sick feeling. To broadcast that to the world is also courageous. Helpful too.
@@Pandaado proud of you! keep up that spirit.
If you aren't scared then it's not bravery.
The literaly transition from fear to fun that you had on the last two coasters literally gave me an emotional reaction. Not only did you concur your fear, you realized that it was something you enjoyed all along.
20:23 "I want to do every roller coaster in this park"
If there's anything that can inspire you to overcome your fears, it's that.
Tom is the perfect example of a phobia being irrational. This guy flew in a stunt fighter plane, but is scared of fairly minor coasters.
For me, my fear of roller coasters stems from the fact that I got no control of it.
You're strapped in and you can't get out, in case it becomes too nerve wracking.
In the stunt plane, I would assume the pilots would stop their stunt-flying once Tom says he's at his limit and it would become a regular flight.
@@aikumaDK The solution to control the fear of rollercoasters is to *pretend* that you are in control of the movements of the rollercoaster.
Actually you can control it to some extent. You can get your lap bar be around an inch off your lap so that you can get more airtime, or you can raise/lower your hands for lateral G's and twisting motions to feel more/less intense. Most coaster enthusiasts try to not get stapled on rides (intentionally leaving the lap bar around one centimeter off their lap, still in a way it's safe; so that they can have a more intense ride experience).
Another thing to add is, you can estimate how fast the ride is going to run relative to itself based on the temperature (hotter the weather is, faster the ride is) and how filled the train is (heavier the train is, faster the pacing and more intense the ride will be). Trim brakes being on and off can also be considered but you have to ride once and feel it in order to decide whether they are on or off.
i don't know why, but on big drops it physically hurts my stomach. i'm not scared of them, just scared of the pain that i'll go through on those drops.
@@adakalyoncu1913you sound like you have no life ahaha
The two seconds of film where Tom goes from unbridled fear, to realizing that he has the power to overcome that fear, is probably the best and most powerful I've ever seen of him. Huge respect brother, so amazing to watch.
thats one way to look at it
enouther was at that moment his body began hosing his brain with so much dopamine and adrenaline that he couldn't do anything other than scream like a excited 2 year old and smile
Before I watched this one, I watched the episode where he's on the top of the wind turbine, and takes the emergency exit down. I got vertigo just watching.
I'd been a roller coaster enthusiast for years
@@Sarge92 But that's kind of awesome, too, isn't it?
That’s what I feel. I’m absolutely petrified then about 1/3 in it’s the best thing I’ve ever done
@@jessfidler2356 Sounds like life when you decide to take a step forward 🕹
Honestly, for me, the theming is what scares me the most. It’s all so incredible and I get lost in the storyline, starting to believe this will actually happen to me. Then once I’m on the coaster it’s not that bad.
Damn, I wish I could get sucked in so much as well. I've always loved the theming
The fact how he went from hating it and then suddenly loving them is just wholesome
The human brain at its finest. You can do stunts in a fighter jet without being bothered, but the second you step on a roller coaster you just panic.
It's odd, isn't it?
I am scared of heights.
No issues with flying or going up into a tall building. No issues with looking out the window of said tall building or standing by the railing on the balcony.
....But show me GoPro footage of a wing suit flyer or free climber stepping up to a sheer drop, and my stomach immediately drops and I become uncomfortable.
Heck, under the right circumstances even a video game sequence can elicit that response.
@@Steelmage99
So you’re not scared of heights, exactly, but of falling from them.
@@ragnkja That really just does seem like a reasonable fear.
@@thiccbum3942
Far from every case of being afraid of heights or falling from them counts as acrophobia, because there are plenty of circumstances where the fear is entirely rational.
@@ragnkja Yes fears of heights are very different to eachother - I love rollercoasters and planes and tall buildings and even skydiving but I am absolutely terrified of walking on the tops of hills or anywhere remotely close to a high ledge - I cannot for the life of me bear Go-Ape or the up in the air assault courses
The slow shift from laughter induced by fear to laughter induced by adrenaline to laughter induced by joy is a beautiful thing.
Well done, Tom. Now go ride some more coasters!
It's not totally unlike the moment in the "learning to ride a bike" video, how you can almost see the brain rewiring itself in real time.
Definitely felt the "laughter induced by fear" before with rides before.
Although, I'll never even touch a rollercoaster in my life. Never ever.
And bungee jumping? I'd probably die even if I see someone else doing it in real life.
I was amazed by the range of laughing. By the end it was just pure dopamine.
Imagine the laughter after The Smiler 😂
@@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721 why are you everywhere?
20:11 "I have spent so many years being scared. And... I'm not anymore." This is genuinely inspirational -- so, so great.
From someone who has conquered their fear of rollercoasters I was cheering you on every time you sat in the seat. It’s only been a year and I’ve been on Velocicoaster at Universal Studios. I’m proud of you!
"It's a problem for future me, and now I am future me."
I feel this 😂
I FEEL THIS TOO BRO
And 10:45 “This is fine, AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!”
@@bjoe385 Best part when the realization hits that rollercoasters are actually really awesome lmao
Me when my exam
The title of my biography
I don't know if it's official Alton Towers policy, but the operators of the runaway mine train always say 'choo choo' before sending off the ride. They seem to compete to say it in the most patronising way to get a laugh from the punters 😆
I remember a little while ago there was a different operator (changed from now) and he said the 'choo choo' so well and was a great part of the ride. Sadly he seems to be gone now.
It’s been ages since I’ve been but don’t you also normally go round twice?
I think you mean “ChOoOoOo ChOoOoOo”
@@eyeballpaul1792 think they can vary how many times it goes round (I'm sure there is a limit though), I've been round three times before.
@@timdavies90 yes it depends on time of day and how busy it is. Most times I’ve been round is about six.
I'm a roller coaster controls programmer, and I can tell you the safety and redundancy that goes into these rides are top tier.
Glad to see you ended up enjoying them as much as you did. Cool video
I've worked several scarefests before as seasonal staff and am looking at joining the Phalanx lot at Sub Terra while I'm out of uni for the summer for a change; thought you'd like to know the Nemmy team who made the move to Sub Terra for this years closure still speak highly of having met you, and from what I heard the Mine Train Ops booth has a copy of your ride photo on their cork board.
We'd love to see you back with us again!
Did you get your time on sub-terra? I have to say the entire phalanx re-theme and Nemesis Reborn were absolutely amazing. Alton Towers is finally on an upwards trajectory.
It’s funny how phobias work. You can fly wing suits, ride in fighter jets, scale cliffs, wing-walk, even pass out in NASA’s gravity laboratory and have a blast. But roller coasters make you tense up, want to flee. Roller coasters aren’t more frightening than some of the things Tom has done, but everyone just has specific combinations of stimuli they’re extremely vulnerable to. Congrats, Tom! It takes a lot of bravery to do this, and even more bravery to do this in front of an audience.
Some of the difference between those experiences is the direction of social pressure. For experimental equipment, everyone in the room will magnify any safety concern, and directly ask you questions about whether the current conditions are safe to proceed.
In this case, while there are safety procedures in place, the default assumption is that the ride is normal. It's safe until proven otherwise.
Not to mention, many of these other places and activities try to minimize the feeling of being unsafe, while rollercoasters often are designed with specific elements and theming to evoke the idea that they are imposing and scary, like just being a BIG NOISY METAL CONTRAPTION, the feeling of being almost out of control, etc etc.
Dude I'm more about that walking the steel cables of suspension bridges - it's absurd to be that there could be anyone fearful of essentially a drunk train ride after that. Now, flying coasters are a whole different story, riding belly down suspended only by an over-the-shoulder restraint with no hand-holds nor backup safety belt is fking terrifying and no amount of coaster experience will make me want to do it a second time.
Heck, I was way more nervous watching his rope walking video!
Seeing tom go from terrified to laughing giddily like a child absolutely made my day
ive watched this ten times and it still never gets old!
Conquering fear is such a underrated emotional experience. It really is life changing. Congrats Tom! Not only for yourself but for the ppl that this has helped. You’re doing Gods work. You should be proud and your love ones should be proud of you. Blessings!
That last quote “I’ve wasted so many opportunities to do cool stuff like that just because I was too scared” really hit me. It applies to everything, for him it’s rollercoasters but it can be anything for anyone and that’s something I can deeply relate to. Didn’t think this would get me emotional. You’re incredible!
It's a brilliant quote to be honest and you're right, you could apply that to anything in life
I always wonder, if I go back to eating meat (vegetarian, non preaching) if I'll regret all the times I was in good restaurants and good BBQs and didn't try the meat.
For me it's two things. One js jumping from a long height into water. The other is needles. I know needles are required for blood testing, giving medicine, donating blood, etc and I've done it so many times but that is not really cool I guess.
But there’s a bright side. If you’ve done these things since you were a kid, you can still have a lot of fun doing them but you become a little numb to it. Tom has saved that major excitement now, excitement you can get as an adult but is much fewer and far between of an experience. Now he has another activity he can truly enjoy like a kid as an adult and that’s kind of something special. He didn’t waste past experience opportunities, he just gained new, more intense ones now.
Social interactions for me :c
There is never, ever, EVER "a stupid thing to cry about". Congratulations on completing this.
Crying that you can't get anything you eany
It's grieving in a way; grieving the loss of once in a lifetime experiences he may have missed. Not stupid at all
Actually, the fact that a poodle cannot fly is a stupid thing to cry about
@@MaydupNemunless we take that to mean your pet poodle is not allowed on a plane and you cant take it with you when you mive
Seeing this video inspired me to face my own fear of rollercoasters. Accompanied by a good friend, I managed to work my way up to dive coasters and those where your feet are dangling in just a single day. I'm still nervous when riding one, but the stress symptoms have eased a lot. Before that day, I wouldn't have dreamt that I'd actually enjoy rollercoasters, much less rolls and loopings whith my feet dangling. Thank you Tom for giving me the push to face my fear.
That little bit of nerves never fully goes away, even after going on hundreds of rides! It's part of the experience.
It's incredible to watch you experience petrifying fear, followed by genuine uncertainty of what you are feeling, followed by unadulterated joy, all in the span of about 10 seconds.
"Are you ready?"
"No, but I never will be" is such a big reminder to just get on the coaster and not let the fear overtake you.
"I've wasted so many opportunities not going on these cause I was too scared" also hit me cause I'm deathly afraid of roller coasters, but I also want to go on them. Watching someone with the exact same fear as me overcome it is so motivating in any situation.
same!! i really want to go on roller coasters but i get so scared and decide not to, i think im going to stop doing that now.
I’m not gonna tell you what I’m afraid of, but I can say from experience that the fear does not stop or lessen you only learn to tolerate it. Damn that sounded edgy. My point is, when/if you “conquer” your fear you will find out that things that scared you to a smaller degree will seem less scary. The phobia will become the only thing that you fear. Everything else will seem fine. Facing your phobia again and again will become your only source of adrenaline. It’s hard to explain. You must find out yourself. Good luck.
I experienced the exact same thing of a fear of rollercoasters just dissapearing after 1 ride. I 100% reccomend just getting on any ride you find scary (upside down ones rly work), you will never be scared again
The good thing about a rollercoaster is that you have to do one thing: sit in it and be strapped in. It's the initial fear and doubt that gets you. Don't think. Sit. You'll go through the ride and come out the other side stronger.
@@alannahfavero511 That's what I did recently - went to Alton Towers terrified, and STARTED with the Smiler
I told myself to just sit down and brace myself, did exactly that, and had a whale of a time
If the queue wasn't so long I would have gone on again and again and again!
As someone with a lot of anxious tendencies, watching Tom preparing for the second coaster was very hard due to the sheer amount of empathy I was feeling. Watching him get over it on the ride and start laughing was an amazing moment, honestly inspiring. A real emotional rollercoaster.
Was that 'pun intended'.
Same for me. That point where he got over it was so wonderful, even though my own anxiety was still flaring just watching it.
Being very empathetic and anxious is an annoying mix sometimes.
Don’t worry guys he’s an empath
Literally me every time I have to kill a cockroach in my house
I was feeling the same thing.
Watching the transition from fear to enjoyment took me back to my time at a Florida theme park, where on an unexpectedly slow day, I ran into a kid from the UK who had not gone on any of the coasters. So I convinced him to take a ride on one of the attractions that everyone skips because it's perceived as one of the scariest until you do it. I loved watching it ten years ago, and it's still great to watch today. This just became one of my top five favorite videos on UA-cam.
It's not at all a stupid thing to cry about! No matter how small it may feel in retrospect, overcoming ANY fear is a huge undertaking, and watching it happen for you in real time made me get emotional, too. Super happy for you Tom!
Thirded!
Not just overcoming, but realizing you actually enjoy what you feared for so long. Not surprising to feel emotional at all!
4:33 That crow added incredible atmosphere qualities to the shot, and Tom telling it that it can shut up made me LAUGH SO HARD! For an instant I thought the crow could have even been edited in for atmosphere, but I was quickly, hilariously corrected.
The crow made it the most British video
If that crow was real and not just part of the park, that was perfect
@@calvinm5937 what do you mean „part of the park”? You think they employ crows there? Lolz
@@Wingtrois speakers
the crow was a paid actor
There is nothing to be embarrassed about being emotional from that. You broke through a barrier that held you back for many years of your life. You came to a pivotal point in your life, and it is absolutely amazing, and I commend you for it. I'm so genuinely glad you ended up enjoying this.
Being a roller coaster enthusiast and being a fan of Tom Scott's content, this video is a tear-jerker 🥲
Seeing the realization hit Tom, him just suddenly having that revelation of, “I can do this,” was incredible. You can see the exact moment the psychological block caused by his phobia yielded to the reality of the situation. Obviously, he’s gonna have more work to do, but that big breakthrough just rocketed him down the path he wanted to be on and further towards his goal of mitigating or eliminating the fear. A lot of people will never experience what that’s like, and certainly not on this scale/severity, so seeing it here has the potential to be so powerful as a tool of empathy and understanding.
Apparently now he has a season pass and is riding every ride at six flags, to the point where he has opinions on the quality of each ride. Watch the SafteyThird podcast with Tom Scott
Yes - I got to that moment of realisation and unexpectedly, immediately started fully crying. It’s huge to get to see somebody be so suddenly freed, even partially.
Fear is an illusion. You can see straight through it once you have an experience like this
18:45 you can see it happen
I got over my fear of coasters by ridding a 300ft coaster right off the bat :)
This is genuinely one of the best videos I've seen on UA-cam. It takes a lot of courage not just to tackle a major phobia but to be okay with sharing that with the world and being vulnerable--The way you're just so genuine in all your videos is something I think we should all aspire to. It's just really heartwarming to watch. Tom Scott gives me faith in humanity
Hello fellow Lemon
Tom scott is literally my most favourite person and i started binging his videos only this morning 😭
i see that pfp of yours. I know what you are
Right?! My eyes got wet watching him go from just trying to stay calm and letting out vocal stress to screaming and laughing as most people do on a roller coaster.
same
I was genuinely scared the entire time. My palms got so sweaty. I was smiling when tom laughed and enjoyed the ride. Thank you Tom!
This was literally me for my whole life-only could get on a couple at Kings Island, and most I was too terrified to even get in line. However, having watched this video and been encouraged my friends and family, I’ve gotten over my fear of most of the worst ones! Still can’t do huge drops but I can do Beast and Mystic Timbers without panic. Screaming always helps!! Thanks Tom!!
Do Orion gosh darnit people across the earth dream of riding a giga!!!
Beast can be rough, but it’s awesome.
Ayyy Kings Island. If you can do The Beast you can do anything. Super great to see you conquering that fear.
The moment he goes from nervous laughter to maniacal cackling is the moment of epiphany. A rare moment of pure joy is more rarely captured on camera like this. It's a good thing to see. Welcome to the world of coasters, Tom. Hope you get the chance to try to make up for lost time. 🤘✊👊
I could feel that through the screen, genuinely felt like my heart was expanding as it happened, good on Tom for being brave enough to do this and put it out for everyone to see
Yes as a kid I was in..seventh grade so around 12-13.. in Vienna Prater with school trip. Went on some steel-mini coaster, don't really remember much, but probably that basic layout that you can find everywhere.
The only thing I remember was being ashamed to scream so I went with closed mouth and it made me nauseous.
Didn't been on coaster since until I was thirty. My friend dragged me to park or offer me to go and I quickly realized that my limits are literary sky high and I was fine with every coaster there.
While I've been on many different kinds since, l my most fa orite are inverted or launch coasters
as a ride operator, seeing people conquer their fears and take on these big scary machines is why i enjoy this job SO MUCH. literally had the biggest smile on my face at the end of the video - if you ever get the chance, come over across the pond and come out to cedar point, weve got some of the biggest and best roller coasters in the world!! we'd love to have you 😁😁😁❤️
dude i go to that park so much its so fun
I’m also a Cedar Point ride op! If Tom ever came to my ride I’d probably freak out!
I used to be a Cedar Point ride op!
Dude, Cedar Point is the real thing! I did a nerdy research project on roller coasters in middle school, then got to actually visit the park in Ohio (I’m from way out in Idaho) ten years later! It blew my mind!
But Tom… there might be a few steps in between now and Cedar Point :). Maybe don’t be in too much of a rush!
Bro cedar point is my home park! I was there yesterday!! What ride do you operate?
Love how perfectly the journey and resolution this translates into damn-near-everything in life that is controlled by fear.
The courage this must have taken is immense. Well done for tackling your fear!!!
Going from being terrified to "Can we do that again?" was both really wholesome, and super funny.
Glad you managed to face your phobia!
This was almost surreal to watch, watching Tom on the rides realising that he's actually enjoying himself is basically the exact same experience I had about 2 years ago, and it is a memory that will stick with me forever. This whole video basically perfectly mirrored my own experience with rollercoasters, from what Tom said at the start right through to being on all the rides
Exactly my thoughts as well! There's nothing like turning fear into joy, it's a very memorable experience.
Also describes my rollercoaster journey. I was scared, yet determined to extend my boundaries and ride something bigger and badder each time.
The laughter at 10:58 was the sudden overcoming of the phobia, and the enjoyment kicking in
Same here! 3 years ago I had not been on a single roller coaster in 27 years. And now I've been on almost 100, including 3/4 gigacoasters in the US and Kingda Ka. I even planned a 2-week roadtrip around them last year. I went from terrified to annoyed at myself for not starting sooner and missing out on all the rides I missed as a kid that no longer exist.
The opposite of my roller coaster experience. I went on some about 8 years ago and came to the conclusion that I just don't like it. I don't like the lack of control, I don't like falling, I don't like my safety being in the hands of people who don't care about my safety.
Ok im crying with you, Tom, that was genuinely amazing experience to see you go through it and evolving through all of the rides, thank you
Going from "I hate it" & "I can't do it", to in tears stating "I love rollercoasters" and "I want to do it again" warms my heart. You did it! I'm so happy and proud of you. Fears are truly monsters that hold us back and keeps us from realizing how much we miss in life. 💖💕
It's fascinating how different movie "fear" and actual primal fear are, and how unpleasant it is to see. And then the adrenalin giggles set in and it's heart-warming.
@@billy00001 God, it really was, wasn't it? When the video began it activated the primal-maternal part of my brain that went, "Oh no I love him, I want to hug him, poor baby boy," which I was aware is incredibly patronizing but it's what the beginning of the video evoked from me, but then the genuine terror and shouting began and I just fell silent and felt so uncomfortable. But it was all worth it when his joy came out!
“what happens if I try and panic?” bruh letting the intrusive thoughts in for science
I used to be very scared of roller-coasters myself, but I found out a way to enjoy them. In the past, I would hold the bars tightly and would go into "survival" mode, waiting until it's over. It was frightening, my body thought it was a dangerous situation. Instead, I experimented with "letting go" and it does wonders. I've always been like "how the heck are people able to raise their hands on the roller-coasters"? And I forced myself to do that. It really, really helped! Instead of waiting until it's over, I experienced it and I just screamed when my fear entered. Screaming seems to really help to process these emotions and you can go through the whole ride like this, because it's not like a roller-coaster ride is 100% of fear all the time. There are just single points where it gets scary. Try it, guys!
So many creators on this platform try to optimize their online persona and never show you their real self. Then there's Tom, who shows us its OK to be human. It's not a stupid thing to cry about. everyone who lives has something their afraid of. The relief and joy from conquering your longtime personal struggles is actually a perfectly rational thing to be emotional about.
*"I have spent so many years being scared, and I'm not anymore." - Good on ya Tom, we love to watch how far youve come out of your comfort zone. And how much this channel has grown along with you! Cheers!*
*insert inspirational quote here*
"tom conqured his fears , he showed no tears" - Sun Tzu The Art Of War
The fact that he puts himself through this in front of 100 of thousands of people gets all my respect. I totally understand his feelings
You realize he wouldn’t ever do this unless he had an audience right?
I think the audience is what drives him.
I just had a life-changing experience like this at Six Flags Magic Mountain over the weekend. I wasn't quite as afraid getting on a coaster but I knew going into it that I haven't faced a challenge or thrill for so long in my life that when I was given this opportunity I knew I could not say no.
Come to LA and let's go ride the big ones together! I'm already envisioning myself riding the coasters again with no hands!
I'm so proud of Tom. He sets goals, seemingly to challenge himself, and absolutely knocks them down. His ability to look into his own emotions and be authentically himself show us glimpses of ourselves. His work towards facing those challenges is something we should all strive for.
Congrats on everything, Tom
This has to be my favorite Tom Plus video so far. Seeing Tom, a person who is so knowledgeable in all things, including engineering, being scared of something that he logically knows should be safe, be scared of that same thing and then overcoming that fear, inspires me to be more confident about the things I know to be harmless but still terrify me regardless. Thank you Tom, seeing that switch flip was really powerful.
He literally controlled a plane blindfolded
Puts into pictures how wild irrational phobias/fears can be. He's done some objectively terrifying things through all this work, yet this is still frightening. Might have to do some reading on the topic, fascinating.
And that's why i love this channel so much
I wish more people with arachnaphobia and other bug phobias (who dont live in the hellscape of Australia) could do the same.
Its legitimately annoying how normalized freaking out at tiny creatures is.
Its a sign that our biosphere is dwindling and theres more and more people who literally havent touched grass.
@@ordinarytree4678 how is "touching grass" related to arachnophobia?!
Wow, this was some powerful and inspirational stuff. Fear is such a powerful emotion, and has hold me back so many times. Thank you for this video.
I used to be terrified of roller coasters when I was younger. Had to conquer the fear similarly. That rush of conquering a coaster is absolutely incredible! Loved this video so much
I think this video additionally proves Tom’s commitment against swearing. I would’ve made sailors blush if I were in the same situation.
didn't even think about that, the fear could not overcome Tom's self-discipline of not swearing
I was really anticipating some heavy bleeping.
Though him telling the bird to "shut up now" made me laugh for like 5 minutes
@@tomrogue13 Highlight of the video for me.
I'd create some interesting new cursewords
Immediate impressions: All the staff seem like EXACTLY the kind of people you want with you when you're doing something you're terrified of. What a nice bunch!
Good trip sitters
They're definitely the right people for the job.
Tom Scott knows how to do research and that includes people introducing him to new stuff to make sure they are professionals or experts.
Watching someone else with this phobia makes me so motivated that I could do it too, apart from the fact I’m terrified of being sick right after or on the ride, but this is so inspiring to me dude
19:00 This is the proof, that joy and courage are much stronger then fear ♥
Thanks for making this, Tom. I live with PTSD, and there are so many things that my banged-up brain interprets as mortal threats--ordinary things like the sound of a door slamming or the smell of certain kinds of soap on my skin. I've managed to cross a few of them off the list over the years (I don't hide from fireworks anymore, and when people shout at me I shout back louder), but it's exhausting to look at the list and see how many things are still on it. I don't WANT to be afraid of soap or doors. I don't actually think those things are scary. But there's a terrified animal in the back of my brain that is absolutely convinced that the smell of lemon-scented soap is a sign that the world is ending.
Watching you shout through your fear and then laugh at it, seeing you acknowledge it and still overcome it...that helped. Thank you. This can't have been an easy video for you to make, but it might be one of the most important things you've ever done.
I hope I get to ride next to you on a coaster in my country someday. Just as soon as I do something about my little problem with crowds...
The fact that you've managed to cross any of those things off of your list means that you are brave. It doesn't take any bravery to do things that don't scare us. It takes no bravery for me to go on a rollercoaster. But Tom was immensely brave in this video. You are too. I wish you luck. For whatever it's worth, a total stranger is cheering you on.
For me I don't hate consistent loud noises but only if you know it's coming but you don't know when it's going to come like a horror movie. Or like balloons that you know it's going to pop sometime but don't know when
Your post resonated. I get it. Abundant love and good vibes ❤
You're doing great keep at it
How's it now after a month? I doubt anything has changed.
It genuinely put a smile on my face seeing the point where sheer terror faded into enjoyment! Coming from a theme park enthusiast it's so good to see someone conquer a their fear of rollercoasters! Shame you can't get back all that time you lost, but better late to the party than to not go at all? :D
As an enthusiast, I do enjoy how even someone who's super factual and looks into the facts of something, can be afraid of one of the most studied amusement rides in existence to the point where its the most statistically safest form of "transportation". Really puts into perspective that even someone who researches a ton about something can still be affected by the human mind.
With his fear conquered, there are so many amazing, unique, and historic rides he can experience and do videos on!
So many in the UK, and then further afield too!
Well put! We all have our fears and it's great and somewhat inspirational to see someone tackling it head on. Behind the scenes knowledge of how safe the attractions are probably helps too!
Yessssss
Seeing someone successfully stretching their boundaries is awesome, its actually inspiring
Seeing you overcome your fear and truly enjoying the rides was so heartwarming, you made me smile and laugh, thank you and congratulations !!
I like how calm and collected every coaster operators are.
Theyre like chillest dudes
Plus they seemed entirely non-judgemental about phobias.
@@Feraloidies it’s kinda part of the job, helping scared kids get over the fear just long enough to take the ride or helping them off if they decide not to go. Adults are easier than that
@@Bisonrulz16 now I know why the ride operator lied to me about this roller coaster being slow, but it was like 100 drops per second (not really.)
The ones in the video weren't the usual operators they were engineers
And that, friends, is what we call a "Rollercoaster of emotion"
PS You rock Tom, we love you
Absolutely missed opportunity for a video title.
ayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
Get Thy Coat and Get Thee Gone!!!
Do you hear that? I think two drums and a cymbal just fell off a cliff.
Got me crying as you finished the last one. Human nature and achievements are what life is about.
This is great. The vulnerability, the emotion, the laughter, the growth. It’s just glorious! Way to go, @tomscottplus!
You know Tom is scared and frustrated when he very birtishly tells a bird to Shut up. Good on you Tom 👍
You know he was Banned from Alton Towers for this
@@noahboydofficial no, he wasn't.
@@steviepriest3601 sorry, I just realized that a few hours ago
@@noahboydofficial what? Can you explain? Was he banned afterwards for other reasons or something?
@definently real Alton Towers
"This is fun! I can do this! I can do this!"
Seriously brought tears to my eyes. Thank you for being such a wonderfully vulnerable strong vibrant REAL human being. You're moving mountains, man. For yourself and for all of us. Thank you
I loved seeing that 180° turn in mindset. That’s exactly what happened to me. From shaking in fear in the queue and on the lift hill to joyfully screaming and enjoying the ride. It takes real courage to extend your boundaries like that and to keep telling yourself that you’re going to do it, even though you’re really scared.
It was a rollercoaster of emotions.
This is a really special video. It’s really inspiring seeing someone face their fears, and I think even more inspiring because it’s a phobia a lot of people find “ridiculous”. It’s easy to avoid doing things because you don’t want to seem stupid, you know?
I don't think there was a dry eye from anyone watching this. Genuinely one of the greatest, most uplifting videos on the internet.
The abrupt shift from being terrified to laughing and smiling was absolutely heartwarming.
I recently got over my fear of drop towers by forcing myself onto one- looking back, it was such a shame I refused to go on so many drop towers all these years just because of my stubborn fear of drops as a child. I still vividly remember getting off the ride and frantically telling my friend I wanted to go on every drop tower ever whilst smiling like a lunatic. Truly one of the best things I’ve ever overcome.
Glad you also got over your fear- you never truly know how much you’ve missed your whole life until you’ve tried it :)
I refuse to go on drop towers because the drop of roller coasters is my least favorite part. I dont think theres anything that can convince me
@@f1nn15 do what they did they probably had the same mentality
@@gabbyk.7358 to get rid of the fear you need to do the absolute most extreme one possible.
otherwise there is always a barrier. i hate droptowers too tho.
Used to hate drop towers myself, but there was one I went on after learning about the lift and brake mechanism being magnetics, meaning it’s (nearly) physically impossible for the ride to fail catastrophically because powering the ride is what allows it to lift, but if the ride is unpowered, the magnets are still there which create the braking force on the way down, meaning you can never have a destructive landing without someone literally tearing the ride apart from the ground level.
I'm jealous of how good Tom is at being openly vulnerable. What a legend
This is so powerful, thanks for sharing this Tom.
I spent all of my teens going to parks with friends and really not going on the coasters. I wouldn't say it was a full-on phobia, but I really don't enjoy the feeling of falling. But once I tried suspended coasters - smoother ride, and usually smaller initial drops (and learned how much screaming does help with the pit in my stomach as I'm falling) - I love them now. I wish I had friends to go with me to try more!
I’m crying, both ecstatic for you, and sad for the missed years.
I recently got to ride a few rollercoasters at Disney World and Universal in Orlando that I hope you get to ride: Cosmic Rewind is probably my all-time favorite. It’s like dancing in space. Hagrid’s is the most novel track I’ve ever been on. And Velocicoaster is the most intense (yet smooth).
And not really a coaster, but the Avatar banshee ride is amazingly creative.
10:46 those 15 seconds are almost magical. You can almost pinpoint the exact second Tom’s brain switched from utter panic into enjoyment, and the pitch in his scream went up an octive
Literally took him a second to realise it had switched
I was scrolling down to see if anyone else had commented this!
Couldn't of picked a better phrase to describe it! It was horrible to watch someone you "know" (for want of a better term) in that state of panic... To watch him suddenly shift to enjoyment was just fantastic
I had the same exact fear up until a few years ago, same thing with the drops, feeling like you're at your limit, and realizing it's actually fun halfway through the ride. I intensely relived my own experiences in this video for the first time ever, and it took me back to why I got into theme parks in the first place. Thank you for that, amazing video. Now ride some more!
Oh hey silv
yooo silvie
says the person who makes rollercoasters
Now I'm obsessed. Love rollercoasters now
Couldnt agree more Silv.