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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??