Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Another warning for us

The New York Times had an article this morning, "Those Lost in Wilderness May Find Bill for Rescue".

The article detailed how New Hampshire lowered the threshold on a law allowing the state to recoup the costs of rescue operations. The state is beginning to bill "negligent" hikers who needed to be rescued, and also nursing homes and hospitals who have patients that wander off.

There were tales within the news story that set alarm bells off for me.

Most of us take our safety and our family's safety very seriously. We don't go out unprepared even for a trip to the local grocery store.

However, in the story, two women went for a hike and became lost. They could hear the highway, and rather than make their way towards the highway, they sat on a log and waited to be rescued.

Two cross country skiers were going out without packing any food as they talked with the reporter doing the story.

This is another story to reinforce what we suspect about the public at large and how seriously they take the idea of preparation for any eventuality.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Very interesting to me about how the 'state' is finally thinking of waking up those people who are relying totally on 'someone will help me' syndrome.
It's always been amazing how people, even some I know, will declare that 'you'll find me' when they wander into the bush. To that I usually reply, 'oh?'
So, in the issue of sending out squads of people to find the fool who has no sense (as those women hikers), I say, 'good'. Let the fools suffer the consequences of their foolishness.
Except in cases of lost children, I am totally for letting the fools discover themselves.