Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site ssc-vax.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!tektronix!uw-beaver!ssc-vax!sts From: sts@ssc-vax.UUCP (Stanley T Shebs) Newsgroups: net.flame Subject: Mountain Climbing Fees Message-ID: <331@ssc-vax.UUCP> Date: Mon, 18-Jul-83 20:24:06 EDT Article-I.D.: ssc-vax.331 Posted: Mon Jul 18 20:24:06 1983 Date-Received: Wed, 20-Jul-83 05:27:41 EDT Organization: Boeing Aerospace, Seattle Lines: 46 I know that responses to flames are not desirable, but in this case a reply is silly enough to fit in this group - SO - as a climber in the Great Pacific Northwest, I have come into contact with the rescue system and am somewhat familiar with its workings. First, the local Mountain Rescue organization is all-volunteer. Most climbing parties have the skill to rescue their own victims in all but the most serious of accidents. The Army or National Guard gets some good real-life helicopter training. Too, many tragedies in the mountains are the result of assorted idiots who went out totally unprepared (thus an equipment tax would not finance those rescue efforts). Perhaps presenting the victim's family with a bill for services is seen as a bit tacky (nahhh... doesn't seem to bother the morticians). There was a case recently where two experienced climbers had gone out during the winter and were five days overdue. Relatives panicked and got a massive search-and-rescue going. As it turned out, the two had waited out some bad weather in their tent, then walked back to the car and drove home, to be greeted by a bill for the search (more I suspect because of embarassment on the part of the authorities, since there was no reason for the search in the first place). Finally, there's a last little statistic (no source for this, sorry) claiming that the most dangerous part of mountaineering is... driving to and from the trailhead! To be fair, a tax on mountaineering equipment would shortly be followed by a special tax on sports cars, speeding tickets, boats (isn't there one for them already?), Americans in foreign countries, etc, etc. Actually, I wouldn't mind some sort of registration as a climber. It should be handled as a sort of insurance, where registered persons pay a fee annually for a greatly lowered cost of rescue, and nonregistered climbers would pay the full price. A possible disadvantage is that a climbing party with a casualty might put the victim at risk by trying to carry him/her out rather than waiting for a helicopter, just because of the cost. Hard to say... stan the leprechaun hacker Boeing Aerospace Co. uw-beaver!ssc-vax!sts (soon utah-cs)SINCE WHEN IS G*DD*MN BEAN-COUNTING MORE IMPORTANT THAN HUMAN LIVES, ANYWAY??